Autumnal decay Much is being written and spoken about “leaving the leaves” to provide critical overwintering sites for pollinators in garden beds. We’re in favor of this, but with some caveats. Leaves blanketing driveways, walkways, and lawns DO need to be cleaned up, and the sooner the better. Plan to make use of these leaves elsewhere on site – they are a valuable resource that needn’t be hauled away. Use them as mulch on outlying shrub borders. Or shred them to use on bulb planting beds and areas where early-emerging perennials like primulas grow.   DON’T use blowers t ..read more

Winter protection for a standard rose As trees drop their leaves and nights grow cooler, what we call “dormant pruning season” begins. It’s so much easier to see the structure of a woody plant without leaves. As long as temperatures are above 20 degrees, we can prune fruit trees and any ornamental species now through April. Below that temperature point, branches are brittle and may snap too quickly in the wrong places. Gardeners’ hands stay warmer, too, above that 20-degree point! Once the ground freezes, we protect David Austin and hybrid tea roses with a cone of co ..read more

Full Time, Seasonal position. Are you tired of spraying noxious chemicals on the planet? Do you have previous sales and management experience? Come join our established and growing, organic fine gardening company that operates under the NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care. Protecting the environment and the health of our employees is important to us. PBOG has provided fine garden maintenance, plant health care, tick & mosquito control, design and installation services for residents and businesses since 2001. Our headquarters are in Ayer, MA, and we service the surrounding areas includi ..read more

Do you love to garden but have never done it professionally? Would you like to learn more about organic fine gardening? Come learn from our team of fine gardeners! Full and part-time positions available.  Employment at Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening, Inc. We operate under the NOFA standards of Organic Land Care. Our headquarters is in Ayer, MA, and we service the surrounding areas, including Boston Metro West. We’ve been in business for over 20 years, helping the planet one garden at a time!   Employment Benefits include: Competitive Hourly Rates State-of-the-art organic pract ..read more

Plant Health Care Technician works closely with Plant Health Care Manager on daily routine, routes, special assignments for spot spraying, soil tests and soil amending. Applicant has the skills and experience to work quickly and neatly, paying attention to details. Scouts for problems in client landscapes and assists Manager with  development of treatment plans. Has comfort level with operation and maintenance of equipment including power sprayers, backpack sprayers and compost tea brewer. Applicant expresses familiarity with woody plants in zones 5 6 and commonly occurring pests and d ..read more

Finish transplanting and dividing work by the first week of the month Cut back peony and hosta, plants that don’t “die well” and may transmit fungal diseases Leave perennial seed heads if you enjoy bird activity during winter – otherwise cut back now Leave hydrangea, tree peony, foxglove, hellebore, ornamental grasses, tall sedums, roses, perennial herbs, and cutback shrubs (butterfly bush, smoke tree, beautyberry, St. Johnswort) Aim to leave a 1”-2” layer of leaves on garden beds as winter protection, then remove in spring Remove leaves from driveways, walkways and lawns now Fully clean up ..read more

Bring all garden tools, hoses and equipment indoors to a garage, shed or basement Drain and store hoses to prolong life Cut winter greens for decorating Quickly plant any forgotten bulbs while the ground is unfrozen Put up snow poles to mark your driveway for plowing Stock up on Safe Paw ice melt that does not harm your plants or your pets’ paws Allow branches of shrubs and trees to emerge naturally from snow and ice loads, as pulling on woody stems may cause breakage in cold temperatures Put the garden “to bed” when conditions are right (see article above), gathering needed materials in adva ..read more

Here are three more native woody plants that attract overwintering birds in our area:     Viburnum trilobum from finegardening.com Viburnum trilobum, Cranberry Bush Viburnum, sports a clear red berry resembling a cranberry that persists in the cold weather. It is low in lipids, so birds like Cedar Waxwings will choose it in late winter when they are desperate for nourishment. This plant grows up to 15′ tall and will sucker some, so keep it away from a foundation bed. Plant it at a distance where you can view it from a window. Perfect for a woodland edge or hedgerow situation ..read more

Many of you have large blue Meserveae hollies (Ilex x meserveae) in your gardens, with many shrubs heavily loaded with red berries this year. The native American holly, Ilex opaca, is also fruiting now. Please plan to use holly branches in your holiday decorating! However, be aware that the cut branches will last only 7-10 days indoors before dropping leaves. I suggest that you cut them on the day before entertaining, essentially at the last minute. Pick a dry day when temperatures are above freezing, without wind or strong sunlight that might cause excessive drying out. Choose the best qua ..read more

Canada Goldenrod Ragweed has no brilliant fall color; it simply balloons out to the 4’ x 4’ size. It has fern-like foliage similar to mugwort. This is the plant that makes people sneeze, not the Goldenrods! Ragweed is shallowly rooted, so you can easily remove it from the landscape before it seeds around. You’ll find it growing at edges of woods and open sunny areas, along roadsides, and sometimes among perennials in garden beds. Goldenrods come in many shapes and sizes. The common Canada goldenrod, Solidago canadensis, has a spreading white root and an inflorescence in a broad pyramidal pa ..read more