Author Archives: Michael Lesher

Spring may feel a long way off, but fall is one of the best times to begin planning larger landscape projects. By this point in the season, you have had months to see how your property functions. You know which areas feel underused, where privacy is lacking, which walkways or patios no longer work well, […]

Privacy is one of the most common goals homeowners have for their landscape, but the best solutions rarely come from planting a single row of identical evergreens. A well-designed privacy planting should feel like part of the landscape, not a barrier added to it. The goal is to create screening while also adding beauty, structure, […]

For many homeowners, the best part of the landscape is not simply how it looks — it is how the space is used. A thoughtfully designed outdoor living area can make the yard feel like a natural extension of the home, creating places to relax, entertain, gather with family or simply spend more time outside. […]

Some landscape projects are measured in square feet, materials, and finished details. Others are measured in something far more meaningful: the life that will happen there. Recently, Landscaping by J. Michael received a note from a client, Jackie Sullivan, about a project designed by Keith and brought to life by the J. Michael team. Her […]

Foundation plantings do more than fill the space around a home. They help frame the architecture, soften hard edges, create seasonal interest, and make the property feel finished. But over time, even a well-designed planting can outgrow its original purpose. One of the most common signs is scale. Shrubs that once fit neatly beneath windows […]

By late summer, your landscape has had an entire growing season to show you what is working—and what is not. Plants have reached their mature seasonal size, lawns have experienced heat and drought stress, and planting beds have settled into their summer form. That makes August one of the best times to take a closer […]

By July, most gardens across the South Shore have settled into their summer rhythm. Perennials are blooming, shrubs have filled out, and lawns have reached their peak. It’s also the time when weeds seem to grow overnight, mulch begins to thin, and garden beds can quickly lose the crisp appearance they had in spring. The […]

Beautiful landscapes are about much more than colorful flowers and healthy lawns. The most memorable outdoor spaces combine living plants with thoughtfully designed hardscape features that provide structure, function, and year-round beauty. Whether it’s a welcoming front walkway, an inviting backyard patio, or a natural stone retaining wall, hardscaping creates the framework that brings a […]

Pruning is one of the most valuable things you can do to keep your landscape healthy—but it’s also one of the easiest tasks to get wrong. While many homeowners reach for the pruning shears as soon as a shrub looks overgrown, proper pruning is about much more than shaping plants. Done correctly, it encourages healthy […]