Bring the Outdoors Home

Plant profiles, including shrubs, trees and annuals, to help your property thrive year-round.

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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23 Aug 2020
arborvitae-green-giant

Living Walls | 8 Large Privacy Plants for Natural Barriers

At its best, outdoor living combines architectural structures with elements of the natural world. When looking to create privacy in urban or suburban outdoor settings, ‘living walls’ make a great natural alternative to fencing and other privacy structures.

Evergreen trees make for great privacy plants, and these medium-to-large selections can be used both in suburban settings and even in larger, rural applications. Check out the following large evergreens for living walls, and learn more about each with our Plant Profiles.

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10 Jan 2020
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2020 Landscaping Trends | New Outdoor Design Ideas for Your Home

The new year is a time for personal resolutions. It’s also a great time to make resolutions for your landscape. Breeze into the new growing season with the newest design and planting ideas by checking out the top 2020 landscaping trends according to green industry professionals.

Eco-Friendly Landscapes

Sustainable design is working it’s way into every industry, and it’s on the mind of more consumers than ever. Landscaping lends itself to sustainable design naturally, but there are still outdated designs than can be improved with new and natural approaches.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

01 Feb 2018
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Rain Garden Basics For Your Home

A growing trend in the modern landscape is the rain garden. These purposeful planting beds are designed to help stem runoff after heavy storms or control problem wet spots. They also serve as more natural drainage alternatives to french drain or other mechanical fixes.

A good rain garden is environmentally-friendly first and foremost, but provides additional appeal to your landscape in unexpected places.READ MORE

26 Jan 2018

2018 Landscaping Trends For Your Home

For most landscaping companies, the early season isn’t just time for spring cleanups and new hires — it’s also time to start planning for the year ahead. And before our schedules fill up, you’ll want to start think about the 2018 landscaping trends you’ll want for your home this season.READ MORE