Mar 8, 2018 | Lawn Care, Pest Control
What is a chafer beetle? The European chafer beetle is a serious lawn pest. It was introduced to Washington state in 2015. Why should you care? Chafer beetle larvae feed on the roots of turf grass. Many animals find the larvae or grubs irresistible. This includes...
Mar 1, 2018 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Video
How much time last year did you spend pulling weeds in your garden? Wouldn’t you rather spend that time enjoying your garden? Here is a tip: mulch is an effective way to reduce weed growth. It won’t stop weeds completely, but it will dramatically curtail...
Feb 22, 2018 | Landscape Design
When winter is dark, damp and dreary, it may be unappealing to spend time outside. Adding landscape lighting can greatly enhance your yard and garden—even if you just observe it from a window. Landscape lighting can bring out the shape and texture of stone walls....
Feb 15, 2018 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Recommended Plants
Are you looking for an easy way to reduce weeds in your garden? Plant more groundcovers. Weeds will invade bare ground. Adding groundcovers to landscape beds fills in bare spaces and shades the soil. Weeds will have a tough time sprouting and growing without sunlight....
Feb 6, 2018 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care
Would you like to have more fruits and flowers in your yard? One way is to bring in mason bees. Making a home for mason bees in your yard will increase your fruit harvest and encourage native plants. You have probably read about the alarming decline in bees and other...
Jan 30, 2018 | Garden Care, Tree Care
Take time between rainstorms to walk around your yard and look at your trees and shrubs. Do you find ones that are growing too densely? Do you see crossing branches or branches? Do you see signs of damage or disease? Mid to late winter is an excellent time to prune....
Jan 18, 2018 | Garden Care, Pest Control
Some unwanted insects and mites survive the winter on the bark of trees and shrubs. In Harmony applies dormant oils as needed in winter to manage these pests. We use dormant oils to control soft-bodied pests such as scales, mites and aphids. Oils are commonly used on...
Dec 19, 2017 | Community, Nature
The dark days of late December often bring a flurry of festive occasions. Social times and traditions may bring light and joy to our lives. In the midst of our busy days, it is also worth honoring the shortest day and the return of the light. Both darkness and light...
Nov 28, 2017 | Garden Care, Video
Winter is a great time to do structural pruning. Since the leaves are gone, you can easily see the plant’s branching structure. It is also easier to detect damaged and diseased branches. The plants are dormant, so diseases and insects that can invade pruning...
Nov 21, 2017 | Community, Nature
Thank you to our clients! We greatly appreciate your business and thank you for trusting us with your landscapes. And we also thank you for being our partners in building a healthier planet one landscape at a time. Here is an Iroquois prayer of thanksgiving. We like...
Nov 14, 2017 | Disease Control, Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Video
We are now applying effective microorganisms to our clients’ trees and shrubs. This is a mixture of beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi. It builds biological activity in soils, helping your plants to stay healthy. This video explains what EM is, what it...
Oct 31, 2017 | Garden Care, Lawn Care
At this time of year, clients often ask us about mushrooms that have sprouted in their lawn or garden beds. Since this is a common problem, we are updating and reposting a blog post from last year. Should you be concerned? In most cases, the mushrooms are completely...
Oct 24, 2017 | Eco-friendly Gardening, Garden Care, Landscape Design
Autumn is a great time to evaluate your landscape. How did it react to the lengthy, dry weather we had this past summer? Autumn is also a great time to get your garden ready for the winter rains. The steps you take now can also help to make your landscape more...
Oct 17, 2017 | Garden Care
Have you seen notching along the edges of leaves on your rhododendrons, azaleas or other broadleaf evergreens? It is likely damage from root weevils. There are several kinds of root weevils. Three different types of root weevils chew on evergreen shrubs. In addition...
Oct 10, 2017 | Garden Care
October is a great time to clean up your garden and landscape. You can take a number of steps now that will help make your plants healthier and your yard easier to care for next year. Garden cleanup 1: Leaves on your lawn Leaves, especially wet leaves, can thin your...
