Gardening and planting in Rockland County, NY
New beds, shrubs, mulch, and pruning from MDK. Fall is planting season, and the ground is ready now.
Rockland County License H-12382(A6)
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Insured
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Licensed H-12382(A6)
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CMHA Certified Paver Installer
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Rockland County Professional Landscapers Association
| Insured | Licensed H-12382(A6) | CMHA Certified Paver Installer | Rockland County Professional Landscapers Association
Why fall is the best time to plant
Fall planting works because of what happens below ground. In early fall the soil is still warm from summer, while the air has cooled off. Roots keep growing in warm soil even after the top of the plant slows down, so a shrub planted in September or October spends the next several weeks building roots instead of pushing out leaves it cannot yet support.
By the time the ground freezes, that plant is anchored. When spring arrives it starts the season with an established root system, ready to handle the first hot, dry stretch of summer. A shrub planted in June has to do both jobs at once, growing roots while losing water through a full set of leaves in the heat, and it needs far more watering to get through its first summer.
Cooler weather and fall rain also mean less watering for the homeowner in the weeks after planting.
New beds, mulching, and pruning
New beds.
A new bed starts with removing the sod, not just piling soil on top of it. The edge gets cut clean so the lawn does not creep back in, the soil gets loosened and improved where it needs it, and the plants go in before the mulch goes down.
Mulching.
Mulch holds moisture in, keeps weeds down, and gives beds a finished look. MDK mulches beds in spring and again in fall. It goes down at an even depth and is pulled back from the base of trees and shrubs, never piled against the trunk.
Pruning.
Shrubs get shaped at the right time for the plant. Many spring-flowering shrubs bloom on last year's growth, so cutting them back in fall removes next spring's flowers. Overgrown foundation plantings can often be brought back to size over a season or two instead of being torn out.
Rockland yards deal with cold winters, hot summers, and deer. Plants that do well here are hardy through a real winter and are not a favorite snack.
Deer tend to leave some plants alone and go straight for others. Boxwood, ornamental grasses, catmint, lavender, and Russian sage are generally left untouched. Arborvitae, hostas, and yews are often browsed down, especially in winter when other food is scarce. No plant is fully deer-proof, but choosing the right ones cuts down the damage a lot.
Plants that hold up in Rockland
Why homeowners call MDK for cleanups
The owner is on the job.
Mark owns MDK and works on job sites himself.
Local.
Local. Based in Valley Cottage, working across Rockland.
Licensed and insured.
Rockland County License H-12382(A6), fully insured.
Every season covered.
Cleanups, mowing, planting, pavers, and plowing from one company.
One company for the whole yard, all year
MDK plants the beds, mows the lawn around them through the season with lawn maintenance, clears the leaves with fall cleanups, and keeps the driveway open with snow removal in winter. And when the plan includes a patio or walkway next to the new beds, MDK builds that too with pavers and hardscaping.
MDK plants and maintains beds for homes and businesses throughout Rockland County, working out of Valley Cottage.
Planting across Rockland County
Planting questions
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Early fall is the best window in Rockland. The soil is still warm enough for roots to grow while the cooler air reduces stress on the plant. Spring is the second-best time. Midsummer planting works but takes much more watering.
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Boxwood, ornamental grasses, catmint, lavender, and Russian sage are generally avoided by deer. Arborvitae, hostas, and yews are often eaten. No plant is completely deer-proof, especially in a hard winter.
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MDK mulches in spring and again in fall. The spring layer freshens beds for the growing season, and the fall layer protects roots through the winter. Piling new mulch on old mulch without checking the depth builds up too thick a layer, so older mulch sometimes needs to be turned or removed first.
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Yes. Overgrown, dead, or unwanted shrubs can be dug out and removed before new planting goes in.
Call MDK to talk about new beds, shrubs, or a mulch and pruning cleanup. To write it out instead, use the estimate form.
Plant this fall
What to expect:
•A free on-site visit to look at your property and talk through what you want
•A written, itemized proposal with the price before any work starts
•A licensed and insured crew, and materials named on the proposal