Landscape Articles | Organic and Responsible Practices

Zach Rubin | February, 2024

Plant a Garden in 2024: How to get started now

In the winter, walking out to fetch the mail may be one of the only ways you're scratching the itch to spend some time outdoors. These short forays to the front stoop or the end of the driveway don't allow us to get a ...

growing native ornamental grasses: a beautiful and eco-friendly addition to your garden

Judith Lipson- Rubin | October, 2023

Growing Native Ornamental Grasses: A Beautiful and Eco-Friendly Addition to Your Garden

Adding plants with different heights, textures and colors can be an excellent solution to adding depth and natural beauty to your garden, but many plants with interesting colors and textures often come with a ...

green fall cleanup: tips to keep your yard looking great

Judith Lipson- Rubin | October, 2023

Green Fall Lawn Cleanup: Tips to Keep Your Yard Looking Great in a Sustainable Way

When most people think of a fall yard cleanup, they envision transforming their yard into a spotless lawn and garden beds full of perfectly manicured grass, without a single leaf in sight. This may be a nice image for a ...

getting acquainted with native bees in massachusetts

Judith Lipson- Rubin | June, 2023

Getting Acquainted with Native Bees

“Save the bees” is a phrase that has been repeated endlessly over the last couple of decades. We know how important it is to support our pollinator population, and have learned many ways to care for bees as they do ...

dealing with garden pests naturally

Judith Lipson- Rubin | May, 2023

Battling Bugs: Dealing with Garden Pests Naturally

Gardening provides us with many joys, but there are, of course, hurdles to jump. The fact of the matter is that you can’t have a garden without garden pests. You can spray for them if you want to take care of them ...

Judith Lipson- Rubin | April, 2023

The Hidden Benefits of Fungi

Mushrooms play a very important role in many different ecosystems. The fruiting bodies are a source of food for many different species, not just humans, and on a smaller scale, the mycelium digests and decomposes ...

the key to composting

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2023

The Key to Composting

Adding compost to your lawn and garden is one of the best, easiest, most natural ways to get happy, healthy plants. Compost can be bought at lawn and garden centers, farmers markets, and sometimes even from zoos. But ...

ancient techniques in the modern garden

Judith Lipson- Rubin | January, 2023

Ancient Techniques for the Modern Garden

Before the mass adoption of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and mechanized farming equipment in the early 20th century, people had to rely on more natural methods of cultivating plants. Prior to these changes, ...

Helping Plants Survive Times of Drought and Extreme Heat

Judith Lipson- Rubin | September, 2022

Helping Plants Survive Times of Drought and Extreme Heat

For an environmentally conscious gardener, managing your garden during a drought is a constant battle between needing to conserve water and keeping your parched plants alive. Drought is often paired with heat waves ...

what's great to know about sustainable lawns and lawn care

Judith Lipson- Rubin | September, 2022

What's great to know about sustainable lawns and lawn care

Home lawn care has been a subject of human interest since around the 11th century, with the Japanese sodding areas around their gardens with turf grasses taken from livestock fields. Since then, with the introduction of ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | August, 2022

Hacking Nutrient Cycles for Vibrant Plants

When it comes to plant care, chemical processes are the main element of whether plants wither and die, or survive and thrive. But more often than not, these processes are watered down into three categories; light, ...

Rainwater Collection for Landscape Maintenance

Judith Lipson- Rubin | July, 2022

Rainwater Collection for Landscape Maintenance

Maintaining a home garden can sometimes require a significant amount of water to maintain. Of course, from time to time that’s supplemented by rainfall, but what about the rest of the time? For most people, this extra ...

organic-gardening-to-offset-rising-food-costs

Judith Lipson- Rubin | June, 2022

Organic Gardening to Offset Rising Food Costs

Supply chain shortcomings are topping news headlines left and right lately, and it’s not just the latest cars and electronics being affected. Food shortages and price increases are becoming the new normal, and many ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2022

How to Attract Bats for Sustainable Pest Control

Although insects are vital to a sustainable landscape, an excess of the annoying ones like mosquitos can be a deterrent to enjoying your outdoor spaces. Chemical pesticides can be effective, but are indiscriminate and ...

Rewild Your Backyard

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2022

10 Easy Ways to Rewild Your Backyard

Rewilding is not a new idea, but it has grown in popularity over the last several years. The modern homeowner is becoming more aware of how even small choices they make in their backyard affects the bigger picture. As ...

Popular Pollinator Garden Ideas

Judith Lipson- Rubin | September, 2021

Protecting Our Pollinators: Popular Pollinator Garden Ideas

Pollination has recently become a hot topic in part because a fatal disease has been killing honeybees, threatening the ability of commercial farms to produce an adequate supply of the fruits and vegetables we all love ...

sustainable landscaping

Judith Lipson- Rubin | August, 2021

Why sustainable landscaping will protect the environment

As efforts to combat climate change become increasingly urgent, one term that is gaining visibility and popularity is “sustainable landscaping.” But what exactly is it and how can it help us protect the environment? ...

Judith Lipson- Rubin | July, 2021

Organic gardening ideas the eco-conscious homeowner will love

Gardening in general and organic gardening specifically are growing in popularity as an increasing number of homeowners are becoming aware of the benefits. The pandemic, economic uncertainty, and the rising cost of food ...

Container Gardening Ideas

Judith Lipson- Rubin | February, 2021

Container Gardening Ideas You’ll Love to Know

The pandemic has brought about a number of widespread changes in how we live, eat, and thrive. Gone for now are the days of carefree eating out. Tightened budgets often mean tightened belts as more and more Americans ...

winter feeding habitat

Judith Lipson- Rubin | January, 2021

Smart Tips for Creating a Winter Feeding Habitat

While summer may be long gone, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an active yard during the colder months and throughout winter. The key is creating an attractive, sustainable winter ecosystem that not only provides ...

Sustainable Landscaping

Judith Lipson- Rubin | November, 2020

Working with the Land: Sustainable Landscaping and the Natural World

Truly successful landscaping starts with sustainability, which is built on a foundation of ecology -- really just a fancy word for the relationship of all organisms to each other and their surroundings. By understanding ...

ecological fall cleanups

Judith Lipson- Rubin | October, 2020

The Difference between Traditional and Ecological Fall Cleanup Part 3

In part one of our series comparing ecological cleanups with traditional ones, we discussed the differences between ecological and conventional landscaping. In the second part, we reviewed some of the specific processes ...

indoor outdoor living spaces

Judith Lipson- Rubin | August, 2020

Personal and Environmental Benefits of Outdoor Living Spaces

It seems intuitive that we like to spend time outdoors -- we’ve all craved nature at one time or another -- but science has now identified some of the reasons we actually need to spend time in a more natural setting. In ...

Judith Lipson- Rubin | April, 2020

The DIYer’s Guide to Garden Landscaping

Gardening and garden landscaping to many people invokes images of beautiful flowers or rows of healthy fruits and vegetables. But gardening is so much more than that. Modern garden design encompasses a wide range of ...

Judith Lipson- Rubin | April, 2020

5 Ways Climate Change Impacts the Landscape and Growing

According to the American Society of Landscape Architects climate change is rapidly growing as a significant factor in landscape design. Raising temperatures, more frequent and severe droughts, and increasing damage ...

organic landscape company arlington ma

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2020

4 Important Characteristics of an Organic Landscape Company

Organic landscaping is both a process and a strategy for creating a beautiful, dynamic landscape while supporting a low-environmental-impact installation and maintenance approach. And while organic landscaping may not ...

organic lawn gardening

Judith Lipson- Rubin | October, 2019

How toxic are lawn care chemicals and what are some alternatives?

Lawn care chemicals have been around for decades. But only in recent years have we started to become aware of some of the damage that can be caused by these compounds. There is a lot of hype and misinformation out there ...

garden soil shovel gardening tools

Judith Lipson- Rubin | September, 2019

4 Guiding Principles: Organic Gardening for a Healthier Landscape

In recent blog posts, we have been discussing the key differences between organic and conventional landscaping. While conventional gardening tactics may be more prominent, we believe that organic methods are better for ...

landscape garden front yard

Judith Lipson- Rubin | September, 2019

What's the difference between conventional and organic landscaping? (Part 2)

In our previous blog post, we provided an overview of the difference between conventional and organic landscaping. We explained the ultimate goal of organic landscaping: to use gardening and lawn care methods that ...

backyard landscape flowers sustainable

Judith Lipson- Rubin | August, 2019

What's the difference between organic and conventional landscaping?

We live in a time when humans have a tremendous impact on the environment with agriculture and industry. This is especially true in developed countries – according to research by the University of Michigan, we would ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | June, 2019

The 4 Best Organic Weed Control Tips Gardeners Love

Everyone loves having a healthy yard that is capable of growing many types of interesting, vibrant shrubs and trees. Unfortunately, the presence of unsightly weeds is one of the drawbacks of having a yard that can ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | November, 2018

The Monsanto Lawsuit - Is Roundup (glyphosate) Safe to Use in Your Yard?

Using organic methods to take care of your lawn isn’t just better for the environment - it may also be safer for human health. This past summer, a terminally ill former groundskeeper in San Francisco was awarded a $250 ...

Hailman

Judith Lipson- Rubin | September, 2018

Reducing Waste and Harm to the Environment Part 2

In our previous blog post, we touched on methods to choose, arrange, and support healthy shrubs and trees in your yard. For this post, we will be talking about ways to maintain your yard over the long run. We’ll also ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | August, 2018

Reducing Waste and Harm to the Environment from Landscaping in Massachusetts (part 1)

In recent years, there’s been a large push to educate homeowners and commercial landscapers on how to conserve the environment. More and more home and business owners are realizing that poor landscaping practices will ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | July, 2018

3 Tips for Conserving Water in Your Home Landscape Design

In a July 2018 meeting, the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force declared that the state of Massachusetts was free of drought conditions. This is a sigh of relief for residents of the state who remember the ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | July, 2018

How and Why to Minimize Your Lawn in Massachusetts

A short, neatly-edged expanse of sprawling green grass is the ultimate idea of the American lawn. Unfortunately, the “perfect” lawn is more reminiscent of a chemically-treated golf course than a healthy yard that ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | July, 2018

Seasonal Planting for Year-Round Beauty and Environmental Support

Homeowners often place lots of emphasis on creating a garden with beautiful flowers and shrubs that bloom majestically in the spring season. Unfortunately, focusing on beauty for a single season can leave your yard ...

backyard-entertainment-area

Judith Lipson- Rubin | July, 2018

5 Organic Mosquito Control Methods for Massachusetts

Summer is about getting together with friends and family in a fun celebration of the season. Unfortunately, this is a tradition that is often interrupted by uninvited pests like mosquitoes. These insects can make happy ...

backyard-entertainment-area-with-fire-pit

Judith Lipson- Rubin | June, 2018

How to Get Your Massachusetts Yard Ready for Outdoor Gatherings

There’s nothing like hosting a summer get-together in your backyard to celebrate the season. Spending quality time with friends in your outdoor space is the epitome of summer, and it’s time to prepare for upcoming BBQs ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | June, 2018

The Top 6 Organic Pest Control Methods for Massachusetts Landscaping

Every yard will eventually face pest problems. Caterpillars stripping leaves in your new vegetable garden and fungus that causes root rot in flowers and shrubs are only a couple of examples of the extensive damage that ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | May, 2018

The Organic Gardening Guide to Summer Yard Maintenance

Once summer hits and you’ve finished all of the work you had planned for spring, it can be tempting to spend your free time enjoying the sun and letting your yard do its own thing. While your yard doesn’t need as much ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | May, 2018

Choosing and Caring For Organic Gardening Tools

Soil, seeds, and sunlight may be the foundation for a healthy and fruitful garden, but without proper care and attention, you won’t be able to grow the beautiful shrubs and flowers you want. With the right tools for ...

dogs and gardens

Judith Lipson- Rubin | April, 2018

Tips to Create a Pet-Friendly Organic Yard

Everyone loves the family pet, a companion that kids and adults appreciate having around. But as homeowners with dogs and cats know, there are some parts of your residence that you can’t share with your furry bundle of ...

honey bee pollinators

Judith Lipson- Rubin | April, 2018

What to Know About Honey Bees in Massachusetts

Say the word “bees” around most people and the first thing that comes to mind is a black-and-yellow menace that terrorizes children and summer get-togethers. But that’s an unfair and incomplete picture of the importance ...

garden landscaping

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2018

A Beginner's Guide to a Massachusetts Vegetable Garden in 2024

Growing your own food is healthy, reduces your environmental footprint, and can even reduce stress and improve your mood. But before you jump into buying supplies for a vegetable garden, you’ll want to do some planning. ...

spring gardening

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2018

Spring is Coming: 4 Tips for the Beginning of Gardening Season

The arrival of March means we are just weeks away from consistently warm weather here in the Massachusetts area. While we’ll certainly see some colder days, it’s also time to start preparing for the spring season. ...

tomatoes vegetable garden

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2018

How to Plan Your Vegetable Garden in Massachusetts

Growing your own food has many benefits. Not only does it help you establish a more organic space in your yard, it allows you and your family to eat nutritious foods that are natural and healthy. But creating a thriving ...

gardening soil care

Judith Lipson- Rubin | February, 2018

Soil Guide for Organic Gardening: How to Ensure Your Soil is Ready for Growth

Soil is the foundation for a great yard. Without the right soil, you’ll never be able to create a thriving outdoor environment that gives you relaxation, attracts beautiful wildlife, and supports the local habitat. Yet ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | January, 2018

What is Ecological Gardening? 3 Simple Ways to Create Environmentally Friendly Landscaping

If you’re in the process of creating a new landscaping plan and want a garden that is not only beautiful but good for the environment, you may be thinking about organic methods. There’s an entire movement focused on ...

Watering the garden

Judith Lipson- Rubin | January, 2018

4 Most Valuable Tips for Installing Drip Irrigation System

Water conservation is important: it helps preserve limited natural resources, conserves energy, and saves you money. A properly engineered drip irrigation system can give your plants the exact amount of water that they ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | December, 2017

Organic Gardening 101: Things Every Homeowner Should Know Before Day 1

Perhaps you just bought a new house and want to be sure you maintain your yard sustainably, or you want to transition to organic landscaping to reduce your environmental footprint. Before you start, read this guide to ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | December, 2017

First 5 Steps to Create an Organic Landscape

Organic landscaping may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be — all you need is a good plan and the ability to stick to it. Once you’ve decided to start an organic landscaping project, these are the first five ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | November, 2017

How Safe is Your Lawn? Comparing Chemical & Non-Chemical Organic Lawn Products

Organic lawn care is not only better for your yard, it improves the environment and human health. But what are the differences between chemical and organic lawn care products? Is there ever a time to use chemical ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | November, 2017

Your Lawn Deserves the Best: 5 Great Reasons to Use Organic Fertilizer

Are you looking for the best possible fertilizer for your lawn and unsure what to pick? Wondering if investing in organic fertilizers are even worth it? Organic supplements and fertilizers are not only better for the ...

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Judith Lipson- Rubin | November, 2017

6 Best Practices of Organic Landscaping

We all know how important it is to take care of the planet, but you may be wondering what you can do to improve your practices. One easy step is to use organic landscaping methods. Adopting these habits is much simpler ...

Judith Lipson- Rubin | March, 2016

Winter Safety Tip: How to Choose an Ice Melt?

Being from New England I have seen many snow and ice storms come through. It’s important to keep in mind both personal and public safety with winter weather. State workers and highway departments take care of snow ...

Anne Marie DiMatteo | April, 2013

The importance of a soil test in Massachusetts

WHAT IS A SOIL TEST?

Anne Marie DiMatteo | April, 2012

How to Extend Entertainment Space Outside

For many homeowners here in the Northeast, having enough space for entertaining guests can be a bit challenging. A good cost-effective alternative to full-scale home additions or remodeling is creatively extending your ...