Category: Garden Maintenance
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Garden Maintenance is a Journey, Not a Destination
I’ve spent the last few days overwhelmed with how far behind I am in my home’s garden maintenance. Yesterday, I knocked the weeds down with a weed wacker because they were so overgrown. This morning, I flame-weeded our gravel driveway. Finally, I hoped to tune up the lawn mower but fell behind in my plans.…
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What Doesn’t Belong Here?
I stumbled on a corn plant while maintaining a client’s garden a couple of months ago. Most people would have pulled the plant. I love it when volunteers show up in the garden! Whether animal or vegetable, it doesn’t matter. Nature is Random and Ordered Nature is both random and ordered—certain plants like certain conditions.…
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Will Petunias Self-Seed?
If soil and light conditions are right, Petunias self-seed readily. The secret is to avoid accidentally weeding tiny petunia seedlings in late spring. Self-seeded petunias germinate around Memorial Day here in USDA Hardiness Zone 6. Right when spring rains start to dry out and the air temperature is on the rise. Petunia seedlings outgrow weeds…
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Grass Edging Tool for Tree Rings
Yesterday, I cut a fresh edge around a couple of sugar maples with my favorite grass edging tool. We had rain and fog in the morning and the soil was soft. Perfect for edging! Spade for Grass Edging Tool Sometimes, I prefer to use a sharp spade to edge the lawn. I don’t always use…
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Saying Goodbye
Yesterday was a melancholy day at Land Designs Unlimited LLC. A client of 5 years is moving and yesterday was my last visit. There’s a chance the new owners will want my services, I hope they do. Unfortunately, experience has taught me it rarely works that way. This landscape is special for a couple of…
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Fall Cleanup Finished Today
Today I finished last year’s fall cleanup! Not a moment too soon either, in a few short months leaves will start falling again. Let me explain, normally I use a leaf blower to blow the leaves onto the grass then shred them with a lawnmower. However, last year I decided to go Old School and…
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Spread Less Mulch For a More Healthy Landscape
This spring I visited a home that had recently been mulched and was shocked at how deep the mulch was and how little preparation went into the job. Weeds that had been covered in mulch poked through and the mulch was easily four to five inches deep. I recommend carrying a soil knife and removing…
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How to Mulch a Tree Incorrectly
Every spring I cringe when I see freshly mulched landscapes. The more is better principle gets beaten silly and mulch spread with reckless abandon. This isn’t the first time I’ve discussed how to mulch and it won’t be the last. How to mulch correctly is a topic worth repeating. Volcano mulching is when a mound…
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Another Day at the Office
I’ve been working on Lake Zoar in Monroe CT the last couple days. The weather this week has been beautiful. High 50’s to low 60’s and sunny. Last week I worked in a drizzle mixed with snowflakes. The improved weather is a welcome change. The picture at the top of this post is a fire…