Welcome to 2020! It's a new year, and we thought you might want to know spring is coming but not too soon, so relax and enjoy the news!
This newsletter first went out to current Lynch Landscaping customers via email.
DIY Outdoor Landscape Tips When it's -4 Degrees 
1) Take a walk around your property or the neighborhood in search of overwintering Browntail moth cocoons.
We're serious! This is a great time to spot this invasive and dangerous insect and plan a strategy to eliminate it prior to an "itchy outbreak" in the spring. Above are a couple of photos thanks to the Maine Forestry Service of what to look for. Oak, birch, fruit trees and other deciduous varieties are the favorites for the cocoons which look like shiny white spots from afar but up close look like the photo on the right. For a lot more information about this pest from our friends at the Forestry Service and the Maine Bureau of Pesticide Control, click here.
2) Check your landscape beds, hedges, and the snowman to see if they are providing food for the "big one" that got away this fall.
By following the tracks in the snow this time of year, it is pretty easy to determine where you may want to use some of the new, more effective deer repellent sprays now on the market or to install a deer fence next fall. While you're at it, you should congratulate yourself if your plantings include winter food for our feathered friends or if you support them via a bird feeder.
3) Stay inside, give us a call, and let us design a new curb appeal for installation next spring!
A little tricky but that is exactly what this thoughtful customer did last year. The design included paver walkways and entrances, granite steps, a capped retaining wall, accent landscape lighting, and plant installations of shrubs and perennials. Now is a great time to talk with our designers and put your ideas into action this spring! We look forward to hearing from you!
4) Prune the "dead" out of your rose bushes, shrubs, or your ornamental and fruit trees.
Known as "dormant pruning," there is no doubt your bushes are dormant now! This is a great time to thin overgrown shrubs using the "no more than 1/3 rule and to cut out any dead or diseased branches while at the same time promoting growth in the spring. The only caveat is on early flowering shrubs (think Lilac), pruning now will limit spring flowering.
Planning For 2020 and Always!
year, we will start to produce some of our own power with the addition of solar panels, convert some of our gas-powered equipment to electric, expand the processing of phosphate laden manures intoenvironmentally friendly compost, limit runoff of soils and other materials with new permanent coverings, work with customers to assist them in choosing the most environmentally friendly products, and processes to reach their landscaping visions, and collaborate with like-minded businesses who share these goals and values. Thank you again for your support in our efforts, and we promise to keep you updated!
Questions and suggestions from you!
1. I know Jerry was just at MANTS in Baltimore - did he see anything interesting? It was a great trade show with many innovative ideas that we will be sharing in the coming months. Perhaps the one that put a smile on most of our faces was the combo fire pit and waterfall. See below! 
2. When do you start hiring again? We take applications year-round, and they are available by giving us a call at 207-474-2420, contacting us via email by using one of the "quick links" on our website, or applying online! We have some folks who work throughout the winter, but we will not be bringing on new crew members until early spring (March or April).
3. Should I put wood ashes in my garden? My spouse says it is a good source of potassium and will help everything grow better. I would prefer to throw it on the driveway in order not to use salt! We always get one question where we are going upset someone no matter our answer but this is different. You are both right! Ashes are a good source of potassium and other nutrients. The only caution is that they will also raise the pH so know what you are growing and ensure that it likes sweetened soil (think lime). As far as putting ashes as a replacement of salt on your driveway it is a great idea and will definitely not harm the grass as salt does. The only caution is to take off your shoes before you walk into your house!
Recipe of the Month!
Thanks, Somerview Farm Designs, for a wonderful card design. Give them a shout to help with any of your personalized stationery needs!