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To remove or not to remove, that is the question. When you have a tree removed, the estimate will be for the tree only. The stump will remain unless you want stump grinding. That is often surprisingly expensive, sometimes almost as much as the tree removal. Here are the options:
1. Leave the stump. It will eventually rot. In the meantime, there may be stored energy in the roots and the stump and roots may start to sprout, trying to grow another tree. You can easily cut these off, and over time, the stored energy will be depleted and there will be no more sprouts.
2. We grind the stump, leaving the grindings for you to use in your beds as mulch. If it’s a big stump, it can be a REALLY big pile of grindings. We’ve had piles of grindings 10 cubic yards or more. That’s two dump trucks full!
3. Have us grind the stump, haul away grindings, add topsoil and seed to restore the lawn. Call us today!
Plants for wet areas.
If you’ve not seen the movie “Oh Brother Where Art Thou”, featuring the Soggy Bottom Boys, do it. Their hit song “Man of Constant Sorrow” is what will happen to you if you plant the wrong plant in a wet spot.
Springtime in Rochester. It’s almost here. That means warmer days are coming, flowers will bloom, but in the meantime, we can expect muddy, wet conditions as the snow melts and spring rains come.
But what to do if you have wet conditions year-round?
Plants are like people…some like it hot, some not. Most like well-drained soil, but a few don’t mind having their feet (or bottoms) wet. Hibiscus moscheutos, miscanthus, magnolia, salix, ligustrum, monarda, those are a few of the best picks for wet areas. Where most plants would struggle or rot, these thrive in soggy soil. Our designers and plant experts can help select the right plant for the right spot.
Today is throwback Tuesday and it’s about sayings that have gone out of style. Can you dig it? For anyone under 50, this is John Shaft’s favorite saying. He even has a song about it. (The original 1971 Richard Roundtree movie version of Shaft, not the newer ones with Shaft wanna-be actors.)
But can you dig it? Should you? Is it safe? What’s lurking underground? Normally, we are the ones digging, and we have to call 811 aka Dig Safe New York before we begin work at your home. Whether it be stump grinding, tree planting, sidewalk or patio installation, anytime we dig, we need to have all the public utilities marked. This takes a few days to complete, and please leave their colored flags in place until we start. Owners need to mark anything private, like pet containment, septic, drainage, irrigation, landscape lighting, etc.
Did you know, the same law applies if homeowners do their own digging? The utilities need to come out and mark utilities for you, too. Cool. Groovy. Gnarly. Rad, Fly, or whatever the kids are saying these days.
These are a few of my favorite things - Landscape Lighting!
The point of this blog is to get a Sound of Music tune stuck in your head, and to show how landscape lighting can bring the WOW factor, doubling the time to enjoy your outdoor space, not just pretty by day but WOW by night. It really is one of my favorite things.
Up lights and down lights, and wall washers, woo!
Path lights, embedded ones, water lights, too!
Remote controlled ones, with some changing hue,
These are a few of my favorite things.
I’ve had people ask for a no-maintenance garden. Really? That’s a bit like asking for a pet rainbow-colored unicorn whose best friend is Bigfoot. There’s no such thing.
Unless you’re an avid gardener, you probably want something low maintenance. Makes sense because maintenance = time and/or money. We can design with low-maintenance plants in mind, or you can hire us to keep your plants, trees, and gardens looking tip top all year.
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but mulch is a gardener’s best friend. Last year, my neighbor had her gardens professionally mulched. I envied her mulch. Is that weird?
I thought I’d do our mulch myself, but life got in the way...And I didn’t want to ruin my manicure. This year, I’m having it mulched professionally. I know some people…okay, I work with those people, and they do a great job mulching. They edge, they mulch, they trim, they plant. They do a better job than I would, and I won’t mess up my manicure. Call us today to have your garden mulched so you don't mess up your manicure!
Ah, the old days, when Victorian men and women courted each other with poems and flowers, all while wearing fancy, uncomfortable corsets and spats. Each flower implied a not-so-secret message that everyone seemed to know.
Yellow roses mean “I like you as a friend”. Red roses mean “I Love You”. Peonies mean “I’d like to take the relationship to the next level”. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Say no more.
On Valentine’s Day, write your special someone a poem and make a promise to have us plant some flowers. Choose your flowers carefully, now that you know what they mean.
A special note to people with ash trees:
Did you know that when ash trees have been dead for 2-3 years, they rot at the bottom, then the entire tree will tip over. It's unsafe for anyone around them, including our crews that try to remove them. Tragically, people have been killed. Be safe, have your dead ash trees removed. This has been a public service announcement from your friends at Birchcrest Tree & Landscape. Call us ASAP for removal of any hazardous trees.
If you’re a birdwatcher, you know that our feathered friends can tell us more about our trees than we can. They know when our trees are infested with insects...That means dinner for them. So, if you spot lots of woodpecker activity or evidence of their damage, it means insects are living inside the tree, eating, gnawing tunnels through the wood, possibly killing them. Those trees may need watchful waiting, or they may need immediate help, even removal. Ask us if you’re not sure!
Fruiting Bodies – Harbingers of Doom.
In the plant world, we call " Fruiting Bodies " fungus-like structures that sometimes appear on trees. They’re not the kind of fruit we eat. They are actually the reproductive structures of fungus. If you spot one on your tree, it means it’s been rotting on the inside for at least a half-dozen years, maybe more. Don’t ignore them, they’re telling you that your tree is in trouble. Call us today to diagnose and treat it!
Roots, they’re mostly unseen, but doing important work. They secure the tree to the ground to keep it from falling, they absorb water, nutrients and air to feed the tree, they store energy, and they communicate with other tree roots…pretty cool! Just like in the Avatar movie.
When things go wrong with a tree, it can often be traced back to something going on underground. Was the root zone compacted by excessive soil or construction? Have the roots been cut or damaged? Is there a girdling root that’s choking your tree to death?
Protect the roots by circling your tree’s root zone with a layer of mulch to save it from mowing damage. Or do an air spade root zone excavation and aeration. Root pruning is sometimes an option, too. Call us today and ask for one of our arborists to check on your tree’s health, starting with the roots.
Pruning Do’s and Don’ts
There’s a right and wrong way to prune a tree or shrub. If cuts are made at the wrong time or place, you can damage the plant, open it up to insect infestation, rot, disease, or hasten its decline. When and where to cut depends on what kind of tree or shrub we’re talking about. I only have one rule about pruning:
1. If you don’t know the right way to prune, don’t do it.
It’s better not to do anything than to do the wrong thing. I had a client kill their shrubs by shearing them in the heat of the summer, during a drought. Another client never had blooms on their lilacs or hydrangeas because they pruned them at the wrong time of year. My dad sustained a broken kneecap and torn ligaments while falling out of his oak tree with a running chain saw in his hand.
Ok, so there are two rules about pruning:
2. Call a professional. Reach out to us today!
How is Birchcrest Landscape like a Garbage Plate?
If you’re from here, you know. If you’re not, allow me to explain about this local favorite with an unfortunate name.
Late one night, some college students visited Nick Tahou’s and asked for the dish with “all the garbage” on it. This unique mash-up of locally made red or white hots, cheeseburgers, macaroni salad, fries, sauces, and endless combinations of whatever is on hand became the signature dish of Rochester. It’s now available everywhere around town at all hours of the day. Very filling, very satisfying.
Birchcrest is like our famous dish; we offer a huge combination of services, we’re everywhere, in an emergency we’re available all hours of the day, and we have many satisfied customers! Bon appétit!
At this time of year, when snow covers the grass and fields, the deer are desperate for food. They invade our neighborhoods to graze in our gardens. There are solutions:
1. Spray your plants with a deer repellant like fox urine. Re-apply spray after every rain and snowstorm. It's effective...but time-consuming and stinky.
OR
2. Cover your plants in burlap every fall and uncover them in spring. It’s effective, but time-consuming and not a good look. Fighting Mother Nature is hard.
OR
3. Work with one of our designers to create a landscape at your house with deer-resistant plants. Call us today!
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.
