July Roundup!

So, while the rest of you were sitting inside cooling off, what was Ben's Creek Nursery up to?

Herewith a round up of pictures from the past couple of months, which prove that when the going gets hot, the crews of Ben's Creek Nursery get going!

From shopping malls to residential homes, these pictures show some of the problems we faced and the solutions we provided.

Question: what's missing from these pictures?

Missing Dwarf Burford Holly

Missing Juniper

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Year Without a Summer

Wish the summer heat would go away? Be careful what you wish for.

Here is what happened way back in 1816, the so-called Year Without a Summer. In that year, there was an historic low in solar activity. At the same time, there was a series of volcanic eruptions ending in the largest in 1,300 years, Mount Tambora in the East Indies. As a result, Summer was canceled. Here is the quick rundown on what a year without summer looks like:

As a result of the series of volcanic eruptions, crops in the above-mentioned areas had been poor for several years; the final blow came in 1815 with the eruption of Tambora. Europe, still recuperating from the Napoleonic Wars, suffered from food shortages. Food riots broke out in the United Kingdom and France, and grain warehouses were looted. The violence was worst in landlocked Switzerland, where famine caused the government to declare a national emergency. Huge storms and abnormal rainfall with floodings of the major rivers of Europe (including the Rhine) are attributed to the event, as was the frost setting in during August 1816. A major typhus epidemic occurred in Ireland between 1816 and 1819, precipitated by the famine caused by "The Year Without a Summer". It is estimated that 100,000 Irish perished during this period. A BBC documentary using figures compiled in Switzerland estimated that fatality rates in 1816 were twice that of average years, giving an approximate European fatality total of 200,000 deaths.

So, as you toil in the hot sun, be thankful! It could be worse.

Summer Watering Tips - from Popular Mechanics?

Popular Mechanics is the go to source for technology and new innovations. But in this article we get some old fashioned advice: 9 tips on watering your yard and landscape effectively in the summertime.

You will find nothing techie here - just simple advice on things like choosing the right tool (hint: garden hoses and nozzles are wasteful and inefficient) and the dangers of over-watering. So grab some sunblock and lay down some H20 - your yard will thank you for it.

It's Not Rocket Science!

Well, in certain respects lawn and landscape work is like rocket science. Proper yard design and the care and nurture of lawns, plants, flowers, and shrubs certainly requires a good bit of education and experience. Even basic clean up and mulching benefits from expertise and an eye for design.

But in many cases, lawn and landscape work is simply....hard work.

Here are some pictures which illustrate this point. The 'before' photos show that this was a very nice yard on the lake, with some attractive design elements - pathways, some island and foundation plantings, all leading down to the lake. We did some plantings, but for the most part, we simply supplied fresh mulch, pruning, general clean up - and lots of hard work. The result, I think, is to make a good yard better.

First, the 'Before'

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Free Stuff!

Free is rare these days. But Ben's Creek Nursery gives something away for free all the time - an assessment of your yard and garden by our own Robert Neville.

Do you have ideas for new plants or designs but are unsure how to implement your vision? Robert Neville has over 20 years of experience in lawn maintenance, landscape design, and installation. He regularly meets with people - for free! - and walks their yards, offering assessments and advice on maintenance, improvements, and other options. Most of these visits do not produce paying customers; but that's okay. Bread upon the waters and all that .... and anyway, Robert simply likes to do it.

One of the things Robert does is take pictures of the properties he surveys. So herewith are pictures of various properties Robert has visited this last month.  Some we've been hired on, some not, but take a look and consider: what would you do to improve these properties?

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

How? With April Garden Tips from the New York Botanical Garden, of course!

Daffodil Hill at the New York Botanical Garden

You will notice the link takes you to gardening tips for May. This is not an error; it is a function of the differing geographic climates of these United States. As the NYBG tells us,

These gardening tips are applicable for the southeastern New York region - USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6a and 6b ... If you live in a more southerly plant hardiness zone, you can start gardening earlier in the season ...

We opined on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones here, but the short of it is that we are in a 'more southerly plant hardiness zone,' generally zones 7-8 depending on your location. Hence, April in Virginia and North Carolina will approximate May in New York. So, feel free to use these helpful garden tips with indiscrete abandon - if that is your wont.

And while you're on their site, check out some of the NYBG landscape photos. Here are just a few of their 50(!) marvelous collections of flowers and gardens:

Daylilly Walk

Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden

Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden

Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum