Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have “greener” lawns, in both senses of the word? The good news is there are several simple practices that will benefit your lawn as well as the environment, especially in areas where rainfall is in short supply. Here are a few ways to minimize water usage when caring…
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…
Soil is one of the four elements upon which life on earth depends; soil, water, air and sunlight. 2015 has been declared the International Year of Soils (IYS) by the U.N., and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) has organized themes for each month in an effort to further highlight the need for soil preservation…
Natural habitats and vegetated ecosystems are vital to maintaining the health and quality of urban water resources. Environmental restoration and conservation practices such as reforestation, stream bank restoration, erosion control and agricultural best practices can go a long way towards improving water quality for millions living in urban areas. The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with…
The diversity of birds that breed, winter or migrate through the northeast is tremendous, somewhere around 400 species. Landscaping specifically to attract birds to your property is an interesting and fast-growing trend that provides a healthy landscape, habitat and forage for many species of birds and a diversity of flowers, fruits and greenery that have aesthetic…
Forests are undeniably integral to the supply of clean, drinking water available to populations living in the midwest and northeast. More than 52 million people in this region depend on surface water to drink, cook, bath and wash with and the majority of this water comes from forested lands. The general population is mostly unaware…
It’s summer and there are two things we know: – Trees need water – Water (in the form or precipiation) does not always come in predictable amounts and timeframes. There are many great web resources to help you track rainfall (as a proxy for soil moisture). NOAA provides some great tool and tracking precipitation at…
