Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, we discussed how disease and insects are impacting stands of trees. Among them, the emerald ash borer has devastated native ash trees, which comprise roughly ten percent of the forests here in Northern New Jersey. Some specimen tree

Hello, fellow lover of all things green, As you may know there’s a podcast version of our weekly chats from the screen porch. Last week, I recorded the episode on 9-11 (link below). The sky was bright blue and the air crisp— much like that day our world changed. The anniversary

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Bonnie of Stillwater, NJ, has a Burning Bush planted by her parents, who once lived in the home. She is attached to it and continues to prune it to keep it from rising above her bay window, which may help prevent its invasiveness. But I sugges

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, After the first snow, followed by heavy rains, I roamed the property looking for beauty amongst the dreary skies, muddy lawn, and lack of frosting. I came upon festive Partridge Berry, a charming native ground cover I didn’t know we had.

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, One of my joys is meeting and working with others who relish our dear earth’s gifts, often leading to sharing life stories. There’s something about being in a garden and amongst nature that releases the tension of day-to-day living

Hello, Fellow Readers, These are nutty times. Far nuttier than usual in my neck of the woods. The Shagbark Hickory nuts are overabundant and golf ball and size, so much so that walking amongst them is risky for ankle stability. It’s called masting when there’s an excess of

Hello, fellow readers. Leaves are well on their way in their fall shift, but many have dropped dry, never changing color. Likely due to the spring draught followed by our wet summer. Tired leaves fall early. At the same time, many are still green, giving us hope for glorious fall colo

Hello, fellow readers; I was honored to participate in the Women and Their Woods retreat hosted by the Ridge and Valley Conservancy in Newton, NJ, to help landowners care for their woods –filled with tips on native plants to help heal our land. Before my talk about Landscaping with Na

Hello fellow readers, As I write, I’m delighted to report a robin’s nest underway outside my kitchen window. I look forward to sharing an analogy about one of their instincts to protect their nest. A little teaser here- It involves their reflection in the windows. But firs

Hello fellow readers,  What a treat to visit Elisabeth, a delightful client who moved back from Chicago to be near her family. She painted her renovated and restored farmhouse built in the 1800s in a dramatic yet soothing shade of dark gray with black trim. And implemented the landsca