Havenwood LLC, Landscape Architecture and Design

06/29/2026

How AI is destroying knowledge base providers

06/27/2026

Can you spot AI mistake?

06/27/2026

Weigh in what do you think?

06/20/2026

Why Lichen on Your Trees Is Not a Problem

This is the question gardeners ask most often when they notice lichen on their fruit trees, ornamentals, or garden shrubs. The short answer is that lichen is not harming your tree. It does not pe*****te bark, does not extract nutrients from the tree, and does not weaken branches. It is simply using the bark surface as a stable platform to anchor itself and access light.

The correlation people notice between lichen-covered branches and declining trees runs in the opposite causal direction from what they assume. Declining trees grow more slowly, which means their bark surface changes more slowly, which makes it a more stable substrate for slow-growing lichens to colonize. The lichen did not cause the decline. The decline created conditions that allowed lichen to establish. According to the Penn State Extension, removing lichen from tree branches provides no benefit to the tree and is entirely unnecessary from a plant health standpoint.

Finding lichen in your garden is genuinely something to appreciate. It means your air is clean enough to support them, your garden has the kind of stable, undisturbed surfaces they need to establish, and you are sharing your space with one of the most ancient and ecologically fascinating organisms on the planet. 🌿

06/18/2026

For 20 years I have been advising clients to rip out Crimson Barberry. Here’s one more reason. Ticks

06/03/2026

So as a whole this is good but, the gop rep from foster was wrong to vote no. He should have added the soils amendment. He is not incorrect in stating that a large part of the problem is contamination of the topsoils used by DOT, DEM and commercial developers.
Often topsoil and mulch contain seeds and root-able cuttings of invasive species.
There was a time when both topsoil and mulch required composting for at least a year so the seeds and cuttings would be killed during the heat of composting and the turning of the mound. Today we cycle those products out the door for quicker profits.
could take it upon themselves to amend their soil and mulch specifications to accommodate the need to kill w**d seeds. But, this will increase the cost of the two items.

House members voted to ban the sale of invasive plants, but one representative claims the state is itself a culprit in spreading harmful species.

04/14/2026

The finish of cast in place (CIP) concrete is how the formwork is treated. Dry wood bonds with concrete as it cures which can cause the surface to break,chip and spall when forms are removed. Some contractors insist that water soaked wood releases clean… almost. It can still have spalling and even wood grains. Forms treated with an oil or painted with a special form release prior to pouring produces the cleanest surfaces and releases the easiest.
With method really depends on final desired finish effect.

04/14/2026

Crazy for spring blooms. Daffodil days at Blithwold will satiate that craving.

04/03/2026

6 EZ tests my Friesian grandfather knew. No special kits just your hands and a few kitchen staples.

03/20/2026

Out walking today we could see the expanse of the RIDEM Brownfields reclamation project along the Blackstone river. Looking forward to seeing the old dump become a park and wetland restoration.