Annie's Gardening Corner

Monday, April 6, 2015

Spring's Sage

For the wise gardener, you must plant Sage.

What herbs will you be planting in your soon-to-be kitchen garden? A sunny position and well-drained soil - that's all you need to garner yourself some sage leaves. Herbs are easy to plant, grow and use for its culinary and medicinal uses. Why do we love sage? It's a comeback kid even after this worse-for-wear New England winter. In the early stages of the garden, it's ready for use. And while sage compliments many culinary recipes, here's a sage and vinegar concoction for bruises, swellings and stings. We might be getting a few of those as we start to dig in the soil this spring.

Bruise a handful of fresh sage leaves by flattening them with a rolling pin. Place in a pan and cover with cider vinegar. Simmer very gently until the leaves are soft. Wrap the leaves in a cloth and apply warm. (From Healing Remedies -C. Norman Shealy)

If you like this blog, check in for your daily share's worth of garden inspiration, landscape architecture and design tips; always original, not cookie cutter and copied. Just like our design work, we strive for unique! We invite you to contact Bilowz Associates, Inc., or to browse our portfolios. Like our Facebook follow on Twitter or subscribe to the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. You can follow with visuals on Pinterest and find us on LinkedIn and Houzz, too. And you can also find us back on our Google+ Business Page. (Landscape architects/Landscape Design/serving Massachusetts and New England.)

Thursday, April 2, 2015

April Celebrations

April is the month to celebrate world landscape architecture.

The month of April celebrates world landscape architecture. And at the crux of the design world is sustainability. Can you guess one of the most critical factors? It's water and we talk about it a lot. It leads me to this Associated Press article talking about the California drought. While those of us in the Northeast may be struggling to remember a warm, sunny day, let alone green grass, we shouldn't suffer from amnesia. Practicing sustainability and water is at the crux of it all.

So here’s a quick and easy #ThrowbackThursday green grass tip that everyone can take part in, not just landscape architects and those in the green industry. Just an FYI – there are many other sustainable design and landscape tips to be found in our posts.So here's just one.

“It’s important to improve your soil and make conscious efforts to reduce your chemical and water usage. When seeding or reseeding any lawn area, use the newest varieties of drought, disease, insect-resistant fescues and rye grasses. This alone can reduce your water consumption. These varieties require a 1/3 less water and fertilizer.”Just click on some past April posts to find this tip and more.

So why celebrate landscape architecture? Because the same practices applicable to design folks - the thinking process, the practice and what this field of study advocates can be a trickle-down effect. It’s a simple green tip that everyone can take part in as the grass appears from beneath the snow.

Image from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Bilowz Associates Inc. is a member of the ASLA and our local chapter, BSLA.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Tulip Mania

Can't Get Enough Tulips

It's #WordlessWednesday and nothing states spring and all its beauty better than Tulips. Need a bit more reading? Maybe you missed yesterday's post, What's Trending Tuesday. Catch up on the latest 2015 landscape design trends.

Until tomorrow. Enjoy the early moments of spring. Can't get enough Tulips!

© All Images – Property of Bilowz Associates Inc.