ScapeMail
Volume 9, Issue 1 January 7, 2025
As we welcome the New Year, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued trust and support. Your loyalty has been the cornerstone of our success, and we are truly thankful for every opportunity to serve you and our community.
We look forward to another year of creating beautiful landscapes together. Wishing you and your loved ones a prosperous & joyful 2025! -Shayne
WINTER PRUNING
Proper winter pruning is essential for maintaining the health of trees and shrubs in your landscape.
Late winter is the best time to prune many plants while they are still dormant, and you will begin to see our estate management crews performing this task soon.
Most deciduous trees such as maple, oak, elm, and crabapple and flowering shrubs that will bloom on new growth, like butterfly bush and blueberries are the best candidates for winter pruning. Flowering shrubs that bloom on last year’s growth, (azaleas, lilac, forsythia), should not be pruned now, but after they have bloomed.
Winter pruning gives the plant some time to recover before the new growing season begins. Pruning also benefits the plant by creating increased airflow and allows more light to reach the inner branches.
Pruning is also a great time to scout for any dead or diseased limbs that should be removed, helping to prevent the spread of any pests and/or disease.
If you choose to prune yourself, make sure to:
- Always prioritize safety – especially when using ladders or working on larger trees.
- Wear protective goggles, gloves and footwear.
- Use the proper tools and ensure they are clean and sharp to make precise and clean cuts.
- Never remove more than one-third of any plant at a time.
- Research pruning techniques such as thinning, heading back, raising and deadwooding.
- Monitor the plants health after pruning.
DEER CONTROL
This photo shows the damage hungry deer can do to an arborvitae hedge.
Due to the large populations of deer in our area, solutions can be tricky. We’ve written about deer control in previous newsletters, and the best solution can often employ a few strategies working together.
- Deer fencing is one of the most reliable but can also be difficult for some homeowners due to its 8′ height. An entire property or selected areas, like their favorite access point, can be fenced.
- While most plants are on the menu for deer, there are some they find less desirable like lavender, marigold, yarrow and lamb’s ear.
- Repellants can be applied in or around your garden beds, or directly to the plant to deter deer with their foul smell and taste.
- Employing scare tactics like motion-activated sprinklers, lights, and noise devices will startle them into moving. Unfortunately, they can also become familiar with them so there is a need to move them occasionally.
“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” – Melody Beattie
GARDEN PLANNING
Planning your garden is critical to ensure both its success and your happiness and enjoyment with it.
After determining the site, factors such as existing features, sun exposure, soil type, and drainage all need to be considered for success.
Designing the layout can be tricky for some as symmetry, proportion, color, and placement are all needed to make the garden visually appealing and to keep it thriving year after year.
Some questions to ask yourself are: How will it be used and during how many seasons? Do we want a pathway? A seating area? Will I have any sculptures? Who will maintain it? How dedicated am I to maintain it myself? Do I want cut flowers? Will it need irrigation to succeed? Do I specifically want to attract pollinators? Do I want YardScapes to design, install and maintain it for me so I can simply sit back and enjoy all its benefits?
These answers will help dictate the size and scope of your garden along with the types of plants needed.
A garden journal or planner is very helpful to record your decisions about design, plant placement, and any watering, fertilization or pruning tasks that need to be scheduled while also helping you track all the successes, and any failures experienced.
By carefully considering the elements you want and the site requirements, a garden that suits you and your lifestyle can be enjoyed for many, many seasons.
