Blog
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What’s the Difference Between a Landscape Designer and a Landscaper?
It happened again last week. A client was trying to decide between my company and the company that mows their lawn. The client hired the landscapers because my quote was a little higher. Ugh! This week I drove through the neighborhood and felt disappointment. The gardens had cheap wood mulch and it was not deep enough to suppress weeds. Two great ways to…
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Solutions for Frost and Freeze Damage on Tree and Shrub Foliage
Temperatures below freezing often cause frost and freeze damage on trees and shrubs from mid to late spring. Often the damage is minor and effected trees and shrubs will grow out of it. Look for signs of frost and freeze damage such as leaves on the tips of branches that are browning out. The foliage will turn…
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Why I’m Still a Landscaper
Coventry Lane in Trumbull, Connecticut, is where I began my landscaping career after graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. I eagerly put green fliers with a picturesque tree and my inspired ad copy in mailboxes. Then I anxiously waited for the phone to ring. I was new to the…
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Creating a Landscape Design Base Plan
Today I got to work drafting the base plan for a Newtown, Connecticut, Landscape Design. First, I calculate the scale to use so my landscape design will fit on the paper. Most landscape designs are larger in area then they seem when measuring the site. Now I make a draft of the base plan based on the…
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Enkianthus campanulatus – A Different Shrub for Connecticut Gardens
Redvein Enkianthus is an underused shrub in Connecticut gardens. I admit I don’t give this medium-sized shrub the love it deserves. That will be changing in the year ahead. Enkianthus flowers from late May to early June. Different cultivars and plants within cultivars have differing amounts of red and pink on a yellow backdrop. Redvein Enkianthus is…
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Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’ – A Colorful Groundcover for Connecticut Gardens
Variegated Big Blue Lilyturf is an attractive, low maintenance and reliable groundcover for Connecticut gardens. Variegated Big Blue Lilyturf grows in clumps about a foot tall. It flowers in September with twelve-inch tall lavender flower spikes. After flowering the spikes can either be cut back or left for fall interest. The yellow variegated foliage brightens any dark…
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Newtown CT Landscape Design Site Analysis
Today I completed the site analysis for a landscape design in Newtown, Connecticut. A site analysis is the first, and most vital step, when you measure and assess the site you are designing. Landscape design is about getting a feel for the site. How much sun does the space get? What type of soil is on the site? …
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Where to Begin Your Landscape Design?
In my job as a Newtown, Connecticut, landscape designer I often meet people who have chosen to improve their landscape. Some have moved into a new home and need a front yard planting. Others have an overgrown landscape that has literally eaten their house. Often future clients are unsure where to start developing their landscape. …
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Your Rights When Hiring a Landscape Contractor
The other day, while talking to a prospective client in Newtown, Connecticut, I heard the story of a contractor who had dropped the ball. My prospective client had talked to a carpenter about work in his home and never received an estimate. It had been a week since he left his last message asking the…