You Can Do It Gardening

You Can Do It Gardening Jess, The Garden CoachšŸŒŗ. Virtual and in-person consultations. See website for info.

06/15/2026

I was inspired by this conversation. If you are against using herbicide to combat invasive plants please listen to this.

One important distinction I want to note is the difference between herbicides and insecticide., which are both technically Pesticides. They are both part of an overarching systems approach, know as ā€œIPMā€: Integrated Pest Management. Insecticides are developed to kill insects. That is the point and they have a devastating effect. This is not the same thing as herbicides, which target plants. Sometimes people use their concern about insects as a rationale for not using herbicides. According to Doug, there are no known experiments showing negative effects of herbicide on nsect populations.

Dr. Doug Tallamy is an entomologist, conservationist, and professor at the University of Delaware, whose work has transformed our understanding of the relationship between native plants and wildlife.

His research and books, including Bringing Nature Home and Natureā€™s Best Hope, have inspired millions to see their own yards as part of the solution to the biodiversity crisis. Driven by the belief that everyone can play a role, Doug co-founded Homegrown National Park to encourage people to plant natives in the spaces they care for.

His vision is simple: when we all take part, we create the connected habitats that life depends on.

That information is on Homegrown National Parkā€™s website. Check them out there or Homegrown National Park to learn about Dougā€™s work or what the organization is doing: https://homegrownnationalpark.org

About me: I am a garden coach and consultant. If you would like hands-on guidance with pruning or anything else Iā€™d love to help you! Go to my website to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

Itā€™s amazing to be able to go out on a boat and experience this. I think that if everyone had this kind of access we wou...
06/15/2026

Itā€™s amazing to be able to go out on a boat and experience this. I think that if everyone had this kind of access we would all be so connected to our surroundings we would work really hard to protect and preserve it.

06/14/2026

How about all that new growth?! Plants are amazing. Since the grass was having a hard time you might as well plant the area. Shade plants will be needed as she progresses under the trees. Gold star to Holly! (Note: sometimes the plants I suggest are not available or clients want to put other things in. Shrub cinquefoil and bluebeard are fabulous for full sun and Russian sage can really fill in a space but she went with other things instead. Ignore the yellow loosestrifeā€”that needs to be pulled!šŸ¤£)

Videos are done by clients. Please help others with questions.

If you would like hands-on guidance with pruning or anything else Iā€™d love to help you! Go to my website to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

06/13/2026

Adding a patio is a big decision. Whether you hire someone to design it for you or you do it yourself, consider these things first:
1. Is it big enough to meet your needs?
2. How close is it to the door? If itā€™s too far, it becomes a hassle to go out there and you might not take full advantage of it. (This client was sharing ideas she had about one in the middle of the yard and a smaller one by the house. In addition to this being farther away from the door, it would break up the yard, reducing play area for her kids and also make it hard to mow.)
3. Is there enough room to pull chairs out and walk around them?
4. Something else to consider is the materials. This is a big one because stone is expensive. But also think about what is between the pieces/or pavers and whether you will have to w**d between the stone. This is a hassle. For example, brick has a lot of w**d potential.
5. If you have other types of stone around this can look chaotic.
6. Think long-term about this decision. Patios can be very appealing to future buyers. Make it make sense and do a good job.
7. If youā€™re doing it yourself make sure you research how to do it properly so you it lasts.
8. And finally, be sure you will actually use a patio in the space youā€™re considering. Bring some chairs and a table over there on the grass, mulch or whatever and use it for a while to test it out.

What else would you add for tips?

If you would like hands-on guidance with pruning or anything else Iā€™d love to help you! Go to my website to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

I went back to this client for a second visit recently and it was nice to see these looking so filled in. I love a good ...
06/12/2026

I went back to this client for a second visit recently and it was nice to see these looking so filled in. I love a good before/after. Donā€™t be afraid!!!šŸ˜āœ‚ļø

This was just over a year of growth and next year they will need to be pruned again so they donā€™t get out of control and the cycle needs to be repeated. Japanese hollies are extremely responsive to pruning. They bounce right back. In fact you can do this to pretty much any shrub. (Except dwarf blue spruce and junipers.) If something if your has just finished bloomingā€”get out there asap!

If you keep plants in check you donā€™t need to do this kind of major pruning. I am not a fan of electric hedge trimmers because they usually result in dense growth on the outside and nothing inside, which requires cutting in windows to let light in, new growth to come and then pruning the following year. (Or massive carnage like this, which looks bad for a while!) Just use hand pruners and clip off small branches here and there when you have a few minutes. It doesnā€™t matter when.

For MAJOR pruning the best time to do that if you want a lot of new growth is late winter/early spring so keep that in mind for next year. And now is the next best time. However, Iā€™ve done that at all different times of year so donā€™t worry. (Try not to do this is late fall/early winter because it does put a lot of stress on the plant, with little time to recover before it gets cold. Having said that, it generally works out fine.)

If you would like hands-on guidance with pruning or anything else Iā€™d love to help you! Go to my website to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

06/11/2026

This comes up quite often! Wood sorrel (Oxalis) is upright, native and edible. White clover is flat, European and a good pollinator for ā€œgeneralistā€ pollinators but not as ecologically useful as native plants. Both are green for your lawns! (There is a red clover which is native but not as common.)

Can you tell the difference? If anyone has other things to say about either of these please chime in!

If you would like hands-on guidance with your landscaping, visit my website for information about how to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

Transformation takes a long time. Be patient and keep on going.šŸ‘©ā€šŸŒ¾ (See my recent post on what Iā€™m doing in my front yar...
06/10/2026

Transformation takes a long time. Be patient and keep on going.šŸ‘©ā€šŸŒ¾ (See my recent post on what Iā€™m doing in my front yard with all those wood chips and the highlights for other posts of my garden if youā€™re interested.)

06/10/2026

Landscape fabric SUCKS. PLEASE DONā€™T USE IT.

If you would like more hands-on guidance with your landscaping, visit my website for information about how to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

Videos are done by clients. Please help others with questions.

06/09/2026

Fear can be good if it keeps you from ruining your hydrangea every year!šŸ˜¬ I do actually hear this quite often from clients.šŸ¤£

No seriously though, I hope this helps. In addition to the ā€œold woodā€/ā€œnew woodā€ confusion there is also the fact that there are buds for STEMS and buds for FLOWERS. they are not the same. The ones that can freeze in colder climates are for the stems, in which flower buds are created. If itā€™s too cold where you live these may not be the plant for you. Too much uncertainty! Mire reliable hydrangeas are panicle, serrata (ā€œmountainā€), oakleaf and arborescens (ā€œsmoothā€ hydrangea). For me the oakleaf and wild arborescens are the lowest maintenance. I never touch them unless I have broken branches. (Varieties like Annabelle and Incrediball are also smooth hydrangeas but they are best when pruned heavily. Same thing with panicles.) What about you? Which is your favorite?

If you would like more hands-on guidance with any of your other plants or landscaping, visit my website for information about how to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

Videos are done by clients. Please help others with questions.

06/08/2026

I hope that clears things up. Even if you have a sprinkler system, you need to water your plants to help them get established. That might need to be daily for a while if itā€™s really hot.

If you would like more hands-on guidance with your landscape, visit my website for information about how to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

Videos are done by clients. Please help others with questions.

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