Scope of Work

Mowing Perennials

• Annual mowing of perennials occurs in fall or spring, preferably in spring before bulbs appear. The mowed material is left on garden beds and simultaneously adds to soil health and reduces weed growth. The cutback usually is performed with hand tools, string trimmers, and mowers, but it is possible to complete garden cutbacks all with hand tools.

Planting

• Within garden beds: Perennials, annuals, and bulbs make up the entirety of our plant palette. We utilize multiple vendors and growers for our plant material, but heavily trust and utilize perennials grown at Northwind Perennial Farm.

• Planters/containers: Usually tangential from garden composition. Planters or containers are planted and cared for or changed as needed, planted in the spring with the intention to last throughout the fall without additions.

Leaf Mulch and Compost

• Should the soil need amending or a layer of organic matter, we use predominantly leaf mulch and/or compost. Leaf mulch is roughly 80% herbaceous material, and 20% woody material, finely shredded or broken down. It is the most natural topdressing for gardens outside of the annual cutback and offers the most value to all life forms. Wood chips might have their place in paths, but within the garden, they often retain too much moisture, do not allow proper drainage, fuse together instead of breaking down and prevent perennials from springing up, and do not offer the right conditions for necessary bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and other insects to live.

Weed, Disease, Pest Control

• Identification is the name of the game to selecting “weeds”, or unwanted species for garden spaces. Weeding is to be performed thoughtfully and efficiently throughout established and newly planted garden beds. It is especially important for newly planted beds to prevent competition of nutrients, food, and space.

• As normal garden care is performed, the general health of plants are also assessed. Should there be a health issue, we first like to identify the cause, prevalence, and threat before moving forward. We do our best to avoid herbicides and chemical applications, but if necessary, it is top priority to adhere to proper method and timing of application(s). Often, it is possible and fitting to replace diseased plants with a new species or plant group all together.

• Much like plant disease, we start at the identification and assessment of the severity of “pest” pressures. The name “pests” is the same as “weeds” in the way that the individuals that make up these groups are often subjective and determined by specific people or areas. A big, frequent desire for garden spaces is to attract wildlife, so when there are wild visitors, we should remember why we are gardening in the first place. Sometimes, though, gardens become imbalanced and such visitors negatively affect the health and wellness of the larger environment. Our favorite approach is to plant diverse plant communities and to plant more than enough material so everyone using the garden can be happy!

Edging

• Hard to deny that most people like clean, effortless lines. Our edging is usually done once in the spring and it increases the aesthetics of beds and paths for the year. Some paths invite plants to bow and recline along the ground, creating a fleeting feature of the walk, whereas other paths are best kept neat and tidy.

Pruning

• An important yet often overlooked feature in perennial gardens these days are woody species, specifically shrubs or understory trees. These plants need periodic shaping or pruning to promote the best, longterm health and aesthetics. Furthermore, pruning needs to occur within specific windows of time to respect the plant’s ability to flower or grow healthily throughout the year. We have a practical experiences in forestry work and push our understanding of tree aesthetics through studying the art of bonsai, we find that both are necessary to find a balance between functionality and aesthetics.