Spring – Time for New Growth
The earth still freezes during the nights, but the warm sun provokes the thawing process during the days.
The first signs of robins emerge, they hop around then stop to listen for the presence of worms and bugs to hunt.
Tree limbs are covered in clusters of leaf buds, shrubs foster new growth, and the eyes of perennials slowly open under the warmth of the sunlight.
It is an exciting time of year to walk through your gardens, reminisce in your horticultural efforts and witness the beauty of nature as it all comes to fruition.
It is truly amazing how a dull landscape of greys and browns quickly turns to vibrant shades of green followed by the diverse pallet of pink, yellow, orange, blue and other hues.
As we wait patiently for full blown spring, we ponder what our first steps should be.
When can I remove the brush, mulch, leaves and hay that nestle our flower beds?
I like to leave everything covered up until the winter snow and ice is visually gone and then gently remove the winter protection off to allow good air flow in and around the newly emerging growth. There are usually shaded areas that need more time to thaw, so I leave the winter protection on until those areas have caught up to the areas with more sunlight exposure.
Where can I put all the winter protection debris?
Like most of you, I live along the coastline. I gently lift and carry the brush through my riparian buffer zone and strategically, yet carefully place them down onto the exposed soils of the slope. Hay is removed and placed in the riparian buffer zone where it can break down and add biomass. Most of the mulch and leaves are left in place to break down and retain moisture around the gardens. Excess leaves are carted away with a wheelbarrow to the compost pile.
What if my property is windy?
Most coastal properties are! The smaller pieces of debris need to be packed in and around the vegetation on the slope, keeping in mind the wind can be fierce and transport these free fertilizers into the ocean. (Please remember that additional nutrients in the water leads to eutrophication and problems such as blue-green algae blooms, so we want to avoid this!) I want to limit this possibility by packing the smaller debris under the larger and pulling the materials around
pre-existing trees and shrubs.
These are great methods of stabilization.
What are the benefits of adding the debris to my property?
As the woody debris and hay breaks down, (via processes of weathering, animal foraging and vegetative decay) the surrounding plants receive free slow-release feedings. Insects will take residence in the debris, helping to break it down. These insects provide food for small mammals and birds which will happily move in and build nests as most of their survival needs will be met. The debris eventually fully breaks down and adds to the soil horizon as rich compost.
What can I do with this debris stuff if I don’t have much space?
Compost! One of the most environmentally responsible things you can do with this green gold is to cut it into manageable pieces, ones that it will fit into a suitable sized pile on your property, and let nature take its course. A simple pile on the back corner of your lawn will even work. (Place it is away from your seating area as the fermenting and decaying process will produce a scent as gases are expelled; this is all part of the natural process).
Composting
Start piling layers of materials such as brush, mulch, unwanted vegetation (reluctantly called weeds), non waxed pieces of cardboard, leaves, peelings from your dinner vegetables; basically, anything that won’t attract wildlife (don’t put cat litter or animal scraps in this pile, put that in your green bin).
Let the rain infiltrate the pile and turn it with a pitchfork once a month (or whenever you want to really, you can’t mess this up!) to allow gas exchange and keep everything in the decaying mode. The most crucial step to this is patience; It will take a lot of debris and time to receive nice rich compost but I promise it will be worth it!
What if I just don’t have the space?
I understand sometimes there just isn’t room for this excess debris on your property. Feel free to offer your materials to family and friends who have the space or can use it on their coastal property. You can even work out a bit of a bartering system; give them your debris to add to their compost
pile in exchange for a bag of nice rich soil to amend your garden.
Vermicomposting is another option which you can do inside your house! A quick internet search will bring you to a vast array of ideas for your own start up.
Who can I contact if I need help around my property?
If you want help with processes mentioned in the blog, please feel free to email our Land Steward, Margot by clicking here
Drone Services
In 2022, we invested in a drone which is not only a safer method of capturing images and videos of our clients’ coastal properties, it also saves us tons of time when compiling data, taking measurements and creating the best course of action for your property needs.
Check the map below to see which zone you are located, in comparison to our drone pilot’s office.
What’s New?
Coastal Monitoring Program
2023 brings with it a new service we are excited to offer you called the Coastal Monitoring Program (CMP). After the recent September 2022 Post Tropical Storm, Fiona, we have all been reminded of the fragility of our Maritime coastlines.
Baseline imagery and video of your coastline will be documented, kept on file and sent to you via email. Each visit to your property will capture new images and video of your coastline which we will use as comparison from different time periods to establish and track the individual trends of your shoreline. We will be paying special attention to the actively occurring erosion and accretion happening along your shoreline. Call us to start collecting the baseline data for your Coastal Monitoring Program this season!
Below is an example similar to how your CMP will look after several years of data collection and tabulation.
If you require drone services, please email our Drone Pilot, Dawn for details
Call our office at 902-543-7416 for a free quote to have one of our specialists preform a site visit and consultation. Our team of environmental professionals will be happy to help!
