Russell Stafford, part-time Crew Supervisor, left us in early July after working with PBOG since 2007. This spring he relocated to Providence, Rhode Island and found the commute not workable. We relied on Russell on Tuesdays (and Thursdays some years) to oversee work at many of our largest properties. He instilled in all of us…
This beautiful native plant is blooming now! You may wonder why a rhododendron is blooming so late, and this is a positive ID for Rhododendron maximum, or the Rosebay rhododendron. Living up to its name, it is our tallest rhododendron growing 10′-25′ tall and wide. We often use it in designs where year-round screening is called for and…
Tall bearded iris are the one plant that can be divided and transplanted at this warm time of the year! Blooming from late May into June, these plants enter dormancy in the hot summer. The spreading rhizomes are easily dug up with a spading fork, separated, roots trimmed, and replanted in a gritty soil mixture in full…
What is the starry white tree that you see blooming everywhere these days? Most likely it’s the Kousa dogwood, native to Japan, China and Korea. This is the analog to our native dogwood, the Cornus florida. However, as dogwood anthractnose began to infect native stands, many people decided to plant the resistant Kousa dogwood instead. This tree is 20′-30′ tall…
One cardinal rule is this: after it’s done blooming, pruning can happen. So we start in late June by pruning the early spring flowering plants such as quince, fothergilla, lilac and forsythia. Later we’ll turn to rhododendrons, azaleas, weigelas, and the like. Evergreens such as yew, holly and boxwood are pruned in the summer once…
With the coming of May comes the bloom of a choice native plant: Trailing Arbutus, or Epigea repens. This 4″-6″ high groundcover was once harvested for its evergreen leaves and fragrant, waxy pink or white flowers and sold on city streets. A group of concerned citizens formed the New England Wild Flower Society in 1900 to protect…
What with January turning cold and nearly snowless, many so-called evergreens did not live up to their name! Here’s how to handle your Japanese holly, rhododendron and leucothoe. Sometimes it is best to adopt the “wait and see” attitude instead of pruning out all the burned pieces immediately. Often these plants will push new buds…
It’s time to prune summer blooming plants! The roses, hydrangeas and clematis seem to top the list. I’d like to share a few tips: Roses: Prune only in dry weather as many diseases are spread through rose foliage Prune above an outward facing bud for best new growth Thin out weak, contorted, crossing or dead…
Eastern Tent Caterpillar is often destructive to apples, crabapples and cotoneaster – all members of the Rose family. Reese, our Plant Health Care Manager, is on the lookout for telltale signs of this pest in the landscape and is prepared to spot spray with Bt, Bacillis thuringiensis, a selective insecticide approved for organic programs. You…
Three of our client properties will be featured on three upcoming garden tours: Cooler Concord Sustainable Landscape Fair, May 18 From 1-4 pm, the Cooler Concord group will feature several gardens in town that use sustainable and organic practices. Inspiration abounds! Pick up a map at the landscape fair happening at Concord-Carlisle High School from 10…