by Laurence Coronis As the end of another busy season draws near, this is an important time to set the course for you and your company’s future. It is my…
Urban Tree Selection in a Changing Climate
by Bert Cregg and Dana Ellison Michigan State University, Department of Horticulture and Department of Forestry Current climate projections indicate that mean global temperatures will increase 1-2oC (2-4oF) by 2050…
From Dirty Streets to Clean BMPs – Maintaining rain gardens along roadways
by Mary Travaglini When my dad was a child growing up five miles from downtown Philadelphia, he and his friends would lie in the roadway gutter pans during rain storms…
Conifers: The New Foundation Planting
by Christie Dustman I couldn’t help but notice what plants did well this summer during and after the horrendous drought. You named it – conifers! If you looked around while…
Best Native Plants in a Drought
This year’s drought has challenged all of our plants, but native plants seem to show more resilience. We asked a few ELA members to name their top five native plants…
Members Making a Difference
Across the country, 2016 has brought challenges to landscapes and the businesses that help sustain them. ELA checked in with a few members to find out about their season, their…
Designing with the Ecosystem: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel, Catch a Ride on It
by Emily Davis I recently presented to permaculture practitioners about complex ecological characteristics, their implications for design work, and why they’re important to study. What was interesting to me was…
Paving the Way (Permeably) for John Hancock Charles River Walk
by Trevor Smith The rising sun peeks over the Charles River, golden rays explode through the towering oak canopy. The heavy sweet scent of Clethra perfumes the air with undertones…
So Why Don’t You Use the Chems, Mike?
by Mike Bald I get this question occasionally in my work managing invasive plants. When people are interested in hiring me, they do like to know the reasoning behind the…
Community Design: How a New Pocket Park Came to the Near Northside
by Katherine Sargent Cairoli, MA, LEED An earlier version of this article originally appeared on OffCite, a blog published by the Rice Design Alliance, a community engagement organization based at…
Landscape as Infrastructure: The Importance of Simplicity and Lovability
by Jonathan Ford While we undoubtedly and without exception have winning personalities away from the calculators and drafting tables, civil engineers are not typically known for expressing human emotion and…
Woodies and Water: A Case for the Use of Shrubs in Reducing Urban Stormwater
by Ethan Dropkin and Dr. Nina Bassuk This article is a condensed version of Cornell University Urban Horticulture Institute’s publication of Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention Practices, a guide for…