9:25 am on Monday, May 13, 2013
A mix of different leaves is good. That is what I prefer. Each type of leaf has a different chemical composition that adds back the different elements that are needed for a healthy soil. What you are doing if feeding the soil and its denizens who are then breaking down the compounds making them available to be absorbed by the plant roots.
4:06 pm on Friday, April 5, 2013
Margaret,
I'm planning on posting some plant information in upcoming articles. Any recommendation would depend upon the cultural requirements of the site, shade, sun, dry, moist, wet, etc. Plants that I recommend for my clients always differ depending upon the requirements of the location and the client. One of my favorite native plants for sunny locations that takes both moist and dry conditions is Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_tuberosa) It produces bright orange flowers throughout the summer that are highly attractive to butterflies and especially to Monarch Butterfly caterpillars as a food source. For a good resource book on planting for nature is Doug Talamey's - Bringing Nature Home. Get the 2nd edition - it has more information and has plant lists for our area. http://bringingnaturehome.net/ It is the definitive guide for planting for nature.
12:47 pm on Saturday, March 30, 2013
Hi Diana,
Hellebores are one of my favorite early blooming plants especially the double flower cultivars along with Hammamillis. Look up David Culp, a breeder of the Brandywine Hellebore: http://www.davidlculp.com/ As far as Sarracenia goes, I just love them, very cool alien-like plants that can have very interesting inflorescence's - some double. A must for the bog garden. Rare Find's is a great place to find the unusual and newly released cultivars. http://www.rarefindnursery.com/
5:48 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
For More information contact me:
Stephen Coan
Stephen Coan llc at Ferret Hollow Gardens
Landscape Design, Installation, and Consulting
267-251-5855
garden@ferrethollow.com
www.ferrethollowgardens.com
http://www.stephencoan.com/blog/
http://stephencoanllcatferrethollowgardens.brandyourself.com
5:47 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
For More information contact me:
Stephen Coan
Stephen Coan llc at Ferret Hollow Gardens
Landscape Design, Installation, and Consulting
267-251-5855
garden@ferrethollow.com
www.ferrethollowgardens.com
http://www.stephencoan.com/blog/
http://stephencoanllcatferrethollowgardens.brandyourself.com
5:47 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
For More information contact me:
Stephen Coan
Stephen Coan llc at Ferret Hollow Gardens
Landscape Design, Installation, and Consulting
267-251-5855
garden@ferrethollow.com
www.ferrethollowgardens.com
http://www.stephencoan.com/blog/
http://stephencoanllcatferrethollowgardens.brandyourself.com
5:47 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
For More information contact me:
Stephen Coan
Stephen Coan llc at Ferret Hollow Gardens
Landscape Design, Installation, and Consulting
267-251-5855
garden@ferrethollow.com
www.ferrethollowgardens.com
http://www.stephencoan.com/blog/
http://stephencoanllcatferrethollowgardens.brandyourself.com
5:56 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
For More information contact me:
Stephen Coan
Stephen Coan llc at Ferret Hollow Gardens
Landscape Design, Installation, and Consulting
267-251-5855
garden@ferrethollow.com
www.ferrethollowgardens.com
http://www.stephencoan.com/blog/
http://stephencoanllcatferrethollowgardens.brandyourself.com
5:46 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
For More information contact me:
Stephen Coan
Stephen Coan llc at Ferret Hollow Gardens
Landscape Design, Installation, and Consulting
267-251-5855
garden@ferrethollow.com
www.ferrethollowgardens.com
http://www.stephencoan.com/blog/
http://stephencoanllcatferrethollowgardens.brandyourself.com
Stephen Coan
2:20 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
the problem with grass clippings all summer is that there might be too much buildup of the grass clippings. Doing it occasionally should be fine. You just don't want to "drown" the grass that is growing. It is also a high concentration of nitrogen in the green of the grass. Different locations will break down faster that other area due to the cultural conditions of that area, ie full sun vs shade, dry vs wet, healthy micro fungi, bacteria, mold, etc of the soil that break down the materials. If you use chemicals on the lawn they tend to kill off the beneficial organisms.
If you mow the leaves into the grass in the fall while it is dormant the leaves should mostly break down over the winter. The new growth in the spring should also grow through the remaining leaves (mulched small) remaining that will "fertilize" the soil (lawn) for you as it breaks down.