Gardening Update: January 2, 2026Happy New Year! As we start 2026, here's a brief look back at 2025—what I'm grateful for, what worked well, what I learned, and where I'm headed this year. What I'm Thankful For: I'm grateful for customers who trust me to help improve the ecological value and beauty of their landscapes. I'm also thankful to have found work that genuinely excites me—work that combines my interests in science, nature, and design with the satisfaction of seeing tangible results and making a positive environmental impact. This year brought exciting growth as I hired several part-time team members, growing from 1 to 5 employees. They're all enthusiastic gardeners and plant nerds who care deeply about the plants we're adding to your gardens. 2025 By the Numbers: What Worked: Columbine as a living mulch experiment – Although naturally a woodland spring bloomer, columbine performed beautifully in several full-sun installations when planted beneath taller perennials that provide summer shade. This strategic companion planting shows how careful plant pairing can expand a species' adaptable range beyond typical recommendations. Spring ephemerals from bare root – Bloodroot and celandine poppy installed from bare root divisions last winter established beautifully, bringing early-season life to shade gardens. Though they go dormant by early to mid-summer, both species depend on ants for seed dispersal, which means they'll naturalize over time, popping up in unexpected places and adding delightful spontaneity to the garden. TreeDiapers for establishment – These donut-shaped reservoir mats sit beneath mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs. The mat absorbs water from the soil when it's saturated (after rain or irrigation), then slowly releases it back as the soil dries out. This buffering effect maintains more consistent soil moisture and extends the interval between waterings from weekly to every 2-3 weeks, which is especially valuable for busy clients during establishment. How We're Improving: Better site analysis – After encountering a planter where perennials struggled in what appeared to be good topsoil, soil testing revealed the real issue: extremely low pH and a 10-inch-deep substrate of partially decomposed pine bark (a thin layer is fine; 10 inches creates serious establishment problems). The lesson: what looks like garden soil isn't always what it seems. I now use soil jar testing to test for soil composition on every project and full laboratory testing for sites with poor growth histories or artificial environments like annual beds or recent construction. Revised planting care instructions – Last year's weather swings revealed that our care guidelines needed more specificity. "Water regularly" means different things to different people, and standard lawn irrigation systems aren't designed for tree/shrub establishment. I've completely rewritten our care instructions which includes specific volumes, depths, methods, and timing that help to eliminate guesswork. 2026 Goals: Seeded plantings – Install at least one fully seeded or hybrid plug-and-seed planting project. Seeded installations dramatically reduce plant costs, making high-density native plantings more budget-accessible. The tradeoff is more intensive site preparation and longer establishment times (3-5 years versus 1-2 years for container plantings). More lawn replacements – Help clients replace underutilized lawn areas with pollinator habitat and low-maintenance native alternatives that support wildlife while reducing water and chemical inputs.
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