Our group wanted to grow a woodland garden under some shade trees on our property where there currently is heavy growth of English Ivy. What is the best approach to remove the ivy? Read the Eco-Pros’ answers.
Eco-Answers
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Recommendations for Conifer Screening
I’m struggling to find a good resource for conifers and cultivars that are well suited for a Maine landscape. I would like to plant evergreens for a privacy screening that doesn’t get above twenty feet. Could you recommend any good reference books with plenty of images? Would you recommend planting strictly native evergreens rather than other cultivars from other parts of the world?
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Do I Need Mulch with Groundcover?
In areas where I am trying to grow ground covers that self-spread, I haven’t been using mulch, thinking the mulch will hinder the self-spread of the desired ground cover. Thus weeds and other things I didn’t want to grow in that space do fill in. Is it recommended to use mulch even when the ultimate goal is to have the ground covered with plants? Mulch will save me a lot of weeding time.
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Man-made Houses for Bees
I was given a house for bees, but the literature seems to say it is inadequate because the length of tubes is only 3 inches long and should be 7 inches minimum. Is this correct? Why do the tubes need to be so deep?
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Native Tree Versus Exotic Tree
Can you please explain to me the benefits of planting native trees over exotic trees? I thought having more exotic trees meant less risk for common diseases on native tree species; however, the process of naturalization indicates a focus on native tree planting over exotic. Is it true exotic trees are more expense to purchase than native ones?
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Mud for Mason Bees
I want to raise mason bees on my second-floor balcony. I will put a container of mud nearby, but what are good sources of mud? Our ground near here has much sand in it.
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Help with Bishop’s Weed
Help!! I have bishop’s weed all over my yard. I don’t use pesticides and I’m afraid to use vinegar because I don’t want to kill any surrounding plants. I live in Litchfield hills in the north west corner of Connecticut. I’m looking forward to spring but dreading seeing the bishops weed. I hope you can…
Eco-Answers from the Pros: What Should I Do with Leaves?
I am a groundskeeper who is trying to manage my grounds in a more ecological manner. I currently mulch (chop into tiny bits with the lawnmower) my leaves and leave the mulch on the lawn. I’m wondering would it be better for me to leave the leaves whole and let them blow around where they may. Or perhaps collecting them and dumping them into nearby non-lawn naturalized areas? Any insight you can provide is very helpful.
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Designing Complementary Sun and Shade Gardens
I can’t figure out how to have a shade bed complement the sun bed directly across from it – it’s not that things have to be matchy-matchy, but the brickwork makes them a symmetrical pair of beds. I am having trouble finding shade plants that I can combine into an ecological design, except low groundcovers and short woodland plants, and I am having a hard time visualizing what would work right across the bed of climbing roses, lambs ears, baptisa, gaura, japanese anemones, euphorbia, and salvia. ANY suggestions would be so, so appreciated. I am completely stumped!
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Native Evergreen Groundcovers for Sun
I am looking for a native groundcover recommendation for my yard. It is a slope between wetlands and uplands that gets full sun exposure. Ideal plant would be perennial evergreen that will help suppress weeds and is low maintenance and drought resistant. Thanks for any recommendations!
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Dreaming of an Eco-lawn
I would like to have an “eco-lawn” (some sort of fescue?) for my Martha’s Vineyard home. My goal is to have something that looks like a lawn, requires little mowing and water, ideally requires no fertilizer, can thrive in sandy soil, and handles salty air. Am I a crazy dreamer?
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Alternatives to Grass on a Hillside
I am on the board at a 64 unit condo community in St. Paul, MN. We have a huge hillside with regular grass, which means weekly mowing. The hillside is eroding in some sections. The shaded areas have very little grass at all. How can this be converted to a low mow fescue? Or, what…
