Frequently Asked Questions

Annual plants only live one year. Perennial plants live multiple years if taken care of properly.

Deciduous trees and shrubs, such as maples and forsythia, lose their foliage in the fall. Evergreens, such as pines and boxwood, always retain foliage.

Late fall is the ideal time to plant trees and shrubs because even evergreens are dormant during this time of year. Along with cooler temperatures, transplanting dormant trees and shrubs is the key to minimizing plant stress and increasing their survival rate. Container shrubs and trees will transplant well nearly anytime of the year if watered and cared for. Be careful, however, during dry hot summer months, as this is the most stressful time of year for nearly all plant material.

Full sun is considered to be over 6 hours of unobstructed light each day. Partial sun ranges between 3 and 6 hours, and shade is considered to be less than 3 hours of light each day. Typically, the sunniest areas will be the west and south sides of your home unless shaded by large trees or other buildings. The best way to determine sun levels for the area in question is to check it every hour on a sunny day. Take notes and observe how the sunlight moves through your property during the course of a day.

We recommend using mulches because they can contribute to a stable moist environment that is good for trees and shrubs, and unfortunately, also a good environment for termites and other insects. For this reason, mulch should never be placed directly against wood structures. However, the myth that termites “inhabit” mulch is simply not true. Termites will eat through bark mulches to get to wood, but the bark found in quality mulches is not a food source and will not sustain termites. The real danger lies in using low quality mulches that contain wood material such as pallets and lumber. This will promote termite colonization wherever it is used and should be absolutely avoided. Beware of the “free mulch” temptation from sources getting rid of their shredded wood refuse.

Softscapes are things like lawns, soft pathways, and any other area that isn’t taken up by tall plant growth or isn’t paved. A hardscape is a brick, slate, concrete, or other hard surface that has an aesthetic or functional purpose.

Proper mowing practices are essential to your lawn’s health and maintenance. Mowing too short damages grass root systems, thins the lawn, decreases drought and disease resistance, and increases your weed population. Please set your mowing height to at least 3 inches for the spring, and try not to cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade per mowing (cut when your grass is 4-5 inches high). Keep your cutting blade sharp, and do not collect your clippings (unless you have grass clumps), as they return nutrients to the soil as they decompose.

A de-thatch is needed when your lawn is matted down or has a lot of dried, brown grass in it. This must be done between March 25th and April 15, once your grass greens up de-thatching your lawn will then start to tear up your new grass that is growing in. De-thatching does not need to be done every year, where as Aeration can be done every year and it is the healthiest additional service you can do for your lawn.