Tree Trust: Transforming Lives & Landscapes

Begin a landscape design with Field after October 1, 2011 and we will contribute 100% of the design fee to Tree Trust.

The first design meeting must take place after Oct. 1st, 2011.   Field determines the design fee in the initial meeting.  Design fees range from $300–$1,000 depending on the scope of the project.  Designs include: Initial consultation; First design meeting with completed design and pictures to illustrate design concepts; Final design with updates based on feedback from the first design.

Youth Conservation Corp

Field supports Tree Trust’s Youth Conservation Corps – a program providing first-job experiences to local youth through major landscaping projects around the Twin Cities. Call 612.789.9381 or email us at fieldoutdoor@gmail.com to schedule a consultation.

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By Jason Rathe

Leaves can provide additional winter protection for the garden

Customers often ask us when they should do garden cut-backs and general clean-up – spring or fall? Well… there are compelling reasons on both sides.

The arguments for spring clean-up:
* Many perennial garden plants offer structure and interest in the winter – especially ornamental grasses and plants with dark seed heads like black eyed-susan.
* Insects use the plant stalks and stems for habitat in the winter and early spring.
* Birds eat the dried seeds from plants like echinacea and black-eyed susan.
* The leaf-litter left on the beds provides insulation for the plants and the stems give plenty of nooks and crannies for the leaves to get caught it.
* Plants seem to overwinter more successfully with the stems on. Having cut stems close to the crown can lead to more drying out (this is probably really minimal).

On the other hand fall is a good time for clean-up, because…

Cleaning up fall leaves can make cleaning up around spring bulbs much easier

* Let’s face it, there is something really great about being outside in the fall doing work.
* It is easier to do the work in the fall when things are dried rather than in the spring when everything is mushy and soggy.
* If you have bulbs coming up, it is nice to not have to do a lot of work around them.
* Come spring you are really happy you don’t have all that work left to do.

In the end, if you have the time it is probably best to do a little bit of both. In the fall, clean-up anything mushy, mangly, and unsightly, but leave up the grasses and plants with structure or seed heads. Be sure to clean-out areas where bulbs will come up so that doesn’t need to be done in the spring. And in the spring clean-up the rest.

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