Fall Planting In Vermont

We’ve been experiencing record-breaking temperatures here in Vermont at the onset of fall, which makes it feel more like summer than autumn. But after this fluke weather finishes up, we’ll go back to the normalcy of crisp, fall temperatures, which is the perfect time to get out in the garden and plant.

Fall Planting In Vermont: Bulbs

After a long Vermont winter, there’s nothing more exciting than heading out in the garden and seeing the early blooms of Daffodils, Crocus, Snowdrops, and more. If you want to enjoy this spring color in your garden, fall is the time to plant. Most spring-blooming bulbs require the dormant period of winter to flower, so make sure to get these bulbs in your garden before the ground freezes.

Fall Planting In Vermont: Perennial Plants

Many Vermont gardeners see fall as too late to plant, but it’s just the opposite. Fall is the perfect time to establish new perennial plants in your garden because the cool air and ground temperatures cause less stress to the new plants, which allows for the root systems to grow strong and establish themselves before winter. You won’t see much growth above ground (which is normal) but you’ll be getting a jumpstart on the already-short growing season. Fall-planted perennials will grow taller, stronger, and bloom more profusely in their first spring and summer.

Fall Planting In Vermont: Shrubs & Trees

Shrubs and trees are some of our favorites to plant in the fall. Most of the time they are dormant when we put them in the ground in the fall which means less stress at the time of planting, as well as less maintenance. Come spring, once the ground warms, the new shrubs and trees will come alive and really take off in your landscape.

Fall Planting In Vermont: Wildflower Seed

If you enjoy the effortless color of Sunflowers, Zinnias, and more, but (like many Vermonters) often can’t seed until late May, which often results in later blooms than you’d like, sprinkle your seed in the fall. Fall wildflower seeding is basically taking nature’s approach of dropping seed at the end of the season. Make sure to plant after there have been a few killing frosts so the seeds will stay dormant until the ground wams in early spring. Fall planting these annual favorites often results in blooms weeks earlier than if planted in the spring.

Spring in Vermont can be a hectic time; there’s so much cleanup to do after the long winter and planting is often the last thing on all of our to-do lists. That’s why the fall season is an opportune time to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and spend some time out in the garden planting.

Don’t have time to plant? Contact us for a quote on our full garden design and installation services!

September 29, 2017

Gardening

Function And Privacy At A New Apartment Complex In South Burlington

Last season we partnered with S E Group, a landscape architecture firm, to create a stunning landscape at the newly-built Bartlett Brook Apartments in South Burlington. A combination of retaining walls and thousands of perennials, shrubs, and trees all came together to help reduce stormwater runoff into the nearby Bartlett Brook (that feeds into Lake Champlain). The landscaping also softens the new construction and makes it feel like a private oasis for residents, even though it’s right off of Shelburne Road.

The Rain Gardens

We installed two large rain gardens in the back of the property by the parking lot to help retain stormwater and reduce runoff into the Bartlett Brook, which feeds directly into Lake Champlain. In just their second season the gardens are fantastically full and make a big impact as soon as you drive up. A variety of native grasses and perennials, including Black Eyed Susan, Joe Pye Weed, Daisies, are paired with pollinator-friendly Sedum and low maintenance Daylilies to create a season-long display of color. Tall Pampas Grass lines the walkways to the building, creating year-long interest and whimsy. Shrubs and trees bring the height of the gardens up and create privacy for residents.

The Pool And Sitting Gardens

A pristine pool and outdoor sitting area frame the front of the property, lined with texture-rich grasses and low maintenance perennials to soften the new construction. A mass planting of Pinky Winky Hydrangea edges the front fence to the pool, offering up sweet color and plenty of food for local pollinators. Pool-goers feel like they are in a private oasis surrounded by flowering perennials and grasses inside the pool fence.

A large stone patio hosts a fire pit and chairs for residents to enjoy a summer fire and this area is framed by tall grasses and low maintenance daylilies. Dozens of trees add privacy to this area of the property and again make it feel like a private oasis, even though the main road is just hundreds of feet away.

Challenges Of The Project

This project was done in the early summer last season, right at the peak of the dry, hot weather everyone in Vermont experienced. The biggest challenge for us on this job was to keep the thousands of plants and newly-seeded grass areas healthy and vibrant. As this was a new construction, there was no water on-site for us to use so we had to haul in our own water on a daily basis to keep everything looking good. Putting in as much time watering as constructing the walls and other parts of the project paid off; even with the extreme heat, almost everything we planted last year made it through the season and came back strong this year.

Another challenge — as is typical with commercial jobs — is that the landscaping is usually the last thing to come together at the end of a new build. Even though we started later than expected and had a tight deadline, we were still able to bring the project in on time by having the ability to ramp up our production with several crews and equipment.

The Results

As you can see by the photos taken in August this year, the project is looking colorful and most importantly doing its job by reducing stormwater runoff and providing a comfortable, private space for residents to enjoy time outdoors.

See Other Commercial Projects

August 25, 2017

Projects

commercial

Tips And Tricks For Waking Your Garden Up In April

Although we’ve been experiencing a snowy and cold spring here in Vermont, I’m sure April will be the month that comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. This means it’s finally time to open up the windows, get your boots on and start thinking about waking your garden up for the season.

There are a few simple steps to take in April, before planting time in May, that will make the season more successful and run smoother for you in the garden.

Take Stock Of and Sharpen Your Tools

This is a big one. Many of us hang our tools up in the garage or shed in November, forgetting about them until it’s time to cut back in the spring. Even before it’s time to use them, head out and evaluate the state of your tools. If there’s rust or your blades have become dull, use fine sandpaper to remove the rust and sharpen the tools with a 10” mill file. This entire process shouldn’t take longer than a half hour and will make your first day out in the garden much easier.

Evaluate Your Infrastructure

With the strong winds and heavy snow we’ve had this winter, April is the perfect time to head out into your property and evaluate your infrastructure. Did a part of your fence break and need repairing? Did your raised beds get damaged? Now is the time to fix all of these things in the garden before planting time.

Clean Up

Many of the trees on my property lost branches this winter, so I’m now going around and clearing them off the lawn. It’s one of the easiest ways to feel productive in the garden this time of year, I think.

Furthermore, if you didn’t get around to raking your leaves and picking them up, now is the time to add them to the compost pile or throw them in the woods! Your plants will want easy contact with the sun to start sprouting and thick layers of leaves and debris can prevent this. This is especially important to do around spring-blooming bulbs such as Grape Hyacinths, Daffodils, Tulips and more. Watch for flower tips at ground level and gently pull away twigs and large leaves from growth early, before the stem pops out of the ground.

Start Seeds Indoors

If you haven’t already, now is the time to start tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and more inside for transplanting once there is no more chance of frost.

I also like to start some annuals like sunflowers, zinnia and more for a cheap way to create huge color in containers and for a longer bloom time with sunflowers. I plant my sunflower seedlings once there is no more chance of frost in a bed and then direct sow seeds with them.

Identify Areas That Could Use Extra Color

Early spring is a great time to evaluate your gardens from last season and identify areas that could use extra color. Annuals are a fantastic way to add easy, quick and long-lasting color to new perennial beds, containers, front walkways and everywhere in between!

So although April is still too early to plant or divide here in Vermont, there is plenty to do to get prepared and have a successful growing season. Plus, we’re all just excited to get outside this time of year!

Don’t have time to get your garden ready for spring or want to work with our designer to add annuals to your property? Contact us here

April 13, 2017

Gardening

Favorite Ideas & Themes from the Vermont Flower Show

If you attended the Vermont Flower Show last weekend, you know just how much there was to take in. From seminars on small space portable gardening and designing a pollinator friendly garden, to the keynote speaker Claudia West’s talk on plant communities, there were plenty of new, exciting ideas floating around for us to soak in.

We wanted to talk about some of our favorites, which isn’t to say they were the best; they were simply the talks we were able to attend in the busy two-day span of the flower show.

The Grand Garden Display

As soon as you walked into the flower show, the grand garden display towered over you, inviting you in to walk through the enchanting paths. The theme “Netherland” could not have been more perfect. With gorgeous plant groupings – some all white and others painting a rainbow of blooms – offset by whimsical structures and stone work, it was a fantastic display and showed off the many talents found in Vermont.

Bonus: if you stayed late on Sunday, they sold off all the plants from the grand display!

Plant Communities with Claudia West

Our landscape designer David is interested in Claudia West’s philosophy of plant community based design and he got me excited to hear her talk. I was not disappointed! In her talk at the flower show, she spoke about the basic principles of her design theory. I’ll break them down (simplistically) and explain the different principles. For a more in depth look into her ideas, read her book “Planting In A Post-Wild World.” It’s fabulous!

Principle One: Think of plants as species that interact with each other and the garden, instead of plants placed adjacent to each other with mulch in between. The plants should work together, instead of live apart with no communication.

Principle Two: Use the stress of your garden as an asset. Instead of trying to grow peonies in poor soil or sedum in moist soil, take into consideration your light, soil type, maintenance and choose plants that thrive in this type of landscape.

Principle Three: Cover the ground by vertically layering plants. This is the principle that gets me most excited. She talks about the idea of using plants as living mulch to help suppress weed growth and create a full plant community. By filling all the niches in your garden with plants, you’re not only making it almost impossible for weeds to grow, but you’re creating a wild-like planting that helps the plants grow stronger together.

Principle Four: Make it pretty! West touched on this idea a lot in her talk; in order for this plant community based design to work, it needs to be aesthetically pleasing and colorful. It’s one thing to come up with a fantastic design idea, but clients and gardeners need to love the way it looks, too! She talks about having seasonal pops of interest and color paired with large statement plants and groundcovers.

Principle Five: Less maintenance. These plant communities, if designed with West’s theory in mind, should require little to no maintenance. The bottom layer of groundcovers helps retain water and keep weeds from popping up. The garden simply needs a mowing (yes, mowing!) once per season.

This idea is so fascinating to me, but seems like a lot of work to design. Our landscape designer David has put West’s ideas into use in his previous work and is excited to work with some of our clients to utilize this type of planting in the future.

Creative Containers With Sarah Salatino

I, for one, am obsessed with container gardening, so I couldn’t miss this talk by Sarah Salatino from Full Circle Gardens.

Some of my favorite ideas I learned in this container garden seminar:

Dump your soil out (or compost it) at the end of the season and use fresh soil every year.
Anything can be a container! If you want to plant zinnias in an old teapot, simply fill the bottom inch with rocks and place a screen on top of it before you fill it with soil. Sarah uses window screening and simply cuts it to fit.
There are dwarf vegetables that can be planted in containers. Sarah talked about dwarf tomato and even cucumber varieties that thrive in containers. She suggested pairing a dwarf tomato plant with a basil plant and a marigold for a mini garden on a patio or balcony.
Create a moveable garden statement with containers. Sarah talked about planting one variety each in small pots and arranging them in your outdoor space. The great part about it is you can move and re-arrange the plants as the season goes on, depending on your mood.
Many varieties – such as succulents – can be planted in containers and brought outdoors in the summer months and back indoors in the winter to be used as a houseplant.

With so many displays to see and seminars to attend, it was a weekend full of Vermonters generally geeking out about gardening. And we can’t wait to try some of these new ideas in your gardens!

March 22, 2017

Meet David Burton, Our New Landscape Designer

We’re thrilled to have a new landscape designer join our team this year. David Burton’s background, passion and design knowledge makes him the perfect fit for DiStefano Landscaping. We sat down to talk him about his experience, what gets him excited about landscape design and more.

How David Got Interested In Landscaping

“I grew up doing a lot of gardening with my grandmother,” David says. “She had extensive gardens at her house that were actually designed by my grandfather. My grandfather was a landscaper … he used landscaping to help get his three girls through college.”

David attended Virginia Tech and got his degree in horticulture. “A part of the Virginia Tech curriculum is they make available a lot of different garden tours, so we got to go up and down the east coast touring gardens,” he says. “ I also got to go to Italy, England, Ireland and Wales to see different gardens so that was a great inspiration. I continue to pull from that.”

His Journey To DiStefano

David has had several jobs before joining us, all relating to landscape design in their own way. He managed a garden nursery in Virginia right after college, and then did landscape design in New Jersey. David says it was working for a landscape architect outside of Princeton, New Jersey, that helped shape his design aesthetic.

He moved to Vermont from New Jersey where he worked at Trowel Trades and then started his own landscape design company, Ginkgo Design. After several successful years with his own company, David decided to join our team here at DiStefano (and we couldn’t be more thrilled).

David’s Design Aesthetic

David’s design philosophy is “form follows function.” Essentially, he figures out how the client wants to use the space first and lets that dictate everything else. “You could have an amazing, beautiful landscape and if it’s not functional or useable then no one ever interacts with it,” says David. “If there’s a landscape that doesn’t have a function you look at it and scratch your head, knowing there’s something off – something that doesn’t jive.”

One of David’s design pet peeves is a walkway with curvy edges. “If someone wants a curve in their front walkway, that’s fine, but why? Maybe it’s a feature – a boulder – it’s something that makes sense to curve, rather than just curve for the sake of a curve. These things are really key in how I approach design,” he says.

David thinks an outdoor landscape really needs to feel like an extension of the home. “You want to – as much as possible – pull the materials of the house into the landscape. You want that repetition … you don’t want it to look like it was dropped out of outer space. So that’s really important,” he says.

David’s Favorite Design Project

Last year with Ginkgo Design David did a large project in Colchester that incorporated a lot of different features. There were three water features, extensive lighting, a metal gate David was able to design, as well as a lot of planting.

David got to try a new approach to planting in this project that he says is very trendy right now, which he learned about from Claudia West. “It’s all about plant communities. The concept is planting in a community so that it mimics nature and by mimicking nature it cuts back on maintenance,” David explains. “The idea is that the soil surface is so covered with plant material, it keeps the sun off of the soil and you don’t have weed seed germination …”

He explains that certain plants, like ornamental grasses, don’t come into their full form until the summer. So the areas around those plants in the early season are exposed to sun, making it easy for weed seeds to germinate. With this planting method, you’d fill in the bed with groundcovers around the grasses so weeds don’t get the chance to grow. “ The idea is to use layers; so you’re using a groundcover layer for weed seed control, a structural layer that has a deeper root system for erosion control, and then these seasonal layers of interest …” explains David.

David says this way of planting was fun and challenging for him as a designer, which is one of the reasons he enjoyed this project so much.

Gardening At Home

Although David is an avid gardener, he says with four small children at home there isn’t much time to landscape. He does have a wildflower meadow on his property that features a variety of native and pollinator-friendly varieties such as milkweed, goldenrod, red twig and more.

David’s Favorite Tree: Ginkgo (not surprising!)

David’s Favorite Shrub: Fothergilla, because of the gorgeous evolution of color that happens in the fall.

David’s Favorite Perennial: Any type of shade plant. “I really like shade gardening.” He says. “The house I grew up in had a lot of shade so it was always a struggle to get things to grow and thrive. So shade gardening has always been a passion for me and I think there are so many different species and plants that people don’t realize can survive in shade.”

David is getting ready for the spring season with DiStefano Landscaping and is enthusiastic about working with our amazing clients. “I’m excited for the opportunity to work on some interesting projects and develop a nice client base and work with them on fun projects,” he says.

We’re excited too, David. Welcome!

February 24, 2017

News

It’s Time To Start Planning For Spring

It’s hard to believe with all of the cold weather and snow we’ve been getting here in Vermont, but now really is the best time to start planning for spring. While we sit indoors and dream of warm summer weather (it does come again, I promise) it’s the perfect opportunity to start browsing through Pinterest, Houzz and other inspirational sites to start dreaming and scheming your big plans for the spring and summer months. Let’s talk about some of my favorite ways to do this.

Planning For Spring: Gardening

We all love sitting outdoors in June, enjoying the colorful blooms of Daylilies and Iris, hearing the buzz of bees going to and from the garden. But enjoying these blooms requires a lot of planning and organizing, which should be done in the off-season.

I try to keep all of my ideas in one place: a garden journal. I use this journal to keep track of things that didn’t do well last season (my Hydrangea didn’t bloom, maybe I need to move it) and dream varieties I want to add to the garden such as Clematis or Tree Peonies. I find most of my ideas online – mostly on Houzz and Pinterest – but I am old school in that I like to eventually put everything down on paper. If you’d rather keep everything online, organizing your ideas with Pinterest boards is extremely helpful.

So if you’re thinking of finally turning that shady spot in your yard into a colorful garden this season, now is the time to start planning your varieties (like Hostas, Coral Bells, Astilbe, Bleeding Hearts) and sourcing them. A simple Pinterest search, such as “Shade Garden Ideas,” is a great place to start. From there, you can look at different heights, bloom times, light and soil preferences and more to start blocking in your garden for color, interest and texture all season long.

View some of our favorite landscaping projects.

Planning For Spring: Hardscaping

Planning your hardscaping this time of year is key for two reasons:

You can browse thousands of photos and ideas online and hone in exactly what you want for your landscape.
You’ll get in our queue for spring and summer work. Our spring schedule is filling up fast, so now is the time to call.

Imagine yourself outdoors in the spring; what do you see? A spectacular stone patio with a seating area, framed by a stone wall and raised garden beds? Do you see yourself enjoying drinks by a stone fireplace at night? Now is the time to dream big and think about your vision for the warmer months.

To help inspire you, browse through our case studies and projects. Our talented designer can also put together a gorgeous plan that will fit your landscape perfectly.

Planning For Spring: Have Fun!

The key to dreaming and planning for spring in these colder months is to enjoy yourself; I am guilty of pinning hundreds – ok, maybe thousands – of ideas to my Pinterest boards knowing I won’t use most of them. But that’s OK! The idea is start thinking ahead and prioritizing what you think is important to tackle in your landscape this season. Getting organized now also helps with time management once the weather does get warm; we often want to be outside working once the nice weather comes, not sitting indoors planning what we’re going to do.

Planning for spring also helps many of us get through the long, cold winters here in Vermont. It keeps our minds thinking of sunny days and drinking coffee on a patio in the morning admiring our gardens, instead of shoveling snow and all the other not-so-fun things winter brings.

Whether you’re planning on doing the work yourself or need our help come spring, now is the time to start thinking about it. Because hey, the official start of spring is only next month (even though spring in Vermont doesn’t usually arrive until May).

Contact us about your spring design project.

February 10, 2017

Gardening

Our Landscape Designer featured on American Meadows Blog

American Meadows sat down with our landscape designer Marie to talk about her design process, her favorite plants, her experience with their product and more. Check out their post to hear what she had to say!

The American Meadows Blog

August 23, 2016

Why do you need a landscape design?

I’ve been a landscape designer for over a decade now and yet I still have some friends and extended family that have no idea what I actually do. They always just assume that I only do plant layout for foundation beds or small residential gardens. So when I show them photos of my projects that are full of not only plants, but walkways, patios, walls and lighting they seem genuinely shocked. ‘You really designed all that?’ or ‘I had no idea you did that!’ Are common responses that always makes me laugh. As a landscape designer knowledge of plant material is very important, but so is knowledge about different hardscape options, drainage, lighting and construction practices. All of these elements are important aspects of a well thought out landscape and a great reason to hire someone who specializes in landscape design to help you design your dream outdoor space!

Working here at di Stefano landscaping means being a part of a full service landscape design and build company. We offer the broad spectrum of landscape services from landscape design, to installation of hardscapes and gardens, as well as maintenance of planting beds and lawns. We take landscape designs and make them a reality! Often when meeting with a client for the first time to discuss a project, the most frequently asked question is ‘Why do I need a landscape design?’ The answer to this question is that there are many reasons why having a plan is helpful when thinking about a landscape project for your home or business. The first being that a landscape plan shows the overall look of what the space is going to be like when the project is completed. You will be able see where walkways or patios will be situated, how garden beds will help to create spaces and nestle hardscapes into the landscape and how each outdoor space corresponds with not only each other but also the building and the surrounding environment. Having a plan is especially helpful if you are thinking about a multi-phase project. The reason for this is because everyone involved in the project can see the long term goal of what you want to accomplish with your outdoor living space. Smaller projects within the whole can be picked off one or two at a time over a span of months or years.

Here is a helpful list that we keep in our office, it mentions some of the many reasons other reasons why a landscape design can benefit you. This list also highlights some of the many things that are taken into consideration when a professional landscape designer is working with you on your project.

Why Landscape Design?

The Arrival Experience:

How does your landscape make you feel when you arrive home?
What do you see first and is this something you want to change?

Outdoor Living

How can we maximize the outdoor living spaces for our needs?
Where will dining, play, entertainment or work take place?
How are each of the desired spaces defined?

Sightlines:

Are there views that need to be highlighted or blocked?
Do you need wind screens or plantings to help muffle the sound of traffic?

Grade / Site Challenges:

Can slopes be turned into assets?
Drainage concerns and where to direct/handle the water?

Housekeeping and Functionality:

Screening of existing utilities, panels, septic or AC units?
Location of new utilities, panels, septic or AC units in correspondence to the desired use of the outdoor space.
Where will chickens or other animals fit into your landscape?
Where will wood, boats or RVs be stored?

Conserve Resources:

Can we conserve resources by limiting lawn spaces or adding shade trees to help cool the house?

Customize:

How can we create a truly one of a kind space for the homeowners to enjoy?
How can we incorporate all the elements that the homeowner is looking for, like specific plant material both new and transplants, pavers or stone for hardscapes or raised beds for vegetables?

Value:

What can be done to enhance curb appeal?
How can we maximize the resale value / marketability of the home?
How does the project provide value for the client? Does it purely make them happy to spend time in their landscape? Does it provide comfort or safety by installing a new front walkway and steps or do they see that there will be a financial return when they go to sell their home?

Let us know if you have a landscape project you would like help with and we would be happy to create a landscape plan for you!

August 8, 2016

Giant Hogweed

With the glorious Vermont Summer weather we have been having, everyone seems to be out and about enjoying both their residential landscapes and our natural surroundings. At our weekly safety meeting one of the crew members mentioned that everyone needed to be careful of Wild Parsnip while they are installing and maintaining our landscapes. If you are unaware of this plant then please check out our previous blog on the topic! Along with that nasty plant there is an equally awful plant that seems to be much less known and I wanted to draw some attention to it for your safety.

What is Giant Hogweed?

Heracleum mantegazzianum or Giant Hogweed, is a perennial plant that can often be found along roadsides, riverbanks and along wood lines. It can reach heights of 15-20 feet tall. This plant looks like a ginormous Queen Anne’s Lace with a flower that can measure 2-2.5’ in diameter. The large stock is often mottled with purple. The stalk and the extremely large leaves are also covered in bristles. For more images of this plant check out the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England or The Vermont Gardener Blog. Giant Hogweed was brought to the United States in 1917 as an ornamental garden plant for it’s curious height, it was planted to provide interest in perennial gardens. It eventually became invasive and is now on the federal noxious weed list.

Why should you pay attention to Giant Hogweed?

Much like it’s evil cousin Wild Parsnip, the sap of the Giant Hogweed will react with sunlight and cause serious burns to your skin, with blisters and swelling. If the sap of this plant comes into contact with your skin wash immediately. And if you don’t catch it in time and burning occurs seek medical assistance immediately. The images of these burns were literally making me so queezy I just couldn’t include one here….so please be careful if you come into contact with this plant!

For information on removing Giant Hogweed from your landscape visit the Natural Resources Conservation Services.

June 27, 2016

Uncategorized

Our Landscape Designer Featured in National Magazine

A few weeks ago we received a call from the national publication Turf Design Build Magazine. They were chatting with landscape designers from different regions of the country about the use of color in the landscape. We were lucky enough to have them choose us! Our designer talked with them about the challenges of having a short growing season and about how she uses color and texture to enhance her designs. So check out the latest copy of Turf Design Build Magazine to see what our Landscape Designer and several others from around the country have to say about color in the garden!

June 17, 2016

Stay Up-to-date with the di Stefano Landscaping Team