Green Jay Landscape Design

Green Jay Landscape Design

(914) 560-6570

greenjayadmin

When we look at many of our designed and constructed residential landscapes, what do we see? Is there a variety of plants, flowers, colors, heights? Is there a variety of different trees? Are there tall, mature trees providing shade and canopy? Is your landscape dominated by lawn? What condition is the lawn in? Are there layers of perennial beds and borders or does the lawn abruptly run into the trees? Are there any natural areas or buffers? What kind of environment surrounds your property and landscape environment? Do you have water on or near your property? What is the drainage like, too much water or too little ?
These are some of the questions Green Jay Landscape Design will ask and answer when conducting a proper site analysis and evaluation of your property. We look at the complete picture and offer a wide perspective of creative and ecological landscaping solutions.
I recently attended a lovely wedding for friends in a very attractive, very popular, country club on the sound. It was a beautiful spring day. It was way too beautiful to be sitting inside! I took a stroll around the well tended grounds to investigate the landscape. As a naturalist in the Spring, I find myself first looking for birds. Although this landscape was attractive to the eye, there was a complete and total absence of birds with the exception of the most common species (morning doves, starlings, sparrows, crows, blackbirds etc..). Why is this? Well, as scavengers they are adapted to our ecologically poor landscapes. Although there were many flowering plants in bloom (daffodils, Japanese cherries, bradford pears, forsythia etc.), there really weren’t any bee’s or other insects. Like most of our older commercial or residential landscapes the property was dominated by lawn, specimen exotic trees and evergreens.
In the past, landscape designers, architects and even homeowners and gardeners did not ask the question…What ecological value and services does the landscape provide?…Does it provide shelter, habitat and food for beneficial organisms in the form of birds, wildlife, bee’s, insects, butterflies etc?
As a result of these inconsiderations, many residential landscapes have become void of the very life producing elements necessary for any ecosystem and landscape to function in all but the most basic, sterile way. This means that you can have a visually attractive and stimulating landscape which not only doesn’t produce sustainable and beneficial life, but additionally, it requires a huge amount of negative human input to maintain in the form of mowing, weeding, pruning (most often in the shape of meatballs), fertilizing and pesticide use and abuse.
Luckily for all of us, this is how we related to our landscapes in the recent past and not how live in our landscapes now!
Culturally, we are now learning to value and embrace nature and all the precious resources available to us here in the northeast.
We live in one of the most economically, culturally and ecologically richest areas of this country and possibly the world!
We rarely have floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes or other natural disasters.
We have an abundance of clean air, water and moderate weather.
We have come so far in the areas of landscape design and development! We now use our artistic creativity as well as our knowledge and enthusiasm for natural science and conservation to create beautiful, highly functional ecological “Landscapes for Better Living” to be enjoyed by ourselves, our families and all the wonderful creatures we share this beautiful world with..now and forever!

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

I can’t imagine why as a community of intelligent, educated people we practice denial of unhealthy landscape practices ! In addition to overuse of leaf blowers in landscape maintenance, which has been found to elevate blood pressure and disrupt the nervous system of the elderly in certain retirement communities, we are obsessed with what has been described as the ‘Green Desert’ by Kim Eierman (www.Ecobeneficial.com). That would be the great American lawn!
Although I have made a living in lawn care, grounds maintenance and landscape design for over 30 years, I consider the lawn to be the highest, most demanding landscape feature in terms of resources in any landscape. I do love my almost perfect, green lawn, my pesticide free, life producing ,completely natural, organic lawn! Yet the lawn, any lawn requires weekly pruning (mowing), regular watering, feeding, weeding, seeding etc…
Many homeowners are unaware of the pesticides applied to their property. This is because there is a culture of empowerment. It’s a guy thing! Women are smarter as a rule and care more.
As a homeowner, a client, we (I am a client too, of course of Green Jay Landscape Design) should absolutely know what is being applied to our property. First, that’s the law! Second we should care! I think all product information organic or not should be available to us as customers, clients and homeowners. What is more precious than our own health? The answer is our children’s health!
If we took the time to read the label or Material Safety Data Sheet for each pesticide applied to our landscapes and lawns (the law requires you be given this info before applications are applied), we might think twice about exposing ourselves, our children and our pets to these toxic chemical agents.
It is our own fault the we have created a society that does not value human health and the health of the environment above all things.
Help us change! Let us work together for a better, healthier world today and tomorrow!
Live the Life You Live
For more info contact us today!

Design Concept/Scope of Work

We intend to reorganize your existing landscape to create a stronger thematic composition in your lovely, bucolic setting. We will repurpose and transplant your landscape material where we mutually consider best placement. The scope of work includes the pool area adding stone from your Woodland property to the front gravel walkway for a Zen effect and creating a berm/terraform around the large tree stump to allow for optimum planting conditions and desired aesthetic effect.

The desired effect and object of this landscape project is to give you a beautiful morning garden with year round color. This will be achieved by utilizing a simple color palette featuring evergreens of blue, green and gold, which will also highlight the low growing rock garden cool color perennials. Primary plants include Blue Pacific Juniper (Conferta), Dwarf Montgomery Blue Spruce, Gold Lace Juniper, Japanese Garden Juniper (Procumbens Nana), Blue Star Juniper, Gold Mop Cypress, etc. Assorted Perennials include Nepeta, Rock Cress, Ajuga, Moss Phlox, Plumbago, etc.

Going Organic: Turning your lawn into a naturally beautiful landscape feature and Making your pesticide free, green lawn an asset to your property

 

In Westchester our landscapes are defined and characterized my our lawns and trees. We are truly very fortunate to have so much green space. For many of us as home owners much of our property is lawn or turf grass. Sometimes up to 75% of our total square footage of outdoor space is lawn. That means it is the dominant landscape feature!

 

We don’t always think about our lawn that way. Having been in the lawn business my entire adult life it’s always the first thing I notice when I visit a new property. Same is true when I visit friends or family.

 

Our lawns are not only the first thing we see but the first impression we make. In real estate development we look at what we can do to improve the appearance of a property to increase or maintain value. In landscape and estate management that means we start by looking at the lawn. If the lawn is in bad shape and appears in poor condition it may be an indicator of how a property was maintained inside and out.

 

Consider the amount of time, money and resources that go into maintaining your lawn. Do you mow your own lawn? Do you enjoy it? How long does it take?

 

Do you pay a professional lawn service to mow, fertilize etc.? What is the yearly cost? Are you happy with the results? Is it worth it?

 

Early fall is the ideal time to improve your lawn by going organic. In the northeast the weather is ideal for growing cool season turf (which is what lawns are made of).

 

The key to the success and sustainability of any landscape is planting the right plant of the highest quality in the right place. That applies to grass seed as much perennials, trees and shrubs.

 

When selecting seed types we have many excellent choices, not only in terms of sun and shade but varieties of seed blends which have the additional advantages of insect and disease resistance.

 

For the highest performance lawn in your landscape we recommend using no less than three blends of quality pure live seed which contain at least three varieties of seed. This will ensure the greatest diversity.

 

Soil test are important! Look for at least 5% OM or organic matter and ph range between 6-7. Very often we find calcium is deficient in the soil. For best results use organic, natural source fertilizers and soil amendments to create optimum growing conditions for your lawn.

 

Of course watering is important.

 

One of the challenges we face with professional lawn care is too much or too little water during periods of high humidity.

 

The resources you put into your lawn and landscape determine the ultimate performance and sustainability of landscapes appearance.

 

This is the time to get started! The fall growing season starts in late August and may continue into December! You will see results this year and insure that you will have a thick, lush green, healthy lawn come spring.

It’s that time again !

We are offering a tour of our special ‘Garden of Celestial Happiness ‘again, Sunday, August 21 @ 10 a.m.
Things are really singing now! The butterflies are free to fly ! Hummingbirds, goldfinches..everybody’s happy!
This is also the peak for native wildflowers blooming on the island! Come visit ‘Haven’ and ‘Paradise’ at the Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary.
A beautiful landscape can bring a smile to our faces, make us feel good, project positive energy in a troubled world and even more than that can serve a higher function. Ecological services in our landscape cannot be overvalued! We don’t just need attractive gardens to look at or pretty flowers to cheer us up, even though that is a powerful purpose for investing in our landscape environment. We need landscapes that produce life giving energy and resources.
Late spring and summer should bring a continuous succession of color and bloom. The varieties of height, color texture etc. are endless in the infinite combinations available to provides us enjoyment and benefit from ecological diversity.
Whether you are in dry shade or in a wet spot there are plants for your site that will succeed and thrive while attracting beneficial insects, birds and wildlife.
Where would we be without bees to pollinate the crops we depend on for food and sustenance? Where would we be without dragon flies, frogs and bats to control the mosquito population? Start somewhere! There are so many wonderful possibilities! Just Google pollinators!
If you want beauty and functionality in you landscape environment…Go Green with Ecological Landscaping!