Blog
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How I Got My Groove – The Stages of a Landscape Design Career
Unlike now, when I graduated UCONN I didn’t have real-world landscape design experience. I designed landscapes by the book and my designs incorporated the latest cool plants at the nursery. If the book said a plant grows in the shade to 10 feet tall I put it in the shade where it could grow to…
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You Can Talk About it or You Can Keep It To Yourself
I went to a meeting last night for parents of Sandy Hook School children. The leader of the discussion had a great insight on poor behavior. When he was a child he would start arguments when something bothered him. When he did, his mom very calmly said, “You can talk about it or you can keep it to yourself. …
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Selectively Pruning Evergreen Shrubs – Part 2
In the first part of this series I showed you how to selectively prune evergreen shrubs. Now I’d like to show you one of the greatest benefits of this pruning method. By selectively pruning your evergreen shrubs you can control their height indefinitely. Every time you prune you are cutting into the shrub, so…
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Selectively Pruning Evergreen Shrubs – Part 1
Why do people get out their hedge shears once a year, usually during the heat of June or July, and prune their evergreen shrubs like a new recruit in the army? Yes Virginia, there is a better way! If you want healthy, attractive and easy to care for evergreen shrubs try selective pruning. Benefits of Selectively Pruning Evergreen…
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Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper
As a Monroe CT landscaper this landscape was a challenge to design. The stately colonial perched on top of a hill and doesn’t look like part of the landscape. My goal was to make the home look like it fit in. Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper I made the home look like it fit in…
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How to Aerate and Overseed Your Lawn
A few hours aerating your lawn this weekend will give benefits for a long time. Why should I aerate? Aerate your lawn if you have compacted soil, the grass is getting thin or you would like to overseed with a more vigorous type of seed. When should I aerate? I prefer to aerate from late summer to early…
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Hurricane Sandy – We Got Our Power Back Today
Today power returned to our neighborhood, four days after it went off on Monday night during Hurricane Sandy. This was the second year in a row that our home had no power on Halloween. A year ago, almost to the day, we had a freak snowstorm that dumped almost two feet of snow and left us…
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How to Deadhead and Maintain Daffodils
While maintaining a gorgeous bed of Daffodils I thought, “I wish more people knew this simple garden tip.” The tips in this video will keep your daffodils blooming and looking their best. I deadhead the spent flowers to return the energy to the bulb to produce blooms next year, not to produce seed for next…
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How to Care for Your New Landscape
Your landscape is a dynamic environment that is constantly growing and evolving. It needs maintenance as it matures, including pruning, mulching and weeding. Just like changing the oil in your car or cleaning your chimney, there are tasks required to keep your landscape “Well tuned.” How to Water New Plantings The key to establishing plants is…