Hello, fellow readers, I always enjoy hiking along the Appalachian Trail with a longtime friend from Boonton, NJ. While meandering the rocky terrain peppered with hemlock and Spruce, Barbara asked why some trees remain evergreen and others don’t. Good question. Let’s ask t

Hello fellow readers, I thought we’d forgo the tradition of decorating one of my favorite evergreen conifers – the Umbrella Pine. It stands above the two-story roof, so it’s not an easy task. Last year half the new lights failed way before Christmas, lessening the enthusia

Hello fellow readers, Seeing evergreens drop needles often triggers concern. It’s kind of like an abundance of hairs in your shower drain. Andrea of Morristown, NJ, asked what was going on with her white pines yellowing. It’s called Fall Needle Drop “of renewal”

Hello fellow readers, We were late putting up a Christmas tree due to waffling of what type of tree to decorate—a cut tree, an artificial, or a living Christmas tree, perhaps. In truth, my indecisiveness is primarily because of a heavy heart. The tree is on the corner of the family ro

Hello Fellow Readers, Robert, an associate landscape installer, asked about a client’s Canadian hemlock installed about two years ago dying from the bottom up. Likely causes of Hemlocks Dying from the bottom up When he first described the dilemma, I thought the issue might not b

Hello fellow readers, One of my favorite evergreen conifer specimens is the Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata). It sits to the right of the garage giving it protection from winds as advised by experts when planted in zone 5. Michael Dir, the guru of woody plants, lists its hardi

In the Northeast, late fall is the time to bring out the big guns to prevent transpiration – the loss of water from plant parts, mainly leaves. Deeply water plants before the grounds freeze, and continue to water during winter months when above freezing if Mother Nature doesn’t