Potting

We use The Green Reaper as our primary wholesaler for plants throughout the year. They grow organic perennials and shrubs. I was helping The Green Reapers pot mailed plants today. What fun! Some new varieties that Chris and Boots are offering this year: Blackberry Lily (Bellamcamda), Dragon's Eye Daylily (Hemerocallis), Burning Hearts Woodland Bleeding Heart (Dicentra). The Burning Hearts is stunning and has a longer bloom period than most woodland Dicentra. There are also some new Brunnera, Gailardia, and Clematis vine.




Let's start those garden plans!!

Spring Pruning

Some trees and bushes are best pruned when they are dormant - so from February to April. Here are a few pictures of some backyard apple trees that have not been pruned in several years. Apple trees should really be pruned every or every other year to maintain good fruit production and to keep the tree healthy. If there are too many branches then the tree wastes nutrients being sent to branches it doesn't need. By keeping it pruned up nice every year, the tree wastes no nutrients and just gets them to blossoms and apples that we (the human) want from it.

In this picture you notice the upright suckers that grow each year. These suckers are about 4-6 years old (you can tell by counting the rings).

Here is the same grove with the suckers cut off. This tree had to be cut back dramatically because there were some dead branches, some branches that touched one another, and some with fungus growing on them. The tree should have evenly spaced branches that expand horizontally for good air flow over fruit to prevent fungal and bacterial infections, and ease of harvest.


There you have it, apple pruning in a nutshell. Its also the time of year to prune blueberries. If you need us to come out and prune for you, email us and we'll be in contact with you.

Thanks for reading our blog!

Happy New Year!

Remember to visit us on Facebook! I have posted an album there of the progress landscaping at our new home this year. You can view it here. We hope you enjoy!

Last day of landscaping for the season?

It may have been my last day of landscaping work for the year - and there was snow on the ground!! Today I was installing edging and rubber mulch strips under this wonderful fence for protection against back splash from precipitation along the garden. What do you think?
This edging was wonderful to work with because it came in sections that you pounded into the last piece instead of a big roll that curls and is difficult to keep where you want it.


The rubber mulch strips are 100% (they look like tires!) and match the black compost/mulch that we used almost perfectly! This area will only be seen for a few short weeks while the plants are not filling it in.





Good luck with all your home projects for the winter! Remember that starting in February I will be hiring out to do interior painting and home cleaning. I'm great to have around to move heavy objects and help organize attics, basements, etc.

I will be doing the interior framing on my own house with my father and boyfriend for December - I'm looking forward to finally working on our house! Look forward to invites to view display gardens with edibles and lots of blooms all season in a year or so! I will be doing lots of plantings in the 2011 season!! Have a wonderful holiday season!

Autumn is here and winter is coming!

Here are a few new creations from this autumn with Two Sisters! Below are pictures of new plantings along a fence and a stone walkway. Fall plantings need a few weeks to establish their roots and will be full and blooming the entire following season.
We will use gardens incorporated into this walkway to soften the corners along the way. These will be raised perennial beds.



Here is a bed that I made for a client who wanted to save some plants I was replacing. He liked the roses, so I made this bed and transplanted them with some existing siberian iris before I replaced them with different perennials closer to the house.
Here, Hana and I dug some new foundation beds and are in the process of removing mulch, planting, and putting mulch back on. The owner of this house wanted color around the house and a new walkway/entrance way.
These foundation plantings will add color and interest around the living areas all year round.
Here is a garden visible from the kitchen window. We added some foliage color and some blooms for year-round interest.

Here are plantings without the walkway - it will be very full next year - get ready for pictures!
Here is the finished rose bed with mulch on it.

More foundation plantings with beautiful fall asters! The 'Alma Potchke' is hot pink!

It is dark - but here is the final walkway and garden after a long day of work!
Thanks for visiting our blog! I am now scheduling house cleaning and interior painting for the winter months. Please email or call me to set up an appointment or to ask for an estimate! You can find my phone number on our newsletters and brochures to correspond by phone.