by Dr. Elham A. Ghabbour and Dr. Geoffrey Davies Natural landscaping depends to a large extent on healthy soil. In this context ‘healthy’ means that the soil is carbon- and…
Developing Healthy Landscapes
An unhealthy environment should not be the price of a beautiful landscape. Inappropriate plant choices and inadequate soil preparation can lead to a reliance on excessive use of water and on toxic chemicals to resolve problems. Ecological landscaping encourages practices that promote a healthy environment through conservation of resources, respect for biodiversity, and ecologically-sound techniques.
Soil as Carbon Storehouse: New Weapon in Climate Fight?
This article first appeared in Yale Environment 360. by Judith D. Schwartz In the 19th century, as land-hungry pioneers steered their wagon trains westward across the United States, they encountered a…
A Cornucopia of Experiences: Teaching Gardens in the Schoolyard
by Marilyn Wyzga With watering can in hand, a first grader earnestly speed-walks across the grass, finds a pepper plant in need of a drink, and slowly drains her can…
Keep An Eye Out For Invasive Forest Pests
by Stacy Kilb The Massachusetts Department of Resources is encouraging everyone to check trees for signs of invasive forest pests. Tree-killing insects like Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) and Emerald Ash…
Floodplain Forest Restoration along the Housatonic River
by Julie Richburg In the middle of August, staff from The Trustees of Reservations, Project Native, and Helia Land Design, along with a crew of dedicated volunteers, planted more than…
A Lesson on Connections: “Enhancing Ecosystem Dynamics for Trees” with Michael Phillips
by Emma Vautour As a student of ecology and an aspiring ecological landscaper, it was a privilege to attend the 2014 ELA conference and learn from many of the leading…
Share Your Project in ELA’s Ecological Landscaping Video
Discover Ecological Landscaping is a concise introduction to the concepts and practices at the root landscapes managed with an eye to long-term health and sustainability. Originally published in 2005, ELA’s…
Ecological Design along the Blackstone: Creating a Clean River…within a River
by Max Rome, Nick Bernat, and Lauren Valle In precolonial times the Blackstone River was a large and ecologically-rich tidal river. As it meandered 49 miles from present day Worcester,…
Conserving Soil with Grow Bags
by John Kinchla
Amherst Nurseries grows trees and shrubs on approximately 100 acres of land on farms in Amherst, MA and Charlemont, MA. I try to produce plants that are as environmentally friendly as possible by reducing the use of pesticides, using drip irrigation, and growing in field soil (which uses less water and fertilizer than plastic container methods). One problem with field grown nursery stock is the loss of soil when the plant is harvested balled and burlapped (B&B). Since the soils at Amherst Nurseries are of a very high quality, the problem of soil loss is something that I’m acutely aware of. In response, I’ve been shifting the production of Amherst Nurseries from B&B to grow bags as a means to reduce the loss of field soil via B&B production.
Dealing with Soil Compaction
by Nina Bassuk Soil compaction is the single most difficult and harmful environmental or abiotic condition that a tree or shrub can experience. There are other environmental problems such as…
Using CU-Structural Soil to Grow Trees Surrounded by Pavement
by Dr. Nina Bassuk Soils under pavement need to be compacted to meet load–bearing requirements so that sidewalks and other pavement won’t subside and fail. Soils are often compacted to…
Book Review: Teaming with Nutrients
Written by Jeff Lowenfels Published by Timber Press ©2013 Reviewed by George Batchelor What do plants eat? In his latest book, Teaming with Nutrients, Jeff Lowenfels writes for the gardener…
