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.
If you listen to us at all, you already know the wonders of mulch.
But you can never hear it too many times, so here’s a brief re-cap:
Mulch helps your soil retain moisture, so you won't have to water as much. It keeps pesky weeds at bay by blocking the sunlight they need to sprout. It prevents rain from washing away your landscape soil.
We love mulch. And here at Level Green Landscaping, we use bark mulch much more often than rock. But there are times rocks are a great choice.
Rock vs. mulch in planting beds?
If you haven’t jumped on the native plant trend, what are you waiting for?
Natives naturally resist diseases and pests. They’re happier and healthier, needing less water than non-natives.
And you’ll be helping out a host of wild critters, who love native plants. They offer a free buffet of berries, nuts and seeds. Some native blooms provide nectar for hummingbirds and insects.
Northern Virginia is home to lots of great native plants.
What’s your favorite thing about a big parking lot?
The huge expanse of baking hot asphalt? The way the sun beats down relentlessly?
We didn’t think so.
It’s those sometimes shady, always green parking lot islands — pretty planted oasis of cool.
But don’t plant them with grass. In these challenging conditions, turf doesn’t cut it.
Paul Weaver, construction branch manager for Level Green Landscaping, shares his favorite turf alternatives for parking lot islands.
