Green Jay Landscape Design

Green Jay Landscape Design

(914) 560-6570

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Mosquitos are a total nuisance – they can make treasured outdoor spaces unbearable!  They are also a public health risk, carrying diseases such as West Nile in the Northeastern US.

This is Step Four of our series on How to Make Our Landscapes Safer & Healthier.  Catch up on Steps One and Two and Step Three. 

Traditional (Toxic) Mosquito Control

Unfortunately, our hysteria about mosquitos has led to some irrational and downright detrimental “solutions.”  Exterminators and ‘Mosquito Squads’ spraying toxic chemicals like Pyrethroids are completely ineffective (mosquitos fly and can avoid these areas) and instead create a negative ripple effect throughout the ecosystem.  The USGS found Pyrethroids in stream sediments around urban areas in concentrations toxic to aquatic organisms.  Pyrethroids also affect honey bee behavior and motor function, and likely impact other pollinators too.

Lifecycle of a Mosquito

Instead of turning to toxic insecticide, consider an ecological design that manages storm water to eliminate mosquito-breeding habitat.  First, it’s helpful to understand the lifecycle of a mosquito:

  • Mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water. It takes 4 – 28 days for the eggs to hatch depending on temperature and water conditions.
  • In the larval stage, mosquitos stay just under water’s surface, attached with a snorkel-like siphon to breathe, and feed on aquatic organisms for 4 – 14 days.
  • Pupal stage — more movement in water but no feeding. Lasts 1.5 – 4 days.
  • After emerging from the water as adults, male and female adult mosquitos quickly mate. The male will live about a week, and the female about six weeks (but up to 5 months).
  • Only the female takes “blood meals,” after which she lays her clutch of eggs.

So, it’s clear that the easiest way to tackle mosquitos is when they are in one place and not yet moving….aka the larval phase!  Mosquito Dunks placed in standing water / breeding locations do just that through a targeted mosquito larvae insecticide that inhibits growth into the adult phase.  Learn more about Mosquito Dunks on our previous blog.

Eliminate Standing Water Through Storm Water Management

Mosquito Dunks are largely effective, but even better is to design a landscape that can withstand storm events without ponding for days (creating the dreaded mosquito habitat).  Storm water management evaluates the sheet flow, topography, soil conditions, and rainwater infrastructure of a property; from there we develop a custom plan for storm water management that enables landscape drainage.

Storm water plans often embody several tools and design features.  For example, a bio-swale helps conduct storm water through a slight channel, usually filled with gravel to help slow down the water and filter out pollutants as it percolates.

Faux-stream bioswale conducts storm water. Decorative river rock, boulders and stone bridges make it a design feature as well.
Rain garden under construction in Westchester, NY.
Cultek Storm Chamber installation.

In some cases, due to the amount of impervious space on the property and surrounding it, it may be necessary to install a Cultek storm chamber. Storm water collects in the gravel-filled chamber and gradually percolates out.  Learn more on our previous blog, Designing a Bird Sanctuary Part One: Site Development & Stormwater.

Passive Irrigation is another great tool to redirect storm water and recycle it as irrigation in your planting beds.  Check out this blog for more information about our Passive Irrigation & Rainwater Harvesting Project in Mamaroneck, NY.

Passive Irrigation & Storm Water Management Landscape Plan.

Rain Gardens are another incredibly valuable ecological tool for storm water management. They are typically depressed gardens filled with a well-draining soil medium and planted with native plants that can survive both extreme storm events and periods of drought. Rain gardens should be placed above the area of your landscape that is ponding / flooding, so that it can capture and absorb the sheet flow before it reaches the low point and becomes trapped (forming mosquito habitat!).

Rain garden example.

Typically planted with a mix of native shrubs, trees and perennials, rain gardens also have immense ecological value in the food and habitat they provide for local pollinators and wildlife.

Attract Dragonflies, Natural Predators with a Water Feature

Despite your best proactive efforts to eliminate mosquito-breeding habitat, it is possible for adult mosquitos to fly over to your yard. Therefore, you should have your third line of defense armed and ready: natural predators!

What eats mosquitos?

  • Dragonflies
  • Damselflies
  • Birds
  • Bats
  • Goldfish
  • Frogs & Tadpoles
  • Turtles

Believe it or not, you can design a habitat for all of these natural mosquito predators.  You may have noticed many of them are aquatic animals.  We have designed and constructed numerous fish, frog and turtle ponds / streams, that also happen to be hosts for dragonflies.  Landscape around your water feature with native flowering and berry-producing shrubs, and you will attract your native mosquito-feeding birds in no time!

 Contact us to discuss your landscape design or storm water management project!

We are in the business of designing butterfly gardens, pollinator gardens, and ecological landscapes to support biodiversity.  GJL firmly believes enhancing biodiversity is they key to healthy, resilient landscapes, that in turn provide human health benefits.

This post is part two of our series on How to Make Our Landscapes Safer & Healthier.  Catch up on Part One, where we discuss organic landscapes and building soil health through microbes.

Biodiversity is Worth Protecting

Biodiversity is the sign of a healthy ecosystem. It means conditions exist that support many different species at once; it also refers to the genetic diversity within a species.

Frog friend in a GJL designed & constructed naturalistic pond in Rye, NY.

Why should you care about biodiversity? With higher biological diversity, ecosystems can react better to environmental stressors – in a word, they are more resilient, and we need resilient ecosystems, especially in the era of climate change. In fact, one of our partners, Healthy Yards Westchester, lists inviting pollinators and wildlife as a foundational step in creating health yards that better our environment. Furthermore, healthy ecosystems are more productive and better provide ecosystem services, like clean water, clean air, nutrient cycling, and plant resources.

Image courtesy of metrovancouver.org

For example:

  • Healthy soil has a diversity of microbes to breakdown organic matter, without which we would have little to no nutrient cycling!
  • Specific plants co-evolved with specific soil microbes to provide each other nutrients (see tip #2). A loss on one side could be detrimental for the other species and start a chain reaction through the ecosystem.
  • Soil microbes also play a huge role in natural water purification, especially in wetland and riparian soils. Microbes breakdown chemical and biological pollutants in the water.
  • Wetland ecosystems are responsible for removing 20-60% of the metals in water, thanks to microbial break down, and uptake and storage by specifically adapted wetland plants (phytoremediation).
  • 1/3 of all agricultural crops and ¾ of all flowering plants depend on animal pollination from pollinators. Without pollinators, our plant diversity, and the resources we derive from them, would suffer enormously.
  • 50,000 plants globally are medicinal. 118 of the top 150 most used pharmaceuticals in the US are derived from medicinal plants.

 Biodiversity in Crisis

The Anthropocene has not been kind to biodiversity.  The WWF estimates that globally, the extinction rate is 1,000 to 10,000 times the background extinction rate.  Experts are sounding the alarms for global and local changes to protect biodiversity.

“The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”

— Sir Robert Watson, Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), May 6th 2019

Monarch butterfly caterpillar.

Insects have been especially hard hit.  The New York Times reports that in the US “the population of monarch butterflies fell by 90 percent in the last 20 years, a loss of 900 million individuals; the rusty-patched bumblebee, which once lived in 28 states, dropped by 87 percent over the same period.”

Monarch butterfly.

Act Locally for Pollinators & Wildlife

Fortunately, biodiversity decline is a global issue that can be addressed locally – on your property and in your community! It is true that there is strength in numbers.  We are thrilled with the  efforts of the Pollinator Pathway organization in mapping, linking and promoting a network of pollinator-friendly landscapes and gardens in Westchester County and Fairfield county — learn more here.

Green Jay Landscape Design has designed and installed a broad range of habitat gardens, from organic meadows, to front-yard pollinator gardens, to bird sanctuaries, to woodland wildlife gardens, fish and turtle ponds, bog / wetland habitats, and more! Whatever your site conditions or design dreams are, we can accomplish it!

Below are some tips for considering what designed habitat is right for you:

Front Yard Pollinator Gardens: Think about plants that have multi-season aesthetic and ecological value.  We like to mix native ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs (at larger sizes) with perennials so that the front yard starts off looking *full*.  Always be sure to include garden paths – they make weeding and maintenance much easier, and allow you to observe and enjoy every pocket of your garden! Check out our previous blog post, Designing An Organic Pollinator Garden for tips! Learn more about our lawn-replacement front yard pollinator garden designs in Hastings, NY (above photo), Putnam Valley, NY, Port Chester, NY, Mamaroneck, NY and Dutchess County, NY.

Monarch on New York Ironweed in a designed organic wet meadow in South Salem, NY.

Organic Meadows: For large areas, seed will be the most economical option, but know that some native wildflowers do not flower for the first few years, while others may only last for a few years! Understand that your meadow is an evolving canvas and you will find joy in the changing colors, heights, textures, and visitors!  Site preparation is extremely important in meadows; if you disturb the weed seed bank in the soil, maintenance can be difficult. Learn more about Our Promise as Landscape Ecologists.

Woodland Habitat Gardens: Shrubs will be your MVP for ecological value and design weight in a dappled / part shade woodland garden.  We love these native shrubs, and so do the birds: shrub dogwood (Cornus spp.), chokeberry (Aroniaspp.), winterberry (Ilex verticilata – can also tolerate full shade), inkberry (Ilex glabra), and summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), to name a few.  If you are dealing with full shade, native ferns (we love Christmas Fern, Cinnamon Fern, and New York Fern) and ground cover are essential. Learn more about our designed woodland habitat gardens in Patterson, NY, and Bedford Hills, NY.

Coopers Hawk visits the designed bird sanctuary!
Native perennials, shrubs and trees plus a constructed waterfall are key features to this bird sanctuary design.

Bird Sanctuaries: To attract birds to your property, you will need to meet their habitat requirements.  This means native shrubs for nesting sites and fall/winter berries (late season food!).  Birds need insects, especially caterpillars, to feed their young, which means you should have pollinator-attracting perennials on-site (be sure to have enough plants: entomologist Doug Tallamy estimates that one clutch of chickadees requires 6,000 – 9,000 caterpillars to raise to maturity!) Water is another critical feature – birds love to bathe themselves in shallow pools! You don’t need a large estate to create a bird habitat; a well-designed bird garden will be appreciated by local and migrating birds year-round!

Read about our design and construction of a 100% organic bird sanctuary landscape — part one discusses site prep and storm water, part two dives into design decisions and native plants.

Fish and Turtle Ponds: Water quality is extremely important in your constructed pond if you plan on making it a habitat for fish, turtles or any other aquatic wildlife.  When designing a pond, aeration is key to prevent algal growth that can eventually overpower all other life in the pond. We often design a waterfall or stream to create this water movement and add a lively focal point.  Additional aerators, UV sterilizers, and filters may also be necessary. Water features are also a great way to attract dragonflies – as nymphs they eat mosquito eggs and larvae! A vegetative buffer around your pond is essential to absorb any nutrient runoff before it reaches the water.

Wetland / Bog Gardens: Restoring a wetland with native wetland plants improves the water filtration capacity and makes the wetland more productive and valuable. Likewise, we have planted bog gardens to help improve water quality in existing ponds.  Wet meadows are some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth, so wherever you have the opportunity to preserve and restore a wet meadow it should be seized! The number of pollinators and birds that make their home there will amaze you.

Learn more about our projects:

Native Bog Garden & Pond Restoration project in White Plains, NY

Natural Swimming Pond & Bog Garden Blog & Gallery in Larchmont, NY

Fish Pond Restoration & Stream Construction Project Blog & Gallery in New Canaan, CT

Wetland & Pond Restoration in South Salem, NY.

We hope this helped you consider the value of a designed habitat on your property! Please call us (914)-560-6570 or contact us to discuss your landscape design project!

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Feature Photo (Top) by Jessica Kirste courtesy of Feeder Watch

As landscape ecologists and designers, we consider ever property an opportunity to improve the health of the local ecosystem and the human health of our clients. These may seem like lofty goals, but we are not just any landscape design firm in Fairfield or Westchester county.  We are proudly an ecological design firm, and nothing brings us more joy than designing and caring for healthy, productive landscapes.

We’ve compiled six tips for fostering a safe and healthy landscape.  Below we explain the first two critical steps; stay tuned for the rest in our follow up blog posts!

1. Ditch the Landscape Chemicals and Turn Your Property Organic

There are so many reasons to take your landscape organic.  The most obvious are the human health benefits associated with living in a toxin-free environment.

Toxic Exposures & Legal Action Over Landscape Chemicals

You probably saw the headlines about plaintiffs in cases against Monsanto that were awarded millions of dollars for their cancer diagnoses, which the courts found linked to their years-long exposures to Glyphosate via the Monsanto herbicide Roundup.  (Despite all this, the EPA in January re-approved Glyphosate use on the market, and is currently being sued by a number of groups including NRDC, Beyond Pesticides & Center for Food Safety)

Chemical pesticides have been linked to various cancers, enzyme disruption, endocrine disruption, autoimmune diseases, and miscarriages.  They are detrimental to human health and have no place in the landscape. Learn more on our previous blog post Take Your Landscape Organic.

Pesticides Have No Place in a Healthy Ecosystem

Synthetic pesticides persist in the environment and wreak havoc on local ecology. The USGS found Glyphosate in 50% of rivers and streams, and 40% of lakes, ponds and wetlands, concluding that plants and wildlife experience chronic low-level exposures in a wide range of ecosystems nationwide. Insecticides like Pyrethroids, often used to “treat” landscapes for ticks and mosquitos, have been found in streams in urban and agricultural areas in a form that is bioavailable to aquatic animals.

Pesticides also disrupt soil microbial activities.  Research has found “inactivation of nitrogen‐fixing and phosphorus‐solubilizing microorganisms,” as well as limited soil enzyme activity in soils treated with pesticides. This decrease in activity has a ripple effect on plant health and nutrition.

Likewise, if a plant has a cheap diet of chemical fertilizer, it relies less on expanding its root system and nurturing its relationship with soil microbes, thereby sacrificing immune defense and creating a downward spiral of decreasing biodiversity. Soil microbes are essential building blocks for healthy plants and provide critical ecosystem services (see tip #2).

Furthermore, landscape chemicals, particularly the insecticide class of neonicotinoids, have been detected in wild, native bees, which, according to USGS,  “can cause a reduction in population densities and reproductive success, and impairing the bees’ ability to forage. Insecticides and fungicides can also increase a bee’s susceptibility to disease and parasites.”

In pumping our landscapes with chemicals, we are single-handedly destroying soil microbiology, plant immune health, and critical pollinator populations.

The most basic step to improve the health of your landscape – for yourself and local ecology—is to completely rid it of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.  You will be reducing dangerous exposures for you and your loved ones and as a result, allowing natural biodiversity to resurface. Learn more about our organic land care program on our Organic Landscape Maintenance page.

2. Cultivate Soil Microbiology & Spend Time in the Dirt!

Soil Microbes Are Earth’s MVP

Now that you have a toxin-free landscape, the microbes in your soil (bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes) can grow and flourish! It is estimated that one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain an astonishing 1 billion bacteria, several yards of fungal hyphae, thousands of protozoa and dozens of nematodes.

Soil microbes evolved alongside plants over many thousands of years in a beautiful partnership: microbes find a home and some food on plants’ roots, and in exchange breakdown critical nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, among others) in the soil so that they are plant available.

Microbes even provide plants protection from pathogens.  A strong soil microbial community is the key to proper plant nutrition and hardy immune system – aka a thriving and resilient garden!

Furthermore, soil microbes are the foundation of countless essential ecosystem services. They breakdown environmental pollutants, cycle nutrients in the Soil Food Web, mitigate droughts and floods, prevent erosion and conserve water. Incredible!

Microbes are also unsung heroes of carbon sequestration; they transfer CO2 from plant photosynthesis into the soil where it is stabilized as a carbon sink.  The soil accounts for more carbon than the atmosphere and all plants on earth combined. If we want to take positive action against global climate change, we need to cultivate healthy soils.

Healthy Soil, Healthy Human

Fascinating new research suggests that soil microbes and human gut microbes are strongly related and also likely evolved alongside each other over many thousands of years; it is thought that soil microbes even have the ability to communicate with our cells!

In the past, humans had more direct contact with the soil – from farming by hand to eating organic food (before organic was a *thing*) to children playing outside daily – and therefore had more opportunity to connect with soil microbes.

Image courtesy of Visionpic.net

Today, we have to make conscious efforts to reconnect with our microbial evolutionary partners.  Fortunately, the benefits are quick and easy.  M. vaccae, a beneficial soil bacteria, has been linked to the growth of neurons in the brains of mice and increased levels of serotonin, decreased anxiety, and faster learning. Thankfully, the American Society for Microbiology reports that “people likely ingest [M. vaccae] or breath in when they spend time in nature.”

That’s right, simply getting your hands in the dirt or taking a stroll through the organic landscape can jumpstart the human health benefits associated with soil microbes. What are you waiting for?!

Stay tuned for parts two and three of this series, dropping next week!

First of all, Happy Earth Day! We’re celebrating our favorite holiday with a deep dive into one of our main raison d’être for working in our field – pollinators!

We are so thrilled by the growing cultural shift toward awareness and appreciation for our native bees, butterflies, dragonflies, wasps, syrphid flies and other ecological superstars in the pollinator family.  Local support has been particularly impressive, with the growing Pollinator Pathways movement in Westchester County and Fairfield County.

(Check out our previous post: Uniting the Buzz: The Case for Pollinator Pathways in Westchester County and Fairfield County).

There’s no better way to commemorate our pollinator friends than to design a habitat that invites them to your own yard! With insect populations in decline globally, every square foot of land we can convert into a useful and productive habitat is worthwhile.  Trust us when we say, plant it and they will come!

Site Evaluation: Work With What You’ve Got!

When we think of a pollinator habitat, we often picture vast sunny meadows of wildflowers.  These are certainly important habitats for pollinators, but there are plants for every light requirement that provide habitat for local wildlife. Check out our Native Woodland Pollinator Garden blog post.

Tips from a Landscape Ecologist:

  • Monitor how much light your site gets. Six hours or more is considered full sun. Some plants are more sensitive to strong afternoon sun, so take note if your site faces West.
  • Get your hands in the soil (it’s good for you!) and determine the soil texture. Is it sandy or thick and clay-like?  If it is heavy clay, many of the meadow plants will not work without serious soil amending, as those plants evolved in lean prairie soils.
  • Observe topography: is your site on a slope? Will storm water drain quickly from your site at the hilltop, or will it collect sheet flow in the basin? Is any part of your site a wetland? Pay attention to moisture requirements when selecting plants.

Picking Plants: Succession, Shelter & Biodiversity

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: plan your planting for bloom succession! Pollinators don’t just eat in spring or mid-summer.  They need pollen and nectar from late winter to fall, and without careful planning, you can leave gaps in their pollen buffet!

Succession doesn’t just apply to flowers.  Late season berries and seeds, and early-season branches and leaves provide critical food and shelter sources; as such, be sure to consider shrubs, trees, grasses, ground cover and bulbs as well as flowering perennials.

There are numerous sources of information on native pollinator and bird-attracting plants.

Some of our Favorite Online Resources for Pollinators & Native Plants:

Xerces Society

Audubon Society Native Plant Database

NRCS Wildlife Habitat in Your Back Yard

NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat Guide

EcoBeneficial with Kim Eierman

US Forest Service Pollinator of the Month – fascinating details on Pollinator lifestyles!

Our Top Pollinator Book Resources:

Pollinator Victory Garden – Kim Eirman

Bringing Nature Home – Doug Tallamy & Rick Darke – appendices in the back are very helpful!

Attracting Native Pollinators — Xerces Society

Some of our Favorite Pollinator Plants

Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ — a native shrub and favorite of bees!
New England Aster — fall blooming perennial
St John’s Wort (Hypericum) is a repeat blooming shrub, begining in early spring. It has interesting foliage and the bees love it!
New York Ironweed — a tall, late-summer wetland native.  Self-seeds easily so you will need to edit (weed) to keep it in place.
Coneflower (Echinacea) with Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and Geranium — all native, long-blooming perennials!
White Coneflower (Echinacea) compliments many planting combinations.
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium) and Goldenrod (Solidago) are insane pollinator-attractors for late summer / early fall.
Blue Mist Spirea (Caryopteris) is not native but does attract numerous butterflies and bees from July – September.
Bee Balm (Monarda) can tolerate part-shade and can be pruned for multiple blooming periods.
Winterberry (Ilex verticilata) is a favorite winter food source of birds like this Northern Mockingbird. Photo courtesy of Audubon Society.

Prepare for Organic Success

A successful organic garden does not stop at the garden bed border; rather, your entire landscape should be organic! We cringe every time we see exterminators, tick treatments, and mosquito spraying…these chemicals are indiscriminate and kill beneficial insects, as well as being ineffective at their purpose! We are strong believers in attracting biodiversity and letting Mother Nature correct itself.

For example, parasitic wasps (especially the larvae) naturally control numerous pests including aphids, gypsy moths, mealy bugs and scales. Ladybugs also feed on aphids and provide a natural pest control.  If you notice a pest outbreak in your organic pollinator garden, be patient… infested plants release air-born herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) to attract insect predators, and it may take a few days for the predators to arrive in full force.  Mother Nature has a system for everything!

Read this book for more information on beneficial insects and plant profiles:Attracting Beneficial Bugs – Jessica Walliser.

Also check out our previous post on The Truth About Pollinator Pathways and Organics.   

Encourage Soil Microbes

We begin every installation with a soil test and on-site evaluation. All of our gardens receive (at a minimum) a topdressing of organic, natural-source compost with biochar.  We particularly like Organic Mechanics. Many prairie plants, as mentioned above, adapted to grow in lean soils, so we generally reduce the amount of compost for plants from that ecoregion.  However at least some compost is essential for providing host conditions for soil microbes – they key to healthy, thriving gardens! If you are including woody trees and shrubs, they will need a more fungal-dominant soil microbial community.

Garden Evolution & Maintenance

Nature’s beauty is in its evolution; your pollinator garden should be the same! Sometimes it is impossible to know if the microclimate conditions will favor one perennial you selected over another. For example, last year was particularly wet, and our gardens saw an abundance of growth form moisture-loving plants and the lost some others that weren’t as well adapted.

Prepare to edit, add and/or subtract in subsequent years to achieve your desired aesthetic and optimal bloom/seed/berry succession. Pruning certain tall perennials mid-season can encourage a second bloom and prevent them from shading out shorter plants nearby.

Lastly, always leave hollow-stemmed perennials on-site through winter!  Many pollinators lay eggs to over-winter in hollow stems.  Winter habitat is just as essential as spring and summer in supporting pollinator populations.

For more information on how to start your organic pollinator garden, contact us for a landscape design consultation.

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Jay Archer

Landscape Ecologist, Designer & President

Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A familiar, common reoccurring problem in pond and lake management is nutrient loading causing duckweed or algae blooms.
The best solution or remedy for these problems usually lays in the overall land management practices. If fertilizer and pesticides are running directly into a water body we identify this as point source pollution, a primary cause of the duckweed or algae.

The second most common problem is sediment loading, which reduces the depth of the water body and raises the average summer water temperature. Sediment loading may be a result of poor storm water management. To determine depth a bathymetric survey must be performed and charted to create a depth profile to inform the efficacy and economics of dredging and aeration systems.

This condition may require mechanical or hydraulic dredging to establish greater depth and to restore proper inversion on the laminar flow (of the water column) to sustain cooler summer temperatures.

Some relief can be realized by installation of bottom aeration systems (see https://lake-savers.com) in conjunction with biological applications. These very effective systems of course require electric service.  Pesticide solutions are not recommended, as they are temporary fixes and must continually be applied, placing other aquatic and terrestrial organisms at risk.

In a perfect world, analysis and inventory of the watershed provides information necessary to develop a workable plan or design to improve both the water quality and appearance of your pond or lake. Consult a professional before you commit resources ($) to fix your problem.

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Jay Archer

Landscape Ecologist, Designer & President

Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570

 

 

The challenge was to create an attractive contemporary landscape with the flavor of a Early American, post Thomas Jefferson era landscape for the United Methodist Center in White Plains, New York.

Early American landscapes necessarily shared features consistent with permaculture and ecological landscape design. This was a time when pesticides and man-made contaminants were not an issue. There was regular processing and recycling of natural material resources on site: composting, cover crops to improve soil etc.

We started with a suggested list of historically traditional shrubs, perennials and annuals. A landscape design was produced for the entire property. Once again, in anticipation of planting,
We tested the water pressure and determined a deficiency in delivery of sufficient pressure. This was surprising (not in a good way) since this commercial building in downtown, urban, White Plains is serviced by city water. The plumbing was reconfigured to accommodate.

The soil condition posed challenges. Starting with a Rutgers chemical soil test,  we found low calcium, high pH, etc. This was probably a result of buried construction debris surrounding the foundation of the structure. To alleviate these conditions, we amended the soil with a combination of gypsum, Stone Barns Compost, Organic Mechanics BioChar Mix, Soilutions Organic Soil Enhancer, and natural, organic source fertilizers.

To ensure successful sustainability, low maintenance and what we refer to as enduring longevity, we incorporated aggressive ground covers as green mulch to gradually replace the need to re-mulch year after year (where appropriate), introduced selected long-blooming perennials to attract pollinators and employed river rock and gravel mulch in a splash pad/apron surrounding the gutter/leaderless structure.

This attractive, decorative border was underlaid with a EPDM pond liner. The apron/border was pitched towards the landscape planting beds. This helped to conserve water in passive irrigation. This turned out to be useful to cool the planting due to excessive summer reflective heat from the cement and blacktop dominating the commercial site. Grades were changed with a morterless, natural retaining wall with gravel under drains.

Existing trees and shrubs were pruned to regenerate heath and improve appearance. Existing plants were salvaged and repurposed wherever possible. A metal landscape border edging was installed to contain the decorative gravel paths in the rear landscape.

Seasonal color was supplied by placing containers above an exposed grate which was partially covered with removable flagging.
The deliverable result was a dramatic increase in appearance and health of the immediately surrounding landscape environment.

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Jay Archer

Landscape Ecologist, Designer, President

Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570