Most brownstone backyards are shady retreats, offering a quiet space to escape the noise and bustle of the city streets. If you're lucky enough to have your own backyard, you'll certainly want to make the most of it.
If you're starting from scratch, Acme Plant Stuff will first analyze your soil. Most city backyards have highly compacted soil with few nutrients. A simple test and the addition of soil amendments will start your garden off on the right foot.
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Designing the garden beds, choosing hardscape details (water features, paths, edging, containers, walls) is the next step, followed by careful selection and installation of plant material. Shade gardening requires specialized knowledge to create and maintain a balance of color and shape throughout the season, from spring bulbs and flowering shrubs, through late summer flowers and fall foliage.
Acme Plant Stuff strongly recommends installing a drip irrigation system in every garden. An automated watering system reduces the opportunity for human error and can easily be adjusted to compensate for changes in temperature and rainfall. Acme Plant Stuff will gladly recommend qualified irrigation specialists for your installation.
If you already have a garden in place but would like to give it a make-over, Acme Plant stuff can refresh your plantings to give you a new look. Or, we can take over the maintenance work on your existing garden, providing regular fertilization, pruning, deadheading, and monitoring for pests and diseases.
Terrace Plantings
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Acme Plant Stuff will create a garden from scratch, designing custom boxes and recommending skilled carpenters and contractors. We also offer a wide choice of ready-made container boxes, trellis work, and garden furniture made from cedar, teak, mahogany, or cypress.
We can also take over the maintenance of your current garden, working with existing plant material and adding seasonal color with annuals and bulbs. Or, if your garden needs a make-over, Acme Plant Stuff can refresh your plantings, giving you the new look you desire.
Acme Plant Stuff highly recommends installing a drip irrigation system in every terrace garden. Controlled by a simple computer, an automated watering system reduces the opportunity for human error and can easily be adjusted to compensate for incremental changes in temperature and rainfall. Acme Plant Stuff can recommend several qualified irrigation specialists, depending on the size and scope of your installation.
Seasonal Window Boxes
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-Spring bulbs and annuals deliver a much-needed burst of color after a long winter.
-Summer plantings combine flowers and foliage of a variety of shapes and colors that look lush and full all season long.
-Asters and Chrysanthemums create a classic autumn landscape.
-Broadleaf and needle evergreens last all winter, and are especially lovely when combined with berries and pinecones.
Suburban Gardens
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We'll start by discussing color choices and fragrance preferences, as well as considering what times of day you use your garden most. Do you want lots of cut flowers? Do you hate the color pink? We'll work within the parameters you establish to design your garden, then install and maintain the plantings, leaving you to enjoy the beauty from the calm of your hammock (or chaise or lawn chair or pool float).
Acme Plant Stuff will design your garden beds from scratch or work with existing plants. If you'd like to add hardscape details (walls, paths, trelliswork) we'll recommend a qualified contractor. We'll test your soil, adjust nutrients as necessary, and monitor for pests and diseases throught the growing season.