By: Elena Roman You go to the local nursery to buy a few perennials to fill in the garden bed in your front yard. You find what you like, you go home, plant them in the ground, and give them a good soak with the hose. You already know the bed has the appropriate sunlight for these specific plants, but you feel less certain about how much water they will […]
March 1, 2022,
In Garden Care, Landscaping, Sustainability,
Integrated Pest Management
By: Andrew Obloy Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can be complicated and broad, to say the least. Essentially, it is a program to manage pests, but it is also so much more. Here are some ways we can use IPM to help keep your properties healthy and beautiful: Our use of IPM begins in spring, applying fertilizer to both plants and turf. Fertilizer ensures plants receive the nutrients they need for […]
February 14, 2022,
In Decomposition, Ecological, Mutualistic Relationship, Sustainability, Symbiotic,
Fungi in the Ecosystem
by Karl Deibert We wouldn’t have the plants we know today if fungi did not exist. They have played an integral role in how life has developed and come to flourish on this planet. Fungus generally is not something that people hold in high regard, often associated with decay and disease, which is true for some species, but there is a lot more going on out there. Humans are just […]
November 3, 2021,
In Design, Ecological, Interiorscaping,
Plant Spotlight: Making Sense of our Swiss Cheese plants (Monstera deliciosa)
By: Elena Roman What good would a leaf with a bunch of holes in it be for a plant? You would think, that if the sole function of a leaf is to absorb and process as much sunlight as possible in order to make food for the entire plant, the leaf must have to be big, green, and certainly not have giant, gaping holes. Of course, in the natural world, […]
October 4, 2021,
In Ecological, Invasive, Sustainability, Symbiotic,
Are all Invasive Species Bad?
By: Andrew Obloy We should all do our best to help our native plant species thrive. Whether in the environment around us, or in our own home gardens. Care should always be taken when introducing non-native plant or animal species anywhere. The potential damage could be catastrophic to an ecosystem. Today we are going in a different direction. I want to talk about the invasive species that have […]
September 7, 2021,
In Ecological, Invasive, Planted Earth, Sustainability,
Non-Native vs Invasive Plants
By: Andrew Obloy Our native plants are amazing. They are here for a reason, and we should use them as much as we can in our own landscapes. That being said, not all non-natives should get a bad rap. For many, the word invasive feels synonymous with non-native. I will always encourage the use of native plants in your own garden, but I don’t think we should look at all […]
August 2, 2021,
In Ecological, Environmental Stewardship, Landscaping, Native plants, Naturescaping, Sustainability,
Going Native: Part 2
By: Gabrielle Phillips Benefits of adding more native plants to your garden. Climate change, it is a hot topic. Some say if we don’t do anything to remedy the issue the earth is going to kick us off into outer space and we will be sucked into a black hole. I am not actually sure if anyone said this nor do I believe that will happen but, I do believe […]
July 9, 2021,
In Ecological, Native plants, Naturescaping, Sustainability,
Going Native
By: Gabrielle Phillips The days begin to get longer and hotter, sweat seems to be a regular part of our wardrobe and the lush foliage of our landscape is in full effect. Flowers are in bloom everywhere and if you have a vegetable garden you maybe harvesting fresh tomatoes, herbs, and squash for your dinner. The summer brings us a feeling of abundance due to the great amount of growth […]
June 1, 2021,
In Ecological, Native plants, Naturescaping, Planted Earth,
The Allure of Hardy Orchids
By: Karl Deibert Orchids have captivated people for millennia. They are a massively diverse group of plants that have colonized almost every corner of the world minus Antarctica. There is an estimated 30,000 naturally occurring species making them the largest flowering plant family. We are still finding new species as they constantly evolve new ways to trick insects and now people into pollinating them and carrying on the next generation. […]
May 3, 2021,
In Ecological, Planted Earth, Sustainability, Symbiotic,
Fungi in the Garden
By: Karl Deibert Friends, foes and tasty treats… Our world hosts an untold number of species and nowhere is that more evident than within the kingdom of fungi. To date, we’ve described around 5 percent of the estimated 2.2 million species. Throughout most of our horticultural history mushrooms, molds, and other fungi have been viewed as no more than garden pests and boy, were we wrong. The vast majority of […]