Protect your investment! As the weather turns to cold and normal food sources become scarce, your shrubs and young trees begin to look pretty tasty to a hungry rabbit. One of the most important and easiest things you can do for your landscape is to protect vulnerable trees and shrubs from animal damage over the winter months. Check out our quick video demonstrating a couple easy ways to cage or wrap trees and shrubs. A little time spent now saves you a lot of heartache in the spring!
As we are fast approaching Autumn, you probably expect your garden to be in the full extent of its beauty. However, something sinister could be lurking below. You may have noticed lately that your soil looks like coffee grounds or even hamburger meat. One thing that could be causing this is the invasive jumping worm! These pests are known to negatively impact soil structure and reduce plant growth. To identify them you will notice the clitellum is located 1/3 the length down the worm from the head and it will “jump” or wiggle when disturbed.
Be on the lookout for jumping worms in soil, potted landscape plants, mulch or compost. If you see soil that looks like coffee grounds or notice unusually jumpy worms in your mulch:
Jumping worms, are ecosystem engineers. By changing soil characteristics, they contribute to a number of other ecosystem shifts that may ultimately increase allergies and Lyme disease, reduce crop and forest productivity, and reduce forest biodiversity.
Field Outdoor Spaces is committed to stopping the spread of these pests and we hope you are too!
…Learn more about Jumping Worms here.
A recent study showed that Minneapolis has lost 50% of its tree canopy since 1950. And that was before the tornado that wiped out huge swaths of trees in North Minneapolis and Emerald Ash Borer, which will kill tens of thousands of trees in our communities.
In 2017, Field formed a non-profit with other members of the landscape, construction, arborist and development community with a simple mission – Plant More Trees! The AC joined up with Tree Trust and together we have raised over $50,000 and planted more than 250 trees in North Minneapolis.
In early October of each year we congregate with 70 some volunteers and plant free trees for neighborhoods that have lost tree canopy. This year we are broadening our efforts to include other neighborhoods in Minneapolis and especially a new program with Bank Cherokee in St. Paul.
…Discover more about Planting For Diversity and the 30/21/10 Rule for planting trees.
Walking in the woods is a calming experience. The Japanese even have a word for it, Shinrin-yoku, which means “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere.”
I find that I am often magnetized to forest paths. Especially in the spring and fall, without mosquitos and in these transitional times there is so much to see and feel. And it’s good for kids, too. My kids seem to slough off some of the city anxieties when their fit hit the soft leafy paths. Their curiosity seems to fall into rhythm with the speed of the forest.
Trout lilies at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
We are lucky to have some great places to forest bath, here are some that me and my family love:
Big Woods State Park (Nerstrand) – Amazing in the spring and fall. One of the few remnants of how the Big Woods maple-basswood forest felt. In the spring you can experience huge swaths of woodland ephemerals. Has a great waterfall too.
Banning State Park (Sandstone) – My favorite park. The rocky narrow Kettle River is a favorite of sport kayakers and everything feels like you are in Colorado or Montana. The old quarry on-site and just to the south in Sandstone adds to the intrigue.
Wild River State Park (on the St. Croix) – Another great woodsy park. Always amazed at the Pennsylvania sedge and interrupted fern under the trees.
Others:
Fort Snelling State Park
Coon Rapids Dam Park
Lebanon Hills Park
…Learn more about Tree Maintainence and Tree Selection for your own landscape!
Giving your trees a little tender loving care is critical for maximal growth rate and health.
Watering New Trees
Trees need infrequent deep watering. A tree gator or bag is great for watering your young trees because you fill the bag with water and it slowly waters the tree. (see video).
Hand watering is great too – water your first year trees once a week for a full 90 seconds if you are watering at full flow (you’ll have to water other things in between to make sure the water doesn’t overflow) or put a hose on the tree at minimal trickle for 45 minutes to an hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmtosaFimuc
Watering Old Trees
All trees will be healthier with adequate watering. A mature tree is gathering water from a huge area – a mature elm may draw from 60’ in every direction. Keeping your plant communities within the drip zone watered can pay big dividends in tree health.
Protecting from bunnies and deer
Winter is the most dangerous time for trees. Bunnies will eat the bark and/or branches as welcome winter food. It is essential to protect your trees from deer and bunnies in the winter. We recommend 4’ rabbit fencing to protect your trees. This type of fencing is reusable, store it in your garage for next year. Smooth bark trees like magnolias, fruit trees and serviceberry should be protected for 10 years or more. Trees that have tougher, furrowed bark only need to be protected when young.
Here are a couple things to think about regarding… Tree Selection.
Clients are often surprised when they hear that it is common for our designs to include 5 to 7 trees. An urban lot of standard dimension can easily accommodate two large trees (one on the boulevard and one in the back yard, for example) and 5 small to medium trees.
Here are a couple things to think about…
LARGE TREES:
Oaks first – In general always consider an oak if you have a space that can accommodate the size and slower growth rate. Oak is a great tree for our urban forest since it lives long and has less risk of dropping limbs.
Resist maples – The second rule would be to resist going to a maple as your first choice since maples are over planted right now – especially Autumn Blaze.
Weaknesses – Try not to rule trees out for one characteristic – yes gingkos have smelly fruit, yes walnuts make growing things underneath difficult, yes, Kentucky coffee looks forlorn when young, but these trees can have a place in some landscapes.
Large Trees We Like – ‘Majestic Skies” Oak; ‘Jefferson’ Elm; Swamp White Oak, Kentucky Coffee, Catalpa, Hackberry, basswood, River birch.
MEDIUM TREES (25-40):
Medium size trees can be very useful in urban landscapes. They are sometime faster growing trees that live shorter lives but create privacy and are fairly easy to remove in 30-40 years. Also some slower growing trees that work well with other plants in your landscape.
White Bark – Birches and aspen fit in the medium size category. Aspen is a tree that gets lots of foliar diseases and trunk ailments. But planted in groupings can create an instant effect and can be removed easily. Big tooth aspen is a unique native option. Birches are everyone’s favorite but one of the harder trees to get to thrive. They are effected by transplant shock when planted during the hot part of the summer and should generally be babied more than other trees. Plant in groups with dense underplanting to shade their roots.
Slower – We like slower trees. They generally have fewer issues over the life span of the tree and have low maintenance costs. Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) – Interesting bark, nice golden fall color. Blue beech (Carpinus) – starts as a small tree but gradually grows to medium. Interesting “muscular” bark. Nice purple fall color. Buckeye – would eventually be a large tree but slow growth keeps it to a medium tree for a long time. Huge flower. Gold fall color.
Faster – Amur chokecherry. Great cinnamon-y bark and fast growth rate makes this a good plant for quick privacy. But doesn’t get overly large and will most likely succumb to disease before 40 years. Japanese tree lilac is a hardy plant with good form and nice thick leaf cover.
Open Canopy – Amur maackia – in the pea family, so has fine compound leaves. Really good plant to grow perennials under because of open canopy. Interesting bark and nice flower makes this one of our favorites. Mountain ash – in the rose family so prone to fire blight and other diseases but a really beautiful plant that has a place in the urban forest.
Flowers – Larger crab apples can be a great plant in the medium height range. New crabs have a great range of flower color choices, form (wide or narrow) and some have interesting dark leaf.
SMALL TREES (10-25’):
We use more small trees than any other type. It is not uncommon to use 3 to 5 small trees on a property. Most of these are ecologically “woodland edge” trees – so they work well in yard where there is some sun but not full sun. These are our workhorse trees – there isn’t a great variety but we use these over and over and over.
Serviceberry– Native plant that can be purchased as a small shrub, small tree or multi-stem shrub. Has thin stems that are smooth and gray. Nice small white flowers in spring and will get a little fall color in sun. Generally upright form.
Red Bud – Has heart-shaped leaves. Really unique in that it flowers profusely with pink flowers before the leaves come out and all along the stems. Form is more vase like and spreading.
Nannyberry Viburnum – Upright plant with similar form to serviceberry. Will take part shade but grow slower. Nice white flowers in spring.
Pagoda Dogwood – Has distinct form in that the branches grow horizontal to the ground. Really beautiful tree that gets a disease called “golden canker” that should be cut out when you see it to insure it doesn’t continue to spread.
Crabapples– There are many crabapples and other spring flowerers in the small category. Here are a few: Candymint crabapple; Prairie fire crabapple, Korean sun pear.
After Dutch Elm laid waste to the urban forest in the 1970s, city’s and homeowners made the mistake of eagerly planting a very limited number of tree species. They filled our neighborhoods with the fastest growing trees they could find –silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) were the two most popular. The ash was such a popular tree that some nurseries tree stock included over 40% ash trees. Many developments were over 30-40% ash trees. This laid the foundation for the devastating effect Emerald Ash Borer has had.
Cities now advocate for new plantings to follow the 30/20/10 rule. The goal is for your local tree canopy to not include more than 30% of any give plant family, 20% of any given plant species and not more than 10% of any variety.
Common tree families include –Rosaceae–the Rose Family (crab apple, serviceberry, mountain ash, fruit trees), Aceraceae (maples), Fagaceae (oaks), Fabaceae (red bud, honey locust). Unfortunately, the mistakes of the past are being repeated –‘Autumn Blaze’ maple dominates tree purchases in Minnesota.
Field recommends that client first choose trees from less represented plant families and genera when possible. Oaks are always a good choice (swamp white oak, red oak, pin oak). Trees in the pea family are good (Amur maackia, red bud, Kentucky coffee). But how about the Adoxeaefamily (Nannyberry viburnum) or Rutaceae (wafer ash) or Sapindaceae (buckeye) or Bignoniaceae (catalpa)? Focusing on diversity when selecting a tree can be a fun way to discover plants you might not have thought about.
…Learn more about Arbor Day Week at Field!
As a company that has been designing, installing and loving landscapes for 15 years, we can tell you one thing –trees are the most important part of your landscape (and the overall regional eco-scape!). Trees provide shade, habitat, privacy and coziness. They frame the view. Create transitions. Winter interest. Can be edible. Not to mention natural climbing structures for kids. This week in celebration of Arbor Day, Field will tackle a different topic in celebration of trees and all they do for us, both in our yard and natural 
landscapes.
The topics you can expect:
•Monday –Planting for Diversity
•Tuesday –Selecting Trees for your Landscape
•Wednesday –Forest Bathing
•Thursday –Edible Trees and Shrubs
•Friday –Autonomous Collective
Chinese Proverb –The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the second best time is now.
The FieldStudio team: Kenny and Lesley
Landscaping is changing. These days it’s less about digging and heavy machinery and more about outdoor space-creation. Home owners want the architectural elements that help them to fully live in their outdoor space – whether it’s dining, relaxing, cooking or gardening. That’s where FieldStudio comes in.
FieldStudio designs and builds landscape structures in metal and wood. That includes things like planters, trellises, pergolas, and outdoor kitchens. Our goal is to find economical and interesting ways to get the most impact for your project, so FieldStudio creates “productized” elements that can go into your landscape right away as well as highly customized and designed elements like sheds, tea houses and kitchens.
Kenny and Lesley bring experience, craftmanship and attention-to-detail to every project. Whether Lesley is working in our studio with her welding cap on or Kenny is nailing, screwing and sawing the last touches on a pergola.
More information:
… Field’s “Our Work” Pinterest page shows many of our landscape structures in finished landscapes.
… this Linden Hills project has both a cor-ten steel veggie planter and a custom arbor and trellis.
… Check out this tea house in St. Paul. One of our favorite custom designs!
Island built around a standard grill that slides in.
WE LOVE COOKING outside. We love pizza ovens, grills, and smokers. But why not think about an outdoor deep frying station or wok? Our designers can help you design a beautiful and high-functioning outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Storage and logistics are a couple things that you should think about when thinking about an outdoor kitchen. Where are your utensils, charcoal, pizza peel and garbage going to go? Sometimes it really helps to have a second set of utensils and dining-wear inside the house just inside the closest door. Where will drinks go? How much room do you need on a counter to both use as a prep area and buffet? Pizza oven counters need a lot of space because you need a good layout for dough preparation and ingredients.
A pizza oven becomes a neighborhood gathering place.
When looking for an outdoor counter top – do you want the grill to be inserted into the island or do you want a more standard grill to slide in? While the island grills provide a clean look the grills themselves start at over $2000 so can really effect the budget of the project.
From a grill-side table to full masonry pizza oven island, we would love to help you cook, eat and relax outdoors.
Get inspired! Check out outdoor kitchen ideas.
Here’s how to get started with Field.
