​Last autumn, we planted over a 1000 crocus in several yards in South Orange and Maplewood.  As the days and nights of January get colder and colder, it’s a warm thought that in about a month or so those crocus are going to start popping up adding the first spring colors to the landscape. ​Bulbs are one of those things you have to wait to see.  When you do, they are always worth the wait. 

Winter's not the traditional time of the year to enjoy perennial gardens, but I think that it's perfect to see native plants in a new light. Picturesque snowy landscapes are usually dominated by images of spruce and pine, but there’s room in the ice experience of January for less evergreen plants.  You don’t need foliage to set a space on fire.  A couple of weeks ago, I snapped a few images of the Rain Park under a blanket of snow.  I felt it is already transforming the feel and dimension of the place.  Below are four images I took when it was just above zero outdoors.    

You can find more photos from my outdoor adventures on instagram. 

This is a little update from the post about the Rain Park going up in South Orange, NJ.  The last post only shows the rendering of the “Future Look” without a before shot.  So, thought I would add a before and after shot in a new post.  Enjoy! 

Check out the different plants to be used at the Rain Park after the Break.

Very excited about a project that is coming more and more into focus as we get closer to spring 2018.  A little less than a year ago, we were awarded a grant from American Water to build the first-ever Rain Park in South Orange, NJ. 
 
The initial construction of the project was completed at the end of Oct 2017.  Though we were scheduled to plant it with lots of amazing native plants, it was a little too close to the first frost date in New Jersey, so we opted to way until April 2018 to actually do the planting.
 
That said, I completed some graphics for the project and wanted to share them. ​This first is a site plan that shows were the Rain Park is in South Orange, NJ.