According to the Arbor Day Foundation, “Trees offer cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water, and add grace and beauty to our homes and communities.” They are a natural marvel providing lasting benefits many of us fail to realize as we go about…
The pandemic has resulted in more and more homeowners appreciating their landscapes and evaluating how they can better their spaces while helping out Mother Nature in the process. Homeowners are doing just that by planting more trees on their properties. But planting more trees is not as easy as running out to your local garden…
In the gardening world, many think that fall is the end of the growing season. In fact, it is quite the contrary! Fall is an ideal season for planting trees, shrubs and other assorted plants. The key is encouraging good root growth. Planting trees and shrubs in fall enables the root systems to grow before…
Though we may not be able to fathom a time when the ground is fully thawed and we need to worry about drought, irrigation is fundamental to the health and success of your landscape plants. In ground irrigation systems already in place should be checked for proper functioning and repaired where and if necessary, while…
Researchers at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at the University of Western Sidney have recently discovered that trees do more than just move water up and down, water can be moved laterally and even be stored within tree tissues. While traditionally we assumed that trees maintained two distinct systems, xylem and phloem, for the…
In a vast show of support for reforestation to improve water quality and watershed health, the US Forest Service has awarded $1.75 million to fund projects across 5 states which will mitigate Emerald Ash Borer damage and restore urban forest cover among other goals. Forest Service Northeastern Area Service Director, Tony Ferguson agrees that there…
The National Big Tree Program was established in 1940 and has since served as a legacy of the excellence in stewardship by the American Forests organization (http://www.americanforests.org/who-we-are-about-us/). The goal of this program is promote and preserve our nation’s champion tree specimens and educate the public about the role of theses and all trees in sustaining…
With an increasingly growing urban population and urban sprawl, maintaining the natural resources in these communities becomes critically important. The urban population has ballooned from 28% in 1910 to 80% in 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002) and with it the need for natural resources management to ensure sustainable development, enhance the quality of life and…
The time of year is fast-approaching when many will begin bringing greenery inside to decorate for the season. There are many beautiful and fragrant choices, some last longer once harvested and some may be messier than others. The balsam fir, Abies balsamea, is a gorgeous, aromatic quintessential green conical Christmas tree option. However, almost all…
For over 250 years a bur oak has been growing on what is now the campus of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The University is currently constructing its new Ross School of Business and the large tree’s seniority has run out, it stands in the way of progress. However, rather than just cutting…
