Northeast Horticultural Services brings the expertise to create and maintain a beautiful outdoor space that also supports function, while prioritizing the well-being of the plants and the environment.
Whether you are the property manager for the largest subdivision or commercial complex in town or if you live in one of Fairfield County’s finest neighborhoods, Northeast Horticultural Services continues to be your one stop shop for all of your outside maintenance needs.
Knowing we are using the best equipment, expert training, leveraging years of experience, while enjoying what we are doing, you’ll be able to enjoy and take pride in your property like never before.
We also offer complete Plant Health Care, Tree Services, and Organic Services.
Our Landscape Services
Landscape design is a profession that incorporates art, horticulture, earth science and construction. It includes a broad base of knowledge in theory and practical application. We are well versed in all elements of design. We employ backgrounds of artistry and science to create sustainable landscapes that are aesthetically pleasing and responsible to our environment. We have highly trained installation teams executing the work created by our design staff. We put the right plant in the right place, utilizing sustainable and efficient practices making your landscape look spectacular in the process.
Differing Styles of Landscape Architecture
Here in Fairfield County, the Cultural Landscape most often resembles that of the Colonial era. The architecture of buildings, the stone walls running through fields and woods, and fencing material all pays homage to our past as a colonial landscape. This explains why, consciously or subconsciously, homeowners construct new stone walls, erect white picket fences, and install bluestone patio stones: all in order to conform to this cultural landscape. At Northeast Horticultural Services, we believe that the landscaping should complement the architecture of the house. For colonial architectural residences, this often involves using plant material such as boxwood, hollies, and hydrangeas in a formal style – all plants that lend themselves to colonial style plantings.
Modern architecture is best matched by Italianesque landscape design and plant material.
- Craftsman – style homes are often best paired with specimen evergreens and grasses. Saltbox residences, depending on where they are located, are complemented to Bayberry, Rugosa Rose, grasses, and hollies.
- Cape Cod – style homes enjoy a little more flexibility in landscape design, but the foundation for complementing the architecture has its roots in colonial – era design.
- Ranch – style homes enjoy the most flexibility for having landscaping match the residence, but due to its distant relation to craftsman – style, should have at least one specimen evergreen located at a prominent location. It goes without saying that at any time we are willing to deviate from these pre-conceived notions due to the client’s request, and will create a spectacular landscape in the process. At Northeast Horticultural Services, we embrace these differing styles of architecture, but also allow for the client to express their interest towards a distinctive style of landscape design.
As organic accredited land care providers, the team of experts here at NEHS is dedicated to being good stewards of the earth and saving the world one property at a time. Organics is a process in which we work with mother nature, not against it. Organics is not just changing fertilizers, but a whole set of principles that when combined provide an approach that is gentle on our earth.
The following are some of the principles we follow in an organic land care program:
- Put the Right Plant in the Right Place – by planting the right plant in the right place, it will require less from us as it grows and matures in the landscape. We will not use plants that require significant or ongoing site alterations and inputs. We will have to water it less, fertilize less and use less treatments to keep it healthy. We will not use plants that require significant or ongoing site alterations and inputs. The less we pull on our precious natural resources the longer we can expect our earth to sustain us.
- DO NO HARM – we are aware that every land use decision we make will have a positive or negative effect on the land in our care
- Installing native, sustainable landscapes – planting native plants also reduces the need for natural resources. Native plants are adapted to THRIVE in their habitat niche. Native plants provide homes for native birds and insects, and that helps create a healthy micro-ecosystem right within your own property. We allow ecology and sustainability to guide our plant choices.
- Creating Diverse Landscapes – we don’t just plant plants, we plant ecosystems. We understand that plants, soils and their surroundings are interdependent living organisms. We consider all four vegetation layers.
- Nutrient Cycling – grass clippings and leaves are nature’s source of nutrients. We leave grass clippings behind as natural fertilizers for lawns and suggest composting your leaves either on your own site for future use in your gardens and lawns. We happily provide composting services for our clients and promote active composting.
- Reducing and eliminating pesticides in your landscape – we promote the elimination of pesticides in every instance we can. We provide organic approaches in disease and insect control and most every issue faced in the landscape.
- Provide the proper site analysis – we make sure we learn all we can from an existing landscape to plan properly for a successful long-term landscape strategy. Are the site characteristics assets or limitations? Only a proper analysis can determine that.
- Care of the Soil – we start with a soil analysis, this is the holy grail of organic landcare. Ignoring a soil test is like a doctor not doing bloodwork, you would only be guessing about what is to be done. One teaspoon of good soil can contain billions of beneficial bacteria, fungi and other microbes.
- Proper water management – whether its proper irrigation settings, raingardens, storm water retention or rain barrels, we will make sure to suggest and implement proper water management solutions.
Northeast Horticultural Services specializes in the acquisition and installation of large specimen trees. A specimen tree can significantly increase the value of your property, provide instant screening, and fill the void left by the loss of a diseased or dying mature tree.
Northeast Horticultural Services provides programs that specializes in all aspects of tree care for the life of your specimen tree.Your trees need to be kept maintained in order for the proper airflow and light to penetrate through the crown of the tree for healthier interior foliage.
Keeping your tree clean and thinned will prevent disease, weak branches, weak crotches, and reduces the wind-sail effect. Mature trees that have been wisely selected and correctly planted, trained and cared for should require very little pruning. Your mature tree should be examined annually to decide which limbs should be removed. A tree that has been incorrectly pruned can lead to future problems, increased cost and failing. A well-pruned tree should not look pruned. Maintaining your tree will also increase the health of plant life below the tree by allowing light to penetrate.
Northeast Horticultural Services has the resources and expertise to provide an all-inclusive landscape management program. Our services are available as a la carte, or we tailor our maintenance programs to accommodate budgets or preferences of our customers.
Our services include:
- Lawn Mowing and Care
- Lawn Application Programs
- Custom Fertilization
- Aeration& Seeding
- Composting
- Invasive Species Removal
- Gardening and Flower Bed Care
- Weeding
- Mulching
- Container Gardening
- Snow Removal
- Spring and Fall Clean-ups
- Tree and Shrub Pruning
- Brush Removal
Our range and mastery of outdoor spaces begins indoors, as a close linkage to interior functions of the house correlate closely with immediate outdoor spaces. Square footage needed indoors can expand out, as we have created over the years outdoor kitchens, patios, and pools for relaxation and entertainment. Coloration, texture, and quality of masonry materials are carefully selected both in the design office and by hand in the stone yard for the client.
This is done so that their look and feel complements the architecture, use and mood of the residence, instead of fighting it and creating ‘loud’ spaces. Our masons then utilize almost four decades of experience in Fairfield County to expertly install these outdoor features. Everything is planned and accounted for, from seamlessly integrating appliances, lighting, and furniture selection for these masonry spaces for a perfect outdoor living experience.Homeowners, over the years of living at a residence, can often feel that their outdoor spaces are unusable, due to their steep grade, unevenness or depth. In many instances this can be corrected with a retaining wall, terracing, or boulder retaining wall in order to level spaces and make them usable. Our construction team are expert craftsmen that excel at the construction of these difficult retaining systems, and you can rest at ease knowing that your investment will hold up through the years.
Northeast Horticultural Services prides itself on quality designs that are executed in-house. Very little is subcontracted out, as we employ a wide range of artisans, from masons and plantsmen to arborists and grading experts, all closely monitored by the design team. This gives us greater control of the outcome in conformance with original designed intent.In the case of planting, there is no other installation team that rivals Northeast Horticultural. Our planting knowledge, accrued from years of cutting edge study and research at the Collegiate level, is transferred to our crews. We constantly train, teach and test our crews in order to maximize plant health for the sake of homeowner investment and our love of all things green.