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Please join Green Jay Landscape Design for the Larry Bird Johnson Environmental Award.

When: Thursday, October 13, 2016, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Where: Gateway Center at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, New York

The Native Plant Center will honor meadow specialist Larry Weaner with its Lady Bird Johnson Environmental Award. The award recognizes an individual or a group for environmental advocacy and leadership, particularly involving native plants. The evening will include a program by Larry Weaner about some of his projects and low-maintenance gardening, followed by a reception and booksigning of his recently published book, Garden Revolution. Join us for this special event.

For more information about the event, please visit: http://www.sunywcc.edu

More and more in our busy technologically dominated age we are becoming disconnected from nature! It’s hard to notice or understand changes in our environment if we are not mindfully present and aware of our natural surroundings.

As summer becomes fall, the nights get cooler, the leaves change color, it gets dark earlier and light latter and our bodies and minds respond to the physical changes in our environment.

The seasons of our lives pass so quickly we don’t always notice and appreciate the beauty and wonders of nature that surround us every day.

It’s true about stopping to smell the roses etc.. It’s not about how many sunsets or sunrises we have missed but the reward and value of what we have experienced. George Carlin said “Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breathe away”.

One of the ways we can improve our overall landscape environment while increasing our appreciation of nature is to design, create, construct and maintain natural, sustainable landscapes featuring native plants which attract birds, butterflies and especially bees, wasp and other pollinators.

No matter what style of architecture you have, in Westchester we are blessed and surrounded with naturally beautiful landscapes. Even in our more formal hardscapes we can express natural beauty. Something as simple as a curvilinear walk softened by a planting of flowering, fragrant, long blooming perennials and ornamental grasses adds a rich, dynamic vivacious look and feel to your home landscape.

This is the kind of youthful, energized landscape which invigorates young and old alike. This is the perfect landscape to inspire the love and awe of nature in children. In my work in environmental education at Sheldrake Environmental Center in Larchmont, I am always impressed with the enthusiasm and interest the young kids have for our forest ecology program.

It’s never too late to get started creating a natural landscape.

Ah…fall is here! This is a great time to improve your landscape and kick up the curb appeal of your property!

My spirits are always lifted when I return home to find my beautiful landscape shining ! My mood is elevated by the joy of seeing the next flowering perennial display or the next new fragrance waking up my senses!

Change is powerful! Change is good and stimulating! Change is healthy!

The gift of changing seasons here in New York is amazing!

Nature trail and planting designed by GJLD on an estate in Scarsdale in fall.

Early fall is full of surprises in terms of continuous perennial bloom as a continuation of summers bounty. Mid fall we can hardly compete with Mother Nature for color. By the way, do you know why Mother Nature is Mother Nature not Father Nature?, because She can never be wrong! We often take advantage of the rich, vibrant reds and oranges of our fall foliage plants to create a stunning backdrop for our ever interesting landscape. Don’t forget the only opportunity to increase your early spring floral display with bulbs will soon be here!

Think of doing something fresh and different with your landscape. Instead of a monotonous progression of evergreens from the entrance to the border screen to the foundation create something different, interesting…more fun!

Landscape and garden design need not be complicated and you can alway add onto it, providing you allowed for it in your planning and design.

Use flowering shrubs or ornamental grasses (low maintenance, doesn’t need pruning) as a hedge. Install a free form curvilinear path or walkway which will add character to the landscape and set you apart from the more sterile, boring landscape you might see in your neighborhood.

Does your landscape reflect your taste and culture as your interior design does? See our portfolio on our web site or our Houzz profile @greenjaylandscapedesign.com

Natural landscaping has universal appeal! Whether you are in Armonk or Riverdale, New York the beauty and satisfaction is the same!

Natural landscaping involves considering the natural attributes and advantages of the existing site conditions. In the first example we are on a south-west facing slope overlooking the Hudson River with astounding views.

This gave us the opportunity to use only plants native to the New York City region.

This next project in Purchase, New York was designed with winter interest in mind. This effect was successfully accomplished by using different colored evergreens, gold, blue and green with varying heights and textures with a background of mixed evergreens and deciduous tress and shrubs.

The next project involved creating a rock garden with flowering perennials on a hot and dry slope in Rye.

Everything is possible with good design!

And don’t forget good design is not priceless…bad design is priceless and holds no value.

There are so many water issues in our home landscapes.

Although it has been extremely dry for the past several months we continue to come across drainage problems associated with infrastructure or the landscape. Many of these problems or issues can be easily remedied by evaluating the source.

We offer a free 20 point property inspection/report which covers all aspects of the exterior landscape as well as foundation of your home. Sometimes an inspection will find clogged catch basins, storm drains or gutters and leaders which can be easily and inexpensively cleaned and maintained.

Many common problems are apparent on the surface, some require more investigation involving excavation.

Percolation tests underway at a property in Westchester, NY.

Many older homes lack the necessary waterproofing that is now required by building code. Creative solutions are sometimes required to avoid expensive repairs or reconstruction.

Maintaining your existing drainage is important. This applied to sheet flow, surface erosion and any drainage channels and easements on your property (if this applies). You should also check with the town if you have questions about storm water affecting your property. While your at it check your landscape irrigation to be sure it works efficiently. Do you have a rain sensor to insure you are not wasting precious water resources and contributing to the problem. Recently at a commercial property we noticed the irrigation running in the pouring rain…what a waste!

Using piping to direct stormwater from the gutter away from the house and into a drywell.

On one recent project the town of Irvington, New York required our client to remove invasive vegetation from a drainage channel to restore flow. This involved not only removal and carting of vegetation and debris but rebuilding and repairing a stone retaining wall which lined the stream bank/channel. Sometimes permits are required. It is not legal or advisable to allow stormwater to flow into a street or sanitary sewer.

So the moral of the story…check with the town building inspector or town engineer first. Put your tax dollars to work…then…hire a professional if needed.

The most successful landscape projects start out with good design and planning. Whether your landscape dream project requires hardscaping (patios, walks, retaining walls, drainage, driveways, fencing) or a simple planting renovation, you should seriously consider a landscape plan. Landscape design can be as simple as a plant list and description of design concept and scope of work (see proposal examples) or a full colored rendered drawing in plan view or perspective. It all depends on the scope of work and how much visualization you require or desire. It is also helpful to have a budget for your project. What percentage of your budget will go to the design/development phase?

Very often (too often) a client tells me, “I don’t have a budget, can you give me a ballpark?”. I have at least two responses to that. First, would you like prices for the bleachers or the box seats? Ballparks are huge places! Second, if I give you a number I pull out of my head before I design something, what does it include? Does that number include irrigation, landscape lighting etc.?

I am a client too! Even I couldn’t anticipate every single thing that eventually went into my landscape including the cost. We were close, and that’s a lot better than being far off!

Communication and being a good fit are important and not necessarily the same thing! How was your experience with your first contact. Did you receive a timely response? Is there a good administrative support staff available? Does someone answer the phone when you call during business hours? Are there any professional affiliations for the company? If the designer is a contractor do they have all necessary licenses, insurance and few or no registered complaints with the Dept. of Consumer Protection? If the designer is a professional designer or LA only do they have professional insurance?

The more of an idea that you know what you want or more importantly don’t what is essential to realizing the best possible result.

Talk to professionals, check out our backgrounds and work to imagine if it might be a good fit. Styles and business practices vary widely.

Landscape design is a profession and an art!

Think of everything you might ever want and include it in your plan. This is especially true if you need building permits etc.. We always strive for one submittal to a planning board, building dept. etc. It’s smart and efficient!

Designing and building the landscape of your dreams should be fun and exciting!

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