Bring the Outdoors Home

Identify common pests and plant diseases and address them before permanent damage to your landscape can be done.

28 Mar 2022

Deer-Tolerant Plantings for New Landscapes | Sylvan Gardens Plant Guides

Perhaps more than weather, pests and disease, deer present some of the greatest challenges for keeping a home landscape healthy and undisturbed.

As the pressures of habitat loss and urban sprawl continue to press into formerly wild areas, homeowners increasingly find that deer are a persistent presence in the landscape. In Pittsburgh, deer populations are great and their comfort with people increases as development increases around them.

It is important to note that there is no such thing as a plant that will be safe from deer in all conditions. The more their habitats decrease, the more likely they are to explore previously unattractive food options. Food preference can be affected by the availability (or lack of) more palatable options, seasonal availability, weather conditions and their nutritional needs.

That’s not to say that deer are an impossible problem. Selective planting can be a great alternative to unsightly fencing and expensive repellants. Lucky for homeowners, there is a wide range of deer-tolerant plantings that fit any range of uses or spaces in the landscape. When combined with seasonal fencing and repellants, a deer-tough landscape can be created for any home.

Browse our selection of deer-tolerant plants below, and find out which might be right for creating resilience in your landscapes.

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27 Aug 2019
turf-damage

Fall Turf Care | Identify & Address Common Turf Problems

In a previous post, we explored the most common fall turf care processes.

Core aeration, dethatching and slice-seeding are all great ways to buffer your lawn. While these processes can promote turf health, they aren’t a cure for all problems. Correctly identifying common turf pests & diseases is the critical first step in total lawn care.

A range of factors can create stresses on your lawn, but can you tell one issue from another? Here, we’ll review some problems Pittsburgh homeowners are likely to find in their yards, and how fall turf care programs can help to fight back against summer turf stress.

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25 Jan 2019
winter-garden-care-hydrangea

Winter Garden Care | 5 Tips to Prepare Your Plants for Winter

The growing season has reached its end and it’s time to prepare the garden for the big freeze. Your shrubs and perennials will find their way into hibernation on their own, but should you help them prepare with winter garden care anyway?

Yes!

Proper winter garden care isn’t just about surviving cold temperatures. You can also ready your garden for spring blooms by clearing things out during the fall and winter. Your yard will look cleaner, and the start of the next growing season will be a breeze.READ MORE

07 Sep 2018
young-tree-care

Why Are My Young Trees Dying?

Few new landscapes are lucky enough to build around big, healthy shade trees. We often start by planting young trees that need more care than established specimens.

Keeping these young trees healthy means starting them off on the right foot. That requires a combination of soil health, proper planting technique, adequate watering, beneficial fertilization and protection from wind, wildlife and other environmental concerns.

It only takes one of the elements to be out of order to damage your young trees. The symptoms often seem similar to the naked eye, but the causes are often there if you dig beneath the surface. All too often, the causes of decline in young trees are easily fixed, but not easily found.READ MORE

04 Sep 2018
hot-weather-plant-care

Hot Weather Plant Care Tips for Your Landscape

Summer is hanging on tight, and that means added stress to the plants in your landscape. Providing the right hot weather plant care is critical to keeping things healthy through this tough part of the growing season.

Too much heat, too little water, too much wind, not enough mulch — the list of hot weather plant care needs is perhaps greater than any other season. The fluctuating temperatures and rainfalls we’ve seen all year have only complicated things.

If you fear that your landscape plants might be falling victim to late-summer heat, keep everything healthy by looking for the telltale signs of heat stress and dealing with them properly.READ MORE