Green Jay Landscape Design

Green Jay Landscape Design

(914) 560-6570

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Mark your calendars, Westchester County, there are TWO great pollinator events coming up next month! We’re so grateful to work in communities with such strong grassroots enthusiasm and municipal support for spreading the mission of ecological restoration!

Mamaroneck Monarh Butterfly Festival

Saturday Sept 24th | 11 AM – 1 PM | Harbor Island Park, Mamaroneck

Fun for the whole family! Event includes: educational activities, crafts, music, food AND a community butterfly garden planting! *costumes encouraged* *winners will be chosen*

PS. Harbor Island Park is now maintained using NO pesticides. Thanks to Village Manager, Jerry Barberio and Foreman of the Parks Department, Jeff Ahne.

Hosted by the Mamaroneck Committee for the Environment & Recreation Dept. Free registration on here.

Larchmont Native Plant & Pollinator Festival

Saturday Sept 24 | 1 – 3 PM | Constitution Park, Larchmont

Family event featuring activities, story time, music, photo station (dress as your favorite pollinator!), buy native plants & sample local honey!

Hosted by the Larchmont Environmental Committee and Larchmont Pollinator Pathways.

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Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570

Where Design Meets Ecology

Don’t miss this chance to tour a private garden in Rye, designed and built by Jay Archer!

The event is Saturday, September 17th from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. Rubber boots are encouraged if you would like to tour the adjacent wetland. Thanks to the Ecological Landscape Alliance for organizing the event! Follow the link for all details.

Constructed waterfall, stream and natural stone patio in Rye, NY.

About The Secret Garden of Celestial Happiness

These nature immersion gardens represent a complete landscape renovation designed and built by Jay Archer. Explore the ever-evolving project!

At the heart of this project was the complete removal of the entire backyard – formerly a large lawn.

As with all of Jay’s projects, this design is based in nature-based principles and is rich with habitat features that are anchored with native plant material. This garden is a model of biodiversity, resource conservation and is a pollinator paradise!

There are four zones within this landscape:

Stepping stone path and mixed garden border leads from the front entrance to the backyard.

Zone One: Eco-Hybrid Front Yard Landscape

Predominantly native plants mixed with traditional non-natives that also attract pollinators.

         Features: Mixed perennial curb border, Porous Pave driveway

Backyard features many natives, and a network of natural stone pathways.

Zone Two: ReWilding Zone

Evolved as a combination of plants that occur naturally from the adjacent wetlands, coupled with a design and planting composition. Formerly was a lawn with a mosquito problem.

         Features: Rain Garden, Passive Irrigation, Natural Stone Patios, Fire Pit

Trail to the wetland area has been managed to better absorb stormwater.

Zone Three: Transitional Zone

The buffer between the adjacent disturbed wetland and the designed landscape. A glimpse of the future, featuring assisted migration (Bald Cyprus) and naturalized foreigners (Dawn Redwood) that are eco-adapted to our region. We maintain a woodland trail to access and enjoy the wetland setting.

         Features: Woodchip Garden Paths and Woodland Planting

22-acre wetland borders the property. Past restoration projects by the municipality have been abandoned.

Zone Four: Disturbed Wetland

Previously was an aquatic restoration project by Westchester County.

Features: Managed Views, Log Bridges, Seating Areas

Design choices based upon ecological principles, plant selections, and maintenance practices are all critical elements in creating healthy ecosystems. As a landscape ecologist, Jay Archer has successfully combined all three elements and the resulting landscape is a model of biodiversity and resource conservation. The landscape is also inherently people-focused, designed to improve our health, quality of life and connection to nature.

View from zone two looking towards the wetland.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday September 17th!

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Green Jay Landscape Design

Where Design Meets Ecology

914-560-6570

This Westchester County landscape was formerly dominated by overgrown, non-native ornamental grasses. They completely covered the network of natural stone walkways and steps. We removed most of the existing vegetation and replaced it with a contemporary meadow-style planting. The clients love their new native pool landscaping that accentuates the masonry rather than disguising it.

Liatris Daisies and Coneflower are a stunning summer combination.

Landscape Design Master Plan for Native Pool Landscaping

We developed the Landscape Design Master Plan for this native pool landscaping over the winter and developed a rendered plan and planting plan. The inspiration for the pool landscape was native meadow and prairie environments.

The Landscape Design Master Plan included new pool landscaping, foundation plantings and an entry courtyard.

Most prairie plants bloom for long periods throughout the summer, and native prairie grasses are low-maintenance plants with year-round interest. Ornamental grasses provide nesting materials for birds and seed heads as food. This native pool landscape is a layered habitat for birds and pollinators.

The beautiful natural stone masonry is complemented, not hidden, by the landscaping.

In this landscape, we utilized Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Pink Muhly Grass and Prairie Dropseed. Each of these grasses puts on a unique show in fall – from fluffy pink and gold seed heads to striking red foliage.

Some of our favorite native perennials that bloom for weeks on end.

Perennial color – and pollinator food – comes from Agastache, Helenium, Coneflower, Yarrow, Penstemon and Yarrow. A selection of succulents fills in cracks of the newly revealed natural stone masonry.

Reimagining a Front Entry Courtyard

Classic Hydrangeas beneath an ecological superstar, Amelanchier.

The front entrance courtyard featured typical landscaping – boxwoods and hostas – but failed to “wow” or provide many ecosystem services.

New pollinator garden pops against the stone and fence that enclose the courtyard.

We created several new beds – pollinator gardens flanking the existing walkway and along the middle of the fence. Some of the perennials from the pool area are repeated here while new favorites are introduced – Coreopsis, Lavender, Geranium, and Beebalm.

New garden paths sweep from the foundation, along the walkway to the pool area.
Sweeps of Coneflower link the courtyard planting with the pool area planting.

The diversity of plant material ensures that something is always blooming, going to seed, losing its chlorophyll. The garden is never the same but it is always interesting and eye-catching. Plant diversity correlates to soil microbe diversity – the essential foundation to plant health, resilience, stormwater absorption and carbon sequestration.

Repurposing Existing Vegetation

New transplanted grass garden is less maintenance than a traditional lawn.

The existing Miscanthus grasses were overgrown and overcrowding the pool landscape. We transplanted many of the grasses to create a new grass garden in the expansive lawn. This will be a low maintenance garden, and by replacing a section of lawn, we are automatically reducing gas, water, and fertilizer inputs.

Transplant success!

Part of the project involved soil testing and installing a low maintenance 100% organically managed and maintained lawn. This requires proper irrigation and mulch mowing, provided by our outstanding partners and good friend Organic Landscapes of Bedford NY.

Designing a Veggie Garden

Newly divided veggie beds, accessible by gravel paths.

This client is a proud summer vegetable gardener. Their existing garden however, was one extra large bed with no thought for how to access the plants for weeding and harvesting.

The old design also had a narrow border of lawn between the fence and beds. This is poor planning and would create a maintenance nightmare — grass clippings always ending up in the veggie beds causing extra weeding! \

BEFORE PHOTO: previous veggie garden was too large and unorganized.

We removed the lawn and re-designed the garden into four quadrants, lined with small rocks. Gravel paths cross through the plots and around the perimeter.

AFTER PHOTO: Four quadrants with interior and exterior paths make maintaining the garden a breeze.
A pollinator border improves yields in a vegetable garden.

A border of pollinator-attracting perennials masks the fence surrounding the vegetable garden. A bench offers a resting place to admire the garden.

A simple stone bench creates a cohesive resting space.


To start your ecological landscape design, contact us to schedule a professional consultation or free 15-minute discovery call.

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Green Jay Landscape Design

Where Design Meets Ecology

914.560.6570

Current Climate: Cool Spring Turns to HOT Summer

Summer has finally arrived. Characteristics of this current year’s (as well as last several years’) weather have been an extended wet and rainy cool spring and uncharacteristically lower humidity levels.

As storm water management, sediment, and erosion control professionals, we have seen increased demand for drainage and grading plans, as well as integrating more bioengineering, permaculture, and agroforestry design development to address this influx of spring stormwater.

 

A steep slope replanted for erosion control through jutte netting. Dobbs Ferry, New York.

 

 

In the past few weeks, our cool spring has turned to a hot summer with abnormally dry conditions in our region. In response, our landscape stewardship protocols need to adapt. Below are our tips for maintaining your landscape in the peak of dry summer.

Newly planted summer poolscape in Westchester County, New York.

Maintenance Dos & Don’ts in Summer Heat

The water table has crashed and your spoiled plants thought they too were going to live in eternal spring. They are not ready to harden for brutal summer heat and drought.

Water them like their life depends on it…because it does!

  • Do water your lawn deeply and consistently (30-45 minutes, every other day; optimally between 4 and 9 AM)
    • If this is not feasible, let it go dormant until fall.
    • Most lawns are going dormant from the heat – many of the most popular turf grasses (ie Kentucky Bluegrass) are cool season grasses, meaning they grow most optimally at temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees F. Above 75 degrees, they go dormant until cooler temps arrive.
Organic lawn renovation in Rye, NY.
  • Don’t use irrigation if you have municipal restrictions except for new plantings (planted within the last three months).
    • As a general rule, new plantings should be watered every day for 20-30 minutes until established; your irrigation provider may further customize the schedule depending on plant composition and sun exposure in the bed.
    •  Only turn off or reduce irrigation for new plantings on days with heavy rain. (few and far between in summer)
  • Don’t mow or scalp turf grass, that’s torture!
    • When you mow, cut high (3 ½ – 4 inches) and recycle the clippings back into your lawn (mulch mowing). The moisture is in the plant not the soil.
  • Don’t prune your trees and shrubs unless you need to clear a line of sight.
    • Your plants are already stressed in the heat, pruning should wait until more hospitable temperatures in the fall.
  • Don’t spray to kill insects, there are precious few left! You can’t be sure you’re not taking out all other life by attempting to remove what you consider pests. Nature has natural pest control if we enable ecosystem restoration. Read more here.
  • Do use citronella plants (scented geraniums) to repel mosquitos on decks and patios.
Dragonflies are natural predators of mosquitos, eating mosquito eggs and larvae in standing water.
  • Do apply organic granular and liquid animal repellent regularly (once a month, like clockwork!) 
    • Do not spray anything at temperatures above 90 degrees F.
    • Granular applications around the perimeter of beds.
    • For commercial liquid applications, we mix formulation/active ingredients 20% stronger than label and spray leaves and buds of plants.
    • Recommended brands: I Must Garden, Repels All, Garden Girls, Milorganite
Bumblebee feeding on Agastache, a long-blooming perennial and pollinator favorite!

Protect Pollinators

We are finally seeing the pollinators arrive in the northeast…all the bugs! To our detriment the basic communal response is to attempt to eliminate insects (pesticides, tick and mosquito spraying). While we overconfidently presume to be able to identify and eradicate species that we consider pests, we manage to affect a continuum of imbalance in our natural world and the landscape environment which we depend on for air, water, food, shelter, and resources.

Swallowtail butterfly on pink coneflower, surrounded by white coneflower (Echinacea), bee balm (Monarda, and Hyssop (Agastache).

A recent study indicates that up to 80% of the population has traces of Glyphosate (the active ingredient in the herbicide RoundUp) in our urine!

A designed garden stroll path lined with plantings of native shrubs and perennials.

Ecological Maintenance Summary

Progressive, creative sustainability strategies for land use in the big picture, and improvements in landscape management, organic land care, and better cultural grounds maintenance practices are producing a healthier, more optimistic, and holistic realization of living with nature in our everyday landscape environment.

A new backyard garden complete with gravel and natural flagstone stroll paths, in Somers, New York.


Spend some quality time in your beautiful outdoor ecosystem, appreciate and value what the gifts of nature and her natural resources do for our bodies, mind and spirit!

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Jay Archer

Green Jay Landscape Design

Where Design Meets Ecology

914-560-6570

Craving a garden tour this summer? We are excited to announce two upcoming garden tours of The Secret Garden of Celestial Happiness, designed by Jay Archer. This property formerly had a rear lawn that was removed and replaced with an ecological landscape featuring a constructed waterfall, stream, a network of stroll paths, and access to the adjacent wetland.

Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly visits a patch of Coneflower.

Sunday July 24th Garden Tour 10 – 1 PM – Hosted by Bedford 2030 Healthy Yards and Pollinator Pathways. Event details here. (There are many properties across Westchester participating in this event, find all participants on their map!)

Saturday September 17th Garden Tour 4 pm – Hosted by the Ecological Landscaping Alliance. Event details here.

Tour this nature immersion garden through four zones:

Natural stone stroll paths enable enjoyment of every corner of this backyard landscape.

Zone 1– Eco-Hybrid Front Yard Landscape: Predominantly native plants mixed with traditional non-natives that also attract pollinators. This slightly more formal landscape looks gorgeous year-round and still delivers on ecological objectives.

Zone 2 – ReWilding Zone – Evolved as a combination of plants that occur naturally from the adjacent wetlands, coupled with a design and planting composition. Formerly was a lawn with a mosquito problem.

Native Helenium (sneezeweed) is a favorite late-season perennial.

Zone 3 –Transitional Zone – the buffer between the adjacent disturbed wetland and the designed landscape. A glimpse of the future, featuring assisted migration (Bald Cyprus) and naturalized foreigners (Dawn Redwood) that are eco-adapted to our region. We maintain a woodland trail to access and enjoy the wetland setting.

Zone 4 – Disturbed Wetland – previously was an aquatic restoration project that has since been abandoned. The flora of the wetland migrates into the property and provides a good indication of seasonal weather patterns. Rubber boots recommended to tour the wetland.

Contact us to schedule your landscape design consultation.

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Green Jay Landsaping

Where Design Meets Ecology

914.560.6570

Summer is here and outside is where we want to be! Many of our clients hire us to improve their outdoor living environment – aesthetically, ecologically, and functionally. Whether that translates into a new patio or entertaining area, solving a soggy yard problem, and/or revitalizing the planting, is determined through an on-site consultation and subsequent Landscape Design Master Plan. We’ve rounded up our best backyard landscape designs in Westchester County, NY EVER! We hope it provides inspiration for your own backyard design goals!

Designed Backyard Courtyard | Somers, NY

This charming backyard was naturally enclosed by mature trees, lending the feeling of a walled courtyard. Titled The Cloister of Sweet Serenity, GJL designed a circular flagstone walkway with a secondary gravel path running through it as the new backyard landscape design. This new masonry provides the perfect framework to stroll through the garden and take in its wonder. We also constructed a new flagstone patio off the house –  a favorite spot for morning coffee or entertaining. The plant palette is predominantly native, a mixture of unique foliage and pollinator-favorite perennials. Beginning with spring flowering bulbs, all the way through the last days of fall, this garden will provide sources of pollen, nectar, seeds and berries for pollinators while remaining beautiful and stimulating for the clients. As seen through the windows of the house or from the stroll paths of the garden, this new backyard landscape design is a stunning feature of the property.

In the words of the client:

I am sure that my words will not do justice to the happiness that Jay and his wonderful team have brought me. They transformed a plain yard into the most glorious garden! It is peaceful, serene and my most favorite place for morning coffee. I would never hesitate to use Green Jay Landscape Design, Jay really listens to what you want and then makes the dream a living reality. They are truly marvelous.

European-Inspired Parterre Garden | South Salem, NY

Wild within structure was the inspiration for this backyard landscape design, a European parterre garden turned ecological masterpiece. The clients wanted the formal geometry of a traditional Spanish or French garden coupled with Green Jay Landscape Design’s knack for ecological gardening. The result is a mix of natives and traditional European perennials (that pollinators here still frequent!) that we designed in an asymmetrical planting plan.

Set against the lake backdrop, the colorful blooms and height from the trellis really pop and command the backyard. As always with our designs, plants were chosen for their ecosystem services and resilience in our region. Whether viewed from the upper stone terraces, through the home’s windows, or from the parterre garden itself, this landscape design is truly stunning and unique.

Lawn Terraforming with Terraced Border Garden | Harrison, NY

A common request from clients with young families is create a level area for outdoor play.  In this case, the property had an ample backyard lawn, but the slight slope made playing ball impractical for their children, especially since the property borders a golf course. For this Harrison, NY backyard landscape design, we brought in many yards of engineered soil and graded the lawn area into a level play area.

To support the new grade, we designed a two-tier terrace to line the back border. Planting with a mix of viburnums (an excellent native shrub for wildlife!), ornamental grasses and perennials, the border is now a focal point instead of an eyesore.

The previous border, legacy yews that were  leggy and hid the green golf course while accentuating the asphalt road directly behind the property. The result, after GJL’s installation, creates an intimate and beautiful backyard for play, relaxation, or hosting guests.

Family Friendly Ecological Estate | Rye, NY

This Rye, NY client came to us seeking a complete backyard landscape renovation for a home they had recently moved into.  With a large, young family, the client wanted the backyard to be a destination for his children and their friends, with plenty of amenities and garden secrets to discover for the curious mind.

We started by revamping the pool landscaping, which was filled with tired and traditional landscaping plants. We revtalized it with a pollinator and ornamental grass garden that evokes a casual, naturalistic feel instead of the formal landscaping of previous.

Another favorite feature of the design is the perimeter-encircling woodland stroll path. With an existing border of mature evergreens trees, shrubs, and birches, it was a natural extension to design and woodland path and shrub border. The effect is marvelous! Wandering under birches, through fern glens, around gracefully flowering woodland perennials and commanding hydrangeas, imagination and wonder are ignited.  The client even bought fairy houses and placed them along the woodland path for his daughters. Additionally, a vegetable garden and rain garden provide further learning opportunities about food cultivation, stormwater management and the water cycle.

In the words of the client:

We know whats going on with species dying out and the climate warming. So for me it was about, at least in the small plot of land I have, being able to be part of the solution not part of the problem.

Watch the full client testimonial and project install time lapse here on our Youtube channel.

Schedule your Landscape Design consultation with us!

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Green Jay Landscape Design

Where Design Meets Ecology

914.560.6570