The Level Green Landscaping Blog

Expert Industry Advice and Property Enhancement Suggestions.

Ever wonder where your plants come from?

We love colorful spring and summer annuals as much as the next guy, but your landscape needs more.

Enter the evergreen.

While annuals fade and perennials have one or two showy seasons, evergreens keep your property intriguing all year long.

Shelley Russell, landscape designer at Level Green Landscaping, shares her favorite evergreen trees and plants.

You might want one of each.

If your property doesn’t have a flowering tree that bursts into spectacular beauty each spring, why not?

Level Green Landscaping designer Shelley Russell has a few beauties to recommend. But don’t let their stunning looks fool you — all her picks are “urban tough,” she says.

“Flowering trees are great for the color, the pop factor,” Russell says. “Curb appeal is especially important for a commercial property. They can really make your property stand out, especially if your buildings are gray and drab.”

Pink? Red? White? Can’t choose?

Plant one of each.

Shivering yet?

Your plants are. Winter weather takes a toll on your green pals.

Soggy leaves left on your lawn can smother your turf. Cold and wind makes unprotected plants thirsty. Shrubs can break under the weight of misplaced snow piles.

What the key to maintaining plants in winter?

Bradley Sarno, enhancement operations manager at Level Green Landscaping, walks us through a few key tasks.

If your property is cluttered with old tree stumps, now is a great time to get them out of there.

But how? (Hint: don’t try it yourself.)

Looking for stump grinding services in Washington DC? What does it entail? Is grinding a stump the same thing as removing it?

Paul Weaver, construction branch manager at Level Green Landscaping, fills us in.

Sometimes, nature tries to take over.

Invasive plants are an increasing problem in Maryland and Virginia, taking over forests of native trees and plants and slowly killing them.

What are these invasive plants? How do you stop them?

Brad Butler, corporate manager at Level Green Landscaping, talks about the problem — and the painstaking, important solution.

We don't mean to be nosy, but how old are your shrubs?

Spring bulbs are like a party on your property.

They burst out of the ground just when we need them most, shouting the arrival of spring in riotous hues of red, yellow, purple, pink, coral and blue.

They make everybody happy.

But like a great party, they require some planning.

That time is now. 

Bigger isn’t always better.

Sometimes it takes a small tree to make a big impact.

That’s when Level Green landscape designer Shelley Russell turns to dwarf trees.

Russell talks about the many reasons she loves these mini landscape stars — and shares her personal favorites.

The dreaded spotted lanternfly hasn’t hit Maryland yet, but it’s likely only a matter of time.

Why should you care?

This guy is bad news.

Sure, it looks pretty enough, with its attractive speckled vibrant wings.

But once this destructive insect arrives, it’ll start devouring crops, from orchards and vineyards full of fruit to valuable hardwood trees. Spotted lanternfly damage will be extensive, if the destruction in Pennsylvania is any indication.