Blog

Landscape Design & Maintenance

I was browsing the internet the other day, looking for inspiration when I ran across an interesting twist on the favorite January topic of gardening trends for 2024. Instead of what to do, this article described what not to do. While I appreciated the premise – there are definitely trends to let go of –  aren’t there viable alternatives? Looking for answers, I turned to the design staff at Embassy Landscape Group. 

The first week of January always brings out an almost obsessive need to clean and organize my surroundings in preparation for the new year ahead. I usually attack the closets first and then move into the basement and garage storage in a frenzied attempt to achieve organizational nirvana. It drives my poor husband crazy because the “little help” I request from him usually turns into hours of unanticipated and unwelcome work as well as some unexpected expense.

A few close friends and I were having coffee the other morning when the conversation drifted off to holiday gift-giving and how difficult it can  be to find that exactly “right” gift for the “right” person. We started reminiscing about some of the gifts we have received through the years, usually from our husbands. Some were sweet, some were strange and some were absolutely hilarious.

It never ceases to amaze me how much work there is left to do in my gardens in November. Even though the blooms are long gone and the foliage is a squishy shade of greenish-gray, I need to motivate myself to bundle up, get outside and get to work. There are 10 chores that, if done now, will make my spring garden thrive.

Happy Halloween from the dark side of Embassy's monsterously creative Seasonal Color Specialist,

Jo Ann Prieto.

We had a tree taken out this week. It was an old, gnarly redbud, half dead and continually dropping branches on the driveway. I’m thrilled that it’s gone. Not only are my stick-picking-up-days over, but I get to put in a new tree to replace it. While I would love to have a weeping cherry or a Japanese Tree Lilac to replace it, the reality is that our conditions simply won’t support ornamentals; we need to plant a tree that is native to our area. 

Need some inspiration?  

Jo Ann Prieto, Embassy's Seasonal Color Specialist, has a lot to offer!

With a slight break in the streak of hot, humid weather we’ve had this summer, I’m finding myself spending more time outdoors, especially in the evenings when the sun crosses over the house and onto the street side. The last few nights I have found myself playing the “What if….”  game. What if I added night lighting to my landscape?