Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, three very good reasons. It protects the roots of your plants from the elements.  It helps your plants retain moisture.  As mulch decomposes it adds nitrogen to the soil.

Hardscaping refers to non-living elements such as:  walks, walls and patios.  It involves the use of hard materials like concrete, stone & wood.
Softscaping refers to living elements such as:  plants, trees, flowers and soil.

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Contractors providing landscaping services can help with both landscape installation and landscape maintenance tasks.  These include landscape design, hardscape installation and softscape installation.

Hardscape : Retaining Walls, Patios, Pathways, Steps, Firepits, Sitting Walls, Stone Edging

Softscape : Design, Plant Installation, Maintenance, Mulch, Decorative Gravel

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Dead leaves can be beneficial for most plants and the ecosystem, so long as they do not prevent water and nutrients from reaching the soil.

If there are a lot of big leaves, you should clean or chop them up.  Bigger, thicker leaves, like those of an oak tree, prevent water from reaching the soil.  Chopped leaves add nutrients to the soil and can also help kill weeds.

Under normal circumstances your grass does not actually die in the winter months. Sometimes, grass can just become dormant, which means that it protects itself from extreme temperatures by turning brown to conserve water. Dead and dormant grass look similar. It may be difficult to tell dormant grass from dead grass until spring arrives.

Yes, but it depends on the type and quantity of leaves. A thin layer of leaves can decompose naturally, providing nutrients and protection to your lawn and garden. However, thick or large leaves, such as oak leaves, should be removed or chopped up, as they can block water and air from reaching the soil. Regularly clearing or mulching excess leaves helps maintain the health and appearance of your landscaping.

In my opinion:

1. You formulate a design before you purchase plants.  You may go to the nursery and find plants that won’t work for your application, out of stock or that you simply like better.
2. Plant in mass, as this approach has the most visual impact.
3. Group like plants together.
4. Plant more of each variety, and fewer varieties in total.
5. Make sure to include trees, shrubs, and evergreens in your plan. Single specimens offer a place for your eyes to rest.
6. Consider adding sculptural elements like a path or a well-placed boulder.

1. Prune at a forty-five-degree angle right above a node or side branch with a clean, sharp pair of bypass pruners or loppers to ensure a clean and healthy cut. Pruning at an angle will allow water to run off the cut and prevent pooling that may encourage disease.
2. Prune out any dead, broken, or diseased stems, spent blooms, rubbing branches, parallel branches, and dense growth in the center of the shrub. Keep in mind the overall shape you desire in the process and keep the branches that will help develop or maintain that structure. Do not remove more than one-third of the plant at one time.
3. Rejuvenation pruning can be done on well-established (at least three years old) shrubs to encourage a flush of healthy new growth, removing the oldest wood down to 6” from the ground.