If you are looking for an alternative to evergreens for privacy or want to amp up the color palette of your yard with a tree, go Redbud.  They are incredible!  Redbud trees bloom in early May in vibrant pink.  Thousands of flowers cluster on the branches and make the tree an awesome addition to your yard or garden.

One of the best things about Redbuds is that they are one of the only trees that will flower in shade.  Shade is what many houses in North Jersey have plenty of, and this tree is a great match.

They are also yard friendly by tops out at 20 to 30 ft with a spread of around the same size.  Spring through fall they have a full cover of leaves that will make privacy a given.  They are deciduous so in the winter you’ll lose some of the privacy, but it’s worth it for the explosion of pink and magenta come late April and early May. 

A little known fact is that the blossoms of the redbud are edible.  They have a sweet and sour taste that is wonderful as a snack by themselves or in salads or as a garnish.  The seeds are also edible.  The new seeds contain proanthocyanidins that have benefits such as reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer while the flowers contain anthocyanins that offer anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer benefits.  Not bad for a native tree from Jersey.

Best time to plant a redbud is when it will most likely not suffering transplant shock.  For North Jersey, the best time is spring and early fall.  Winter soil is too hard for the roots to really develop and take hold.  Summer is too hot.

The tree is deer tolerant and attracts butterflies…so what’s not to love?  If you are looking for a unique way to both create a little privacy and add some color into your yard, make friends with a redbud.  You’ll be happy you did.   

There are basically three methods to grow plants in your yard.  First is the good ol’ fashion way, you plant stuff directly in the ground.  Second, you can use raised beds for vegetables and other things.  And the third way is to use planters or pots.  

All three choices have pros and cons such as cost and maintenance.  Of all these options, planters take the least maintenance if done right.  Planters are great for managing weeds.  Because you add the soil, you can select dirt that is weed-free from the start.  And because they aren’t actually in the ground, weeds have a tough time taking hold.  They do cost more than other methods, but they also have the greatest ability to look really super fantastic. 

The biggest drawback to planters is that you have to remember to water them, especially during the hot, dry months of the year.  When I visit homes, I see lots and lots of beautiful planters full of dead plants. The soil is cracked like a dried up riverbed and the plants show all the obvious signs of death by dehydration.  Why are they dead?  Someone forgot to water them.   Don’t get me wrong! I understand why someone would forget.  I misplace my phone all the time, so watering a planter can completely slip my mind.  And when you have a job, kids and other responsibilities, being busy can get the best of you…so plants die.

But there is a solution, and it’s crazy sustainable! 

Water Me Not
The solution is EASY planters, and the secret is that the water is located exactly where the roots need it most…below the surface.  We waste so much water in how we water our yards and gardens.  Landscape irrigation accounts for nearly one-third of all residential water use every day.  That translates into 9 billion gallons of water a day – that’s more than 13,000 Olympic-size swimming pools of water.  Scary in the face of mega-droughts like California is experiencing.

Above ground sprinklers lose upwards of 75% of water from evaporation, and train the roots of your grass to stay close to the surface of the earth.  Shallow roots are more prone to crashing during hot periods and thereby require excessive watering.  Drip irrigation is better than above ground sprinklers, but for planters the absolute best option is EASY.

EASY works by storing water inside the planters in perforated pipes that wick the water toward the roots.  The roots then have direct access to the water in the soil while none of the water is lost to evaporation.  The really cool thing is that this makes the plants really, really happy!  I mean, like, really happy!  They show that happiness by being incredibly lush and growing like crazy.  EASY uses 95% less water than other alternatives.  Best thing is you only have to water your plants about once a week or even once every two weeks in the middle of the summer…yeah! Fill up the pipes and you are done!  That’s why I call them EASY!

This is perfect for the busy bodies we are these days!  It’s also perfect for when you go on vacation leaving your house for a week or so in July or August.  You’d just fill the reservoir right before you leave, and you’d come home to happy plants with that nice tan you got. When all your neighbors are struggling to keep their planters alive, your planters will be popping with life and color effortlessly.    

EASY planters work with vegetables, flowers, grasses and natives. Plus, you can convert that underperforming planter you already have into an EASY planter with a few additional parts.  You can even turn your pots into EASY pots!  This is great for you DIYers out there, or we can help you retrofit your old planters, or even design you a customized new EASY planter.  

If you are like me, you might need a little reminding no matter how easy something is.  I can even send you reminders about when to water your planter via text or email or social media or twitter…or whatever.  There are really cool smart devices you can install in the planters as well that will tell you how your plants are doing through handy apps for your smartphone.  The trick is make it EASY and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I have lawn envy.  I hate to admit it, but I do.  It started as a kid when I had to mow my lawn once a week from April to October.  Staring at grass that much got me to unconsciously compare my yard with all my neighbors.  Now that I want to have a healthy yard that is sustainable and attractive, it’s even worse!  Why?  Because cutting your grass once a week is way too much! It is a recipe for dysfunction.    

Think about it from the perspective of the grass.  You get chopped in half by a lawn mower, so the first day or two afterwards you’re just trying to recover.  Then, you have to use all of your energy and resources to grow tall because that’s what nature drive you to do.  That means little is leftover to grow your roots deeper or fight pests or survive dry, hot periods. Just as you get tall enough to divert your efforts from growing…what happens?  Someone chops you in half again! 

This is no good for your grass.  Overcutting it leaves it weak and underdeveloped. The only way to get grass like that to look incredible is to use artificial chemicals, toxic fertilizers and poisonous pesticides. Plus you have to water the grass all the time simply because its been cultivated to have shallow roots.  

The chemicals we use are designed to feed those shallow roots, and the above ground sprinklers we use make the situation worse.  What starts as an effort to have a beautifully maintained yard turns into a cycle of ill-fated actions that overtime become the only route you can take if you want to keep up with the Jones.  Lawn envy strikes again!  

When I help homeowners detox their yards, I usually don’t suggest they cut their lawns less, because I know that many people, like me, suffer from lawn envy too.  At a recent event where I was talking to a community group about sustainable yards, I suggested to the audience to only cutting their grass once every two & half to three weeks.  They gasped!  Literally!  When I told them it’s not that bad, and that I do it with my own lawn, someone asked if the town fined me for such an act of disobedience.  Another person asked if my neighbors send me hate mail.  

Composting and aerating are much easier for people to start detoxing their yards, and any start is a good start.  But reducing the number of times you cut your lawn is the crème de la crème of detox treatments.  Nearly all unsustainable lawn care practices flow from mowing too much. 

The truth is that I only let my grass grow for three weeks once or twice a summer.  It doesn’t get much taller than 3 to 4 inches.  I think it has a kinda retro-1970’s shag carpeting look to it.  I always want to get a disco ball and have a dance party in my front yard ;).  

If you let your grass grow, it does amazing things.  As the roots grow deeper, you won’t have to water it as much or at all, as long as you have the correct species for your yard’s microclimate.  Deeper roots are like a spa treatment for the soil.  They open up the dirt and let fresh, oxygenated air in. You won’t need toxic chemicals to make it beautiful and green.  It’ll grow lush and thick and incredible without adding anything. 

There’s an economic side to this too.  If you cut your grass less, you spend less on landscaping services.  Cutting your grass once every two weeks would mean a 50% savings every year.  That savings can be reinvested for more sustainable measures like composting the lawn or buy native flowers to plant.  Or you can build a rain garden, start a vegetable garden, save up for that new fence you need, or get the outdoor furniture you’ve want.  The point is that cutting your grass less is a win/win when compared to cutting it too much – it makes Mother Nature happy, and it makes your bank account happy too! 

Of course, there is that pesky unresolved childhood issue of lawn envy.  What to do about that?  Well, maybe its time we make sustainable yards en vogue.  The truth is that all those manicured, lime-green, over-fertilized, poisonous lawns are more akin to an active heroin addict than a healthy role model.  So, unless you find the life of a drug addict appealing, there’s no reason to be envious.  They are literally making their families sick.  

Take the Yard Detox Challenge.  Make your yard the envy of your neighbors by making it more beautiful, safe, healthy and alive than anything artificial additives can do.  This summer, before you yell at your kid to go cut the grass…consider instead kicking off your shoes, getting a nice, cold drink and watch the grass grow...for at least 2 and a half weeks. 

If you want an amazing flower in your yard, plant Rose Mallow.  Once you see one in all its glory, you will want as many as you can get.  It is definitely my favorite native flower. It produces the largest bloom of any perennial measuring around 9 to 10 inches in diameter.  They grow to 3 to 7ft tall and can spread 2 to 3 ft.  

It doesn’t just tolerate moist soil, the rose mallow thrives in it.  With more than 20 varieties that come in red, pink, white and purple, it’s a perfect addition to the sunny edges of a rain garden, or the wetter parts of your yard.  

The flower loves full sun, and can stomach shade.  The rose mallow can easily take the harsh winters.  Just make sure to plant them in the spring to give them time to establish themselves before the cold winter sets in. 

Rose mallow tolerates deer, but can have problems with pests like whiteflies.  A little tip to manage unwanted bugs is to attract ladybugs to your garden.  Ladybugs love chives, cilantro, dill and fennel, so an abutting herb garden can bring plenty of ladybugs into your space to ward off unwanted insects.