Get Your Hands Dirty!

Before & After

April 25, 2012 | Antique garden ornament, Before & After, Perrenials

Introducing…. The JBL “Before & After” series! Here is one of our favorite examples.

This parterre garden belongs to a 200-year old coach house turned single family home on the Old Post Road in Connecticut. In order to match the patina of the original structure, we gathered brick from three sources and had them tumbled in sand to round-off the edges. The brick bones of the garden are articulated by rows of baby boxwood and act as a border for a mix of old-fashioned flowering perennials including – alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle), nepeta (Catnip), artemisia, delphinium, Siberian iris and phlox. Espaliered apple trees adorn the garden walls.

To see more images from this project, click here:

http://jeanbrookslandscapes.com/gardens/connecticut-country-estate/

As we enter into New England’s warmer months, here at Jean Brooks Landscapes we are busy on site building and installing our carefully conceived designs. Through a thoughtful and inspired design and budgeting process, we can help you create the garden of your dreams. We hope you will call us.

Spring Containers

April 24, 2012 | Container plantings, Spring Planting

This spring our containers look extra special. Here’s a peak…

For more examples, click here: http://jeanbrookslandscapes.com/gardens/seasonal-containers-holiday-decorating/

Magnolia!

April 13, 2012 | Flowering Trees

You may have noticed the magnolias this spring come and go like lightening. Their bloom-time is always short but this year was especially fleeting because of the warm spell and then cold snap. The Star (stellata) and Saucer (soulangeana) magnolias were especially affected by this unusual weather. But luckily, the later blooming Cucumbertree (acuminata) is going strong this April. Check out the blooms on this pale YELLOW Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ we spotted in the Boston Common yesterday. Enjoy your weekend with a walk through Boston’s most glorious garden!

JBL on Facebook!

March 23, 2012 | Inspiration

Check us out….

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Brooks-Landscapes/138921422792558

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Magnolias in March?

March 21, 2012 | Irrigation

Did you hear that March is the new August? Well friends, dust off those those watering cans and don’t forget to turn your irrigation systems on!

Right now at Jean Brooks Landscapes, our irrigation team is busy doing the rounds turning the water on to make sure plantings are not damaged by the unseasonably warm weather. There was no snow accumulation this winter to provide moisture in the ground so the soil is VERY dry. Because of this, plants are in danger of drying out, wilting and ultimately dying. Spring roots won’t become established if there’s no moisture for them to grow into. Furthermore, plants never had their winter “dormant” period in which they gather and build energy for spring blossoms. Now that everything is starting to bloom, these plants REALLY need water. As our Irrigation Manager, Brad, mentioned, “it doesn’t need to be the summer to have drought-like conditions. You need to maintain a proper amount of moisture in the soil in order to maintain a healthy landscape.”

Heed his advice, folks. Water, water, water. This spring, looks like summers here to stay!

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Good morning, crocusus!

March 8, 2012 | Bulbs, Perrenials, Spring Planting

Some little friends popped up to say hello this morning!It’s so lovely that even in a (semi-) urban area like Central Square, we’re still pretty immersed in nature.

Cultivation and harvesting of crocus was first documented in the Mediterranean, notably on the island of Crete. Frescos showing them are extant at the Knossos site on Crete as well as from a comparably aged site on Santorini. This particular soft purple variety with tangerine stamen is called “Bonte.”

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First Phase of Seasonal Containers 2012!

March 1, 2012 | Container plantings, Spring Planting

This morning marked the beginning of our Seasonal Container designs 2012. At the market today, Spring pansies are not available quite yet. So today we went with Pussy Willow, little Tete-a-Tete daffodils, grape muscari and hyacynth. These babies were potted up in the nursery in November and held in a cold house. With the exception of Paperwhites and Amaryllis, all Spring flowering bulbs require at least 6 weeks of a cold phase to store enough energy to bloom. Then you can plant them in the ground or your favorite outdoor container. Pussy Willow branches last all season long and sometimes they even root if you leave them in long enough! “How fun!” says the Lead Designer at JBL

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Spring on the Banks of the River Charles

February 28, 2012 | Bulbs, Inspiration, Perrenials, Spring Planting, Winter flowers

Ladies and Gentlemen, behold one of the first signs of Spring: The daffodil!

For those of us taking cues from nature (not gauging our seasons by the calender), March is full of promise. Early buds blooming, birdsong and butterflies. With daylight savings only ten days away, the promise of extra sunlight is already upon us.

Look for the pussy willow, tiny little pops of lavender and yellow crocus.

A favorite of mine (a la my grandma), “When willows bloom, Spring looms!”

So be patient, fellow New Englanders. Spring is upon us.

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Raised Beds…

February 21, 2012 | Container plantings, Raised Beds

It’s the time of year to start thinking about building a raised veggie/flower bed. Aside from the rewarding feeling you get when you eat your very own, home-grown salads, there are just SO many great benefits to the raised bed:

-improves drainage
-you control the type of soil that you use
-soil warms up faster in the spring which can give you an earlier harvest
-soil is less compacted
-no back-breaking bending to tend to your crops
-can be a better use of space in your garden
-gives your garden a clean and tidy look
-enhances your garden by adding structure
-can be of any height to suit your needs
-easy to trellis

Here are a couple of our very own examples:

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Design Services

February 7, 2012 | Landscape Design

Spring is just around the corner and right now Jean Brooks Landscapes is busy designing gardens for spring installation.

Our design services include:

Master Site Planning
Detailed Planting Plans
Hardscape/Stonework Details
Roof Garden Design
Furniture and Accessory Selection
Outdoor Kitchen Design
Spa and Pool Design
Pergola, Trellis and Fence Design
Container and Windowbox Design
Kitchen Garden Design

Through a careful, thoughtful and inspired design and budgeting process, we can help you to create the garden of your dreams.

We hope you will call us today at 617-354-0643 to discuss your landscaping project. Or email us at info@jeanbrookslandscapes.com

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