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I like to think I’m pretty clever. I'm able to figure out how to do most things, but I also know when to ask for help, when to pay for expertise, and when I don’t have the tools or the talent or the time.
People will sometimes ask how to install a patio, or they watch a video. They want to save money and I don’t blame them. But be sure to count the real costs. You’ll need to rent a tamper, and they’re heavy to lift in and out of a truck. You’ll need a truck to haul all the stuff… tons of crushed stone, sand and pavers. You’ll need a place to dispose of all the spoil. You’ll need a brick saw and that’s scary to use if you’ve never used one. You’ll need to spend lots of weekends doing it. You’ll need someone to help you. And you’ll need to know what you’re doing. And it’s hard work, you might need to get a massage when it’s done. It’s a big investment of money and time.
Wouldn’t you rather have your weekends free and have someone else build for you who’s installed lots of patios and knows the tricks of the trade? I know how to do it and we still hire the Birchcrest crews at our house. Because they do it better, and it won’t take 6 months. DIY Goodbye! Contact us today!
When you check into a hotel, the rooms with a garden view are always better than those facing the parking lot or dumpster. And the rooms with a view of the beach are better than those overlooking the gardens.
Let’s be honest...Most of the time (especially in winter) we are inside looking out. So, invite your landscape designer inside. Show them where you spend time and your views from inside looking out. Wouldn’t you love to have a great view from your kitchen window? Maybe someplace to watch birds? Or a garden designed with seasonal interest? Invite us inside so we can make sure your space looks good from every angle. Call us today to enhance your views from inside looking out!
We’re sometimes asked to design a landscape with only native plants...But “native” is a tricky word.
While visiting the Southwest, I asked a local gentleman, who looked to be Native American, how he wished to be addressed so I wouldn’t offend him. He smiled, and explained to me that sometimes a politician would visit and give a speech referring to his people as Native Americans. But when the politicians left, everyone called each other Indians, and no one would take offence if I did the same.
When deciding what plants are native, do we mean native to North America? Native to New York? Native to where? Where should we draw the line? While it’s true that plants which have historically grown locally are sometimes better adapted to our climate, other plants which have been brought here from similar climates around the world can do just as well.
Even plants native to our area can struggle to adapt to the extremes we’re facing. And if we stick with only “natives” it’s a pretty limited list. Plant breeders and hybridizers have developed many wonderful specimens that combine the heartiness of “natives” with the aesthetics that homeowners demand.
Think about apple trees and honeybees. Our area is known for orchards, which are an important crop. The southern shore of Lake Ontario is an excellent location for growing fruit trees. But did you know that apple trees were brought to America by European settlers? Not native! And they also imported honeybees to pollinate those trees. Also not native!
Native or not, we’ll help you choose the right plant for your unique conditions. Contact us today!
At this time of year, we could be like many companies and thank our clients for their business. We thank you, and we would be nothing without you.
But it doesn’t stop there. We are thankful for our team, the ones you see working in your yard, and the ones behind the scenes. We thank you and we would be nothing without you.
And to our families, who love us, support us, and listen to our work stories about trees, weeds, insects, and other topics not of interest to most people. We thank you and we would be nothing without you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dos and Don’ts of working with a Landscape Designer:
1. Do plan ahead. The design process can take weeks, often with several plan revisions. Your designer may have a very full schedule, especially in springtime. And the backlog for the crews can be months long. Let us know about upcoming events if you want your project completed by a certain date.
2. Do have all stakeholders present for all meetings. If you have a partner or spouse, be sure to include them in conversations and decisions.
3. Do be open to new ideas. Your designer has a vast knowledge of plants, products and possibilities that will work for your project goals.
4. Do be honest about your budget. We can often break projects into phases so you can get everything on your wish list over time.
5. Don’t worry if you want to change something. It’s part of the process and doesn’t hurt your designer’s feelings.
6. Don’t think you need to be home during the installation. Your designer will also manage the project and our crews are skilled, experienced, and professional.
7. Do tell the neighbors that work is being done. We make a lot of noise and dust. But afterwards, we clean up. Then, invite your neighbors over for a party on your new patio.
Call us today so your project is ready by spring!
Is it just me? Or is everyone a little stressed out?
Politics, the economy, families, jobs, cooking, housework, yard work, a to-do list that’s too long. What’s a body to do? Becoming a hermit is an option. But I don’t know how to forage and who would cut and color my hair? I don’t want to be a scruffy hermit, after all.
Maybe tuning out the news feed would help. Perhaps ordering take-out from time to time. And Birchcrest can take care of the yard maintenance, call us today! Aaaahhh. I’m feeling better already!
Plants and patios are great, and everyone should have them...But that’s not the end of the story. It’s time to tell your story and accessorize your personal space with something personal, like an art object, a sculpture you acquired on vacation, or anything that expresses your personality. When working with your designer at Birchcrest, be sure to include your art pieces and interesting objects in the planning stages. They can help set a mood such as serene,
or whimsical,
or nautical.
Have fun with it and make it personal. Contact us today!
Things that make me say YIKES!
While strolling around client’s yards, sometimes I’m stopped in my tracks. There’s something I see that the homeowner doesn’t see. Like Poison Ivy – annoying but rarely deadly. Or the beautiful but deadly Flowering Nightshade. Or fruiting bodies – which tell me your tree has been rotting on the inside for years. Or a dead ash tree perilously close to tipping over. Looking up I often see dead limbs – “widow makers” as my dad used to call them.
Although it’s a garden design they called me for, I feel obligated to mention these hazards so we can address the scary stuff before we do the fun stuff. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Last week, I talked about fall color. This week it’s all about...wait for it…MORE fall color! I can’t help it, this time of year is gorgeous and I want to keep it going.
Here are some DIY ideas to bring the WOW factor home. Grab some pumpkins and gourds...the weirder the better. Then gather up some corn stalks and get decorating!
One of my favorite tricks is to trick out pumpkins. Carving them in unexpected ways is sure to charm your guests, and trick-or-treaters.
So, roll up your sleeves, scoop out the pumpkin slime, and have fun with it!
Leaf Peepers...That’s what they call us. We’re the folks that pick a perfect autumn day to go driving around the Finger Lakes, enjoying the fall color and buying grape pies on roadside stands. Only one word to describe fall colors around here…WOW!
Bring that punch of fall color home. Let us help you choose plants for spectacular fall color. When complete strangers stop and take selfies in front of your house, you can smile and thank the crew at Birchcrest for helping to bring the WOW factor home. Contact us today!
Bulbs, corms and tubers…the ugly ducklings of the garden. Not pretty, mostly brown and wrinkled like someone (me) who’s spent too many years in the sun without sunblock.
When there’s a nip in the air, and frost on the pumpkin, put those ugly babies in the ground, pointy side up...and wait. Under a blanket of snow they sit, forgotten over the holidays, cold, buried...but transforming, hidden potential.
Their leaves push through the ice and snow as our first reassurance that winter will soon be over.
Then, wow. Wow! Let’s celebrate the ugly ducklings, and the transformative power of hidden potential in all of us.
You can almost feel the panic in the air. When the first frosty morning greets us, we know our brief summer season is over. This is the time when a lot of folks realize it’s getting too late to do that outdoor project they’ve been talking about. But is it?
We’re a hearty bunch. We work in summer sun and winter snow. Sure, there are things we can’t do in winter, but there's plenty that we can do. Or you can plan now for next spring. Maybe a fire feature can help prolong the time you can enjoy the great outdoors. A fire pit is a great gathering place for family and friends, smores for the kiddos and adult beverages for the rest of us. We can install all kinds of fire pits…wood burning, natural gas, and even build custom designs. Call us today!
Yes, it’s getting cold, but doesn’t this look like a fun way to warm up?
We’ve all seen homes that catch our eye...some for the wrong reasons. When designing the front yard, it works best when it works with the rest of the neighborhood. The landscape should frame and enhance the house, leading the eye to the front door. It should look good at 35 mph.
The backyard is different. That’s where you enjoy your garden at a leisurely walking pace or relaxing and going nowhere. Your backyard is the perfect place to get personal, letting your garden reflect your taste. This is the place for those flowers that deserve a closer look, a sniff, or a place for an art object. It should look good at 2 mph.
Let our designers work with you to create the perfect garden for every speed, contact us today!
The ancient Romans paved their roads with stone; some of those roads have lasted to this day. Those are pavers. In older cities in America you may find cobblestone streets. Those are pavers, too. Locally, we used Medina stone because horse hooves and carriage wheels didn’t slip on it when wet. All of these are pavers. A sidewalk made of clay bricks are also called pavers.
Pavers can be made of natural stone, clay or concrete. They can be anything that is laid on the ground in pieces to create a surface.
Here’s an example where we upcycled antique pavers to recreate a century-old trail head:
These days, the choices can be overwhelming. Our designers will work with you to choose the materials, colors and laying pattens that work best with the style of your home to create a paver patio or path that will stand the test of time. Call us today to get started!
Did someone ask for a “Red Maple”?
Which tree is that? A very large maple
with burgundy leaves like ‘Crimson King’
Norway maple?
(Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’)
Or do they mean the kind that starts
out green, then turns bright red in fall?
(Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’)
Or do they mean the lacy leaves of a
weeping Japanese maple? (Acer
palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’)
They have all been called “Red Maples” but it makes a big difference if the botanical name is missing and you end up with the wrong tree. Our arborists and New York State Certified Nursery & Landscape professionals get specific to get you exactly the right tree for the right spot, call us today!
Ah, the good old days. You knew your neighbors. You waved at people passing by. You sat outside on the front porch at the end of the day. That’s where being neighborly happened.
You’ve got to love Gen X & Gen Y....they are trendsetters. When they buy their first home, they get right to work fixing, painting, decorating, and trying to fit into their new community. But those 60’s and 70’s colonials and split levels they bought have no front porch. No place to sit and sip. No way to watch the world go by. No way to be neighborly.
So, they come to us to build them a patio in their front yard. So friendly, so neighborly, so on trend. So much so that now Boomers are copying them, longing for the good old days when Barney, Andy and the whole Mayberry gang hung out together on the front porch. Contact us today to start designing a place where you can sit and sip just like the good old days!
They lied. Back in the 70’s, a “miracle” product was introduced as “weed mat”. Spread it out in the garden, cover it with mulch, and you’ll never have to weed again. As time went on, it turns out that is not true at all. Weeds blew in from above. Grass poked up through the mat. The mesh made it harder to remove weeds embedded in the fabric. And worse, those poor trees that had weed mat wrapped around them grew up, got bigger and then were choked to death by the fabric cutting into the bark.
Here's the truth…by the end of summer, I’m tired of weeding. The good news is we have maintenance services. Our crews swing in monthly to weed, trim, deadhead, and generally keep everything looking tip-top all year. No lie. Visit our website to learn more!
“Red or green?” asked our waitress. We were confused by her question, and it must have showed on our faces. She clarified the question for us non-locals, “Do you like red or green peppers?” Since it was our first visit to New Mexico, I assumed this was a local thing to see if we were on Team Red Peppers or Team Green Peppers. “Red” was my answer. To my surprise, our breakfast pancakes were served with red peppers mixed in the batter. Who knew? Here’s where local knowledge makes the difference between yummy pancakes as we know them, and pancakes filled with hot red peppers. They put peppers in everything. “No peppers please” seems like it’s not an option. Who knew?
When designing gardens and choosing plants, the internet is ok, but it’s no replacement for local knowledge. Our experts live and work in this town. We know the soil types, the areas with deer problems, the microclimate differences from Lake Ontario to the Finger Lakes. Take it from someone who loves a good pancake, local knowledge matters.
Leo the Late Bloomer is a favorite heart-warming children’s book.
Our gardens are like that sometimes. Early in spring they’re full of blooms…then summer comes, and they seem, well, a little disappointing and lacking color. We want something to happen, just as Leo and his parents waited for Leo to bloom.
A well-designed garden should delight you in every season. Late summer plants such as hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon, and others can provide pops of color. We can design your gardens for year-round interest and always include plants for late summer color. Like the story of Leo, the story of your garden can have a happy ending. Contact us today to start designing a garden that will bring you happiness in every season!
Recently at a meeting with our attorney, I became frustrated. Every question I asked was answered by him saying, “It depends.” We’re paying him for guidance, not to hear him say “It depends.”
It must have rubbed off on me because later that day when I was asked by a homeowner about how he should water his new plants, I heard “It depends” come from my own lips. But it’s true. Has it been hot? Dry? Has it rained for days on end? What specific plant are we talking about? Is it a thirsty hydrangea or a drought-tolerant grass? It depends.
Here’s my best advice: use a trowel to brush back the mulch about a foot away from a shrub, further out for a large tree. Touch the soil. If it’s damp, you’re fine. If it’s soggy, don’t water, but if it’s dry, please water. There’s a right way and a wrong way, and a right time of day, too. If you’re not sure, give us a call.
The unexpected happened. Now what? Your neighbor has a friend, or a brother, or a cousin who knows a guy with a chain saw…or maybe you have one. Is this a DIY project? Maybe. The wood can be cut up, but then what? It’s too heavy to haul away, so then what? Maybe you don’t need a lifetime of firewood stacked all over the yard. Who Ya Gonna Call...Birchcrest Tree and Landscape!
We’ve got the tools. We’ve got the talent. Call us today!
Party on Wayne?
Red Solo Cup, we need to retire you…or at least relegate you to dorm rooms. We don’t watch Wayne’s World anymore since we’re adults, so let’s elevate our parties.
At the next gathering on the new patio, bring your fancy stuff outside. Use a tablecloth, the good china, and a centerpiece. You already own them, might as well use them, plus your guests will feel special. You'll know you’ve made an impression when they start snapping photos of your table settings.
No patio yet? It’s okay, there’s still time. Call us today to begin designing your dream outdoor area.
Is it Shaggy?
If you love reggae, it’s him.
If you watch Scooby Doo, it’s him.
In 1.4 seconds, a potential buyer has decided if they like the looks of your house. Is it Shaggy? Yes? Then it’s a quick click of the mouse and they’re on to the next house. You need to sell your home, but and also want top dollar, meaning your front façade needs to shine. So, paint the front door a color that pops, clean up the beds, and add potted flowers.
Now the buyer likes what they see and have scheduled a visit.
By the time they reach the front door, they’ve decided if the house has been lovingly maintained or neglected.…it’s called “The Money Walk”.
If your “Money Walk” looks shaggy, we can help improve the curb appeal to get you top dollar. Be sure to contact us today for a free consultation.
Happy 4th of July, everyone! We booted the monarchy years ago, and became free to watch the royals from afar…or in the pages of People Magazine.
As we reflect on our freedoms, no one’s looking forward to spending the holiday pulling weeds…we’re never free from landscape maintenance. Weeds happen, insects invade, and things need to be maintained.
To be truly free from toiling on weekends and holidays, you need to have a personal gardener, just like the royals do.
Or, you can call us. We’ll do the work and free up your weekends.
Check your magnolias. Are there fuzzy white spots on the branches or leaves? Are your trees dripping a sticky liquid? Are bees buzzing around it? Is there black, sooty mold on the tree or anything below it like your sidewalk? Chances are, it’s Magnolia Scale...It’s a pest we haven’t seen in quite a while, and it is back with a vengeance.
The white things are primitive insects that attach themselves to the tree and suck the sap. The dripping is, well, their excrement. Gross. The droppings are sweet from the sap, so the bees like it. Also, gross. The black stuff is mold that grows on the droppings. Nothing to like about this.
What to do about it:
You can call us for treatment. There is a spray we can do now. We also recommend that it should be followed up with a soil systemic and deep root fertilization next spring.
The bugs will die, but still be attached to the tree. They won’t be dripping or squishy anymore and won’t do any more harm. Eventually the dead ones disappear. Good riddance.
Or you can scrap them off with burlap. The scales are soft and die easily if you squish them. It’s super-disgusting, but effective, as long as you can reach all the branches where they’re living. And because it’s been so hot, and the bugs are sucking moisture from the tree, it would help if the tree got watered thoroughly.
