Sweeneys Custom Landscaping Articles
Surviving Winter: How Plants & Trees Cope
The clouds descended onto the ground, swallowing the land, tree tops first, and the snow swirled upon the wind before the horizon became entirely blurred. A wondrous and eerie site. Winter was beginning to flex her muscle. Winter can be a brutal but beautiful season, chiseled from marble, dramatic yet…
The Benevolence of Snow
The new year sidled in with the promise of delicately laced trees and downy blankets of snow which would quiet and comfort the landscape. It is both beautiful and treacherous. Snow, for many, is merely a nuisance. Although the aesthetics are undeniable, the beauty, for most, does not outweigh the…
8 Easy Tips for Selection & Care of Your Live Christmas Tree
The last of the Oaks discharged their leathery leaves, and the deciduous canopy was completely absent from the landscape. Stark and exposed, their skeletal forms seemed vulnerable and fragile in contrast to the lush, green boughs of the Evergreens who seemed to stand a bit taller with great hubris and beauty….
November’s Many Blessings
The month of November brings many joyous gifts and days to celebrate. Daylight savings time’s exit has given us an extra hour of sleep and brighter, lighter mornings. Veteran’s Day offered us an opportunity to express our appreciation, and honor our Veterans. Thanksgiving is a day to share our gratitude…
The Acorn, The Oak, and the Squirrel…
Bittersweet are the sun’s rays that beam through the nearly barren canopies. Bittersweet are the feathery seed heads that mature above the grass. Bittersweet is the rush of cool air that foretells an impending season. Bittersweet is the maturation of acorns that continue to rain down upon the landscape,…
Preparing Trees & Shrubs for Winter
November extinguished the landscape ablaze, leaving only a few smoldering embers amongst the ashes. The trees stood unadorned and humbled as their Autumnal attire laid at their feet. The great sentinels now stood vulnerable and exposed. With Winter nipping at our heels, and the threat of consistent hard frosts, our trees…
A Prelude to Halloween
The fractured moonlight bludgeoned its way through the clouds and splintered through the trees. Jagged shadows stirred and spread across the ground, pulsating in the cracked light. The night was alive! A veritable playground for the wicked and cursed. A prelude to Halloween. It’s hard to believe we’re in…
The Perennial Question? We Have the Answer.
October, like dusk, gilded the landscape in its ripened rays as the petals and foliage blushed in the cooling air and waning sun. Beauty was everywhere. As we begin to put our landscapes to bed – tidying, raking, mulching, and pruning, you might consider letting your perennials stand. To many,…
Surviving First Frosts
As the wind whipped through the canopies, animating every leaf and limb, their shadows cast a violent display on the ground – flickering wildly and unhinged. Fallen leaves thrashed and raged against their new seasonal station. Now that temperatures are beginning to cool and nighttime temperatures beginning to plummet,…
Options for Overwintering Containers
Blushed and tinged by the blustery, cool winds and subdued sun of October, the landscape was transforming. Nature was starting to slow and savor, wholly at ease. Decreasing sun light and cooler temperatures have set the season in motion. And there are certain preparations that should be made. Container…
Put Your Leaves to Work
October caramelizes the landscape with deeply saturated tones and sweet, mellow flair. The static display of Summer foliage turns dynamic, each species unique in color, smoldering in the brisk, cool air. In addition to vivid displays, trees drop their leaves in an effort to conserve energy and nutrition for…
What’s Wrong with My Evergreens?
Sweet, sultry September invites each and every tree to the grand Autumn ball where Summer’s verdant robes are shed for the opulent, jewel tones of the season. Although we tend to think only of deciduous trees, evergreens too undergo change in Fall. As you know, waning daylight and cooler…