A large-canopy tree is a very beautiful thing. On this, most people will agree. But is not only beautiful—it also benefits its community. It provides shade and shelter, protects air quality, and reduces air temperatures, water runoff, and human stress. A street lined with such trees is a desirable place to live and work, and… More
Someone thought this was a good idea: plant street trees that are already “limbed up” to provide clearance for cars, keep signs visible. No need for follow-up maintenance for the next 10 years….right?…
In a recent webinar discussing the first principles of using trees and soil for stormwater management in urban areas, I mentioned that I am often not in favor of using mulch. In fact, I said that if it were up to me, mulch would not be included by default in most planting specifications. After the… More
“Bare root” is the form that most trees take when nurseries begin the several year process of growing trees for retail. The young trees must be handled carefully, are typically only available at certain times of year, and some species are sensitive to transplant as bare root stock. This has made it a bit tricky… More
In July, this blog posted about the disagreement among citizens in Portland, OR over proposed changes to their urban tree ordinances. At its heart, the conflict in Portland seems to center on whether the city government should have jurisdiction over privately owned trees. The majority of the commenters on the article felt that the city’s… More
This is the fifth and final post in Peter MacDonagh’s series on the history of street trees in Holland. Today, how an ancient Dutch barge made its way to a Midwestern living room. -LM In my Midwestern living room in the U.S., we have hanging on the wall a small blue and white plate. This… More
The research has been out for a while now: circling, girdling, diving and kinked roots in the nursery pot lead to poor health, blown-down trees and shorter lifespans. With budgets for greenery shrinking, every tree or shrub has to last for a while.
Today is the second to last post of Peter MacDonagh’s five part series on the history of street trees in Holland. In this one, the Dutch expand their master planning to their pesky colonies. -LM Eventually the Dutch East India Company (VOC) controlled colonial trading cities in Asia, Africa, South America, and New Amsterdam in… More
Here is Part 3 of Peter MacDonagh’s series on the history of street trees in Holland. Things are starting to heat up! -LM The Low Country cities (which included both Holland and Belgium until 1830) went all in on the spice trade from the 1200’s forward. Most of these spices were harvested from the fruit… More
Here is Part 2 of Peter MacDonagh’s series on the history of street trees in Holland. Peter’s knowledge is incredible; I promise you don’t want to miss this unusual history of Holland through its trees. -LM The Low Countries, as one would guess, were perpetually wet – abounding with swamps, marshes and bogs. To increase… More
For today’s post, experts L. Peter MacDonagh and James Urban, FASLA tackle one of the most commonly asked questions we hear about whether tree stability is related to an evenly developed root ball. Here is what they have to say. -LM Without a completely developed root system on all four sides, won’t trees fail? What… More
Every Monday for the next five weeks, we’ll be running a blog entry by Peter MacDonagh about the history of street trees in Holland (to see Peter’s fantastic series on the history of street trees in Paris, click here). Peter’s knowledge is incredible; I promise you don’t want to miss this unusual history of Holland… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
Request a Quote [email protected]
Tel: 415 781 9700
Toll Free: 800 458 7668
Toll Free: 800 277 7668
Fax: 415 781 0191
