Garden Tech Horticultural Services located at 1171 R Main St. in Walpole specializes in landscape design, installation and landscape construction services for plantings. They also do hardscapes such as patios, walkways and fire pits.

Our New England winter this year was harsh and many trees, hedges and shrubs were badly damaged.

Patch sat down with owner Bob Trainor, certified horticulturalist and landscape professional to discuss some remedies for those damaged plantings. Many Walpole residents may know Trainor from his garden designs around Walpole landmarks.

Patch: When did you start Garden Tech Horticultural Services?

Trainor: I started Garden Tech back in 1998. I was a single dad and needed to find flexible work hours. I already had 20 years in the landscape and nursery field so it was a natural progression. I started out specializing in small garden design and installation and filled a niche market that the typical “mow and blow” companies couldn’t service. As the appreciation for more experienced landscape care grew, a result of better educated consumers, demand for our services grew as well.  We’ve had to expand in several areas including lawn maintenance and heavier construction jobs like patios and walkways.   

Patch: What do you do to help all of the plantings that were damaged because of our harsh winter?

Trainor: This spring has had its challenges. The late winter snowfall delayed our spring start time but also brought with it lots of damage to trees and shrubs. Our most frequent repair calls are for arborvitae hedges that have been bent over by the weight of the wet snow. The nature of evergreen shrubs with multiple trunks like arborvitae and upright junipers is that they are prone to falling apart under heavy wet snow conditions.

The best way to handle such a damaged hedge is to first cut off any dead or broken limbs. Then tie the trunks together at about 2/3 the height up from the ground. It is important to tie the shrubs with something that won’t dig into the soft bark of the trunks, definitely don’t use a thin wire. We use a product called Arbor Tie, which is a nylon strap that is gentle on the trunks. Also anything used to tie up the shrubs should be removed after a season or two or you risk girdling the trunks as the bark tries to grow around it. We use a product called Arbor Tie, which is a nylon webbing or strap.

Patch: Do trees and shrubs benefit from pruning?

Trainor: Pruning back the tops of the shrubs helps take the weight off but this should be done carefully as to not cut into older wood that is not going to send out new buds. Thinning out the tops also allows more light to the branches below which can help make for a fuller plant. If a shrub or hedge is bent to one side from the weight of snow one can also drive a heavy stake into the ground and secure the up righted shrub to it.

Patch: How can you avoid future damage?

Trainor: To avoid future snow damage think carefully about the sighting of landscape plants. I would not plant an arborvitae hedge under the eve of a roof where heavy snow can build up. Also, where possible if you choose plants with a single leader as opposed to multiple trunks they are less likely to succumb to snow load damage. To avoid recurring damage to existing shrubs it may be wise to tie some together for the winter months but never cover them with any kind of plastic. I am always amused when I see “upholstered” shrubs appear in landscapes every fall, most of it is unnecessary and often times harmful.

For more information you can find Garden Tech Horticultural Service on Facebook or call (508) 660-0490.

Looking for a fresh way to liven up your garden walls? Think plants, not paintings.

Living pictures — cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes — have caught on among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space.

“Living pictures composed of succulents have a gorgeous sculptural quality that work surprisingly well in a number of different aesthetics — contemporary, bohemian, Southwestern and more,” says Irene Edwards, executive editor of Lonny home design magazine. “They’re great for urban dwellers with limited space.”

Living pictures are also nearly maintenance-free (i.e. hard to kill). So even beginners or those with the blackest of thumbs can look like the master gardener of the neighborhood.

Here’s how you can create your own living succulent picture:

PICK YOUR STYLE

There are a few ways you can go.

For a larger living picture, you can use a wooden pallet, framing out the back like a shadow box. Large, do-it-yourself living wall panels are also for sale online through garden shops like San Francisco’s Flora Grubb Gardens and DIG Gardens based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

But going big right away can be daunting, and bigger also means heavier, so many newbies like California gardening blogger Sarah Cornwall stick with smaller picture or poster frames.

Go vintage with an antique frame or finish, or build your own out of local barn wood. Chunky, streamlined frames like the ones Cornwall bought from Ikea give a more modern feel.

You’ll also need a shadow box cut to fit the back of the frame, and wire mesh or “chicken wire” to fit over the front if you’re going to make your own.

First, nail or screw the shadow box to the back of the frame. A depth of 2 to 3 inches is ideal. Set the wire mesh inside the frame and secure it with a staple gun, then nail a plywood backing to the back of the shadow box.

TAKE CUTTINGS

Almost any succulent can be used for living pictures, though it’s usually best to stick with varieties that stay small, like echeverias and sempervivums, says DIG Gardens co-owner Cara Meyers.

“It’s fun to use varieties of aeoniums and sedums for their fun colors and textures, but they may need a little more maintenance, as they may start to grow out of the picture more,” she says.

Cut off small buds of the succulents for cuttings, leaving a stem of at least 1/4-inch long.

No succulents to snip? You can always buy some at a nursery or trade with other gardeners in your neighborhood.

“They grow so easily, don’t feel embarrassed knocking on a door to ask for a few cuttings,” Cornwall says.

Make sure any old bottom leaves are removed, then leave the cuttings on a tray in a cool, shaded area for a few days to form a “scab” on the ends before planting.

ADD SOIL

Set the frame mesh-side up on a table and fill with soil, using your hands to push it through the wire mesh openings.

Be sure to use cactus soil, which is coarser than potting soil for better drainage.

Some vertical gardeners place a layer of sphagnum moss under and over the soil to hold moisture in when watering.

FILL IN WITH PLANTS

Now comes the fun and creative part.

Lay out the succulent cuttings in the design you want on a flat surface, and poke them into the wire mesh holes in your frame.

You can start either in one corner or by placing the “focal point” cuttings in first and filling in around them. Waves or rivers of color are popular living-picture designs, although Cape Cod-based landscaper Jason Lambton has gone bolder with spirals of green and purple.

“We painted the pallet different color stripes to go with the color theme of the back of the house,” says Lambton, host of HGTV’s “Going Yard.” ”It looked like a cool piece of living, reclaimed art.”

Using just one type of succulent is also a simple yet elegant option, says Kirk Aoyagi, co-founder and vice president of FormLA Landscaping.

“Collages with some draping and some upright plants can create a more dramatic look and feel,” he says.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE TIPS

Keep the living picture flat and out of direct sunlight for one to two weeks to allow roots to form along the stems, then begin watering.

“If you hang it up right away or it rains a lot, that dirt will just pour right out. … I made that mistake once,” Lambton says.

Mount your living art once the succulents are securely rooted, which can take four to eight weeks depending on climate.

After that, water every seven to 10 days by removing from the wall and laying it flat. Be sure to let the water drain before hanging your living picture back up, to avoid rotting.

Online:

DIG Gardens: http://diggardensnursery.com

Flora Grubb Gardens: http://floragrubb.com/idx/index.php

HGTV: http://www.hgtv.com

FormLA Landscaping: https://www.formlainc.com

Many plants went into winter feeling the stress of drought conditions. In spite of late-season waterings, chanted incantations (“live, live, live!”) and crossed fingers, warmer weather has revealed some winter kill or damage to perennials, shrubs and trees, especially arborvitae. And I’m still cursing the bunnies who chomped two new spireas into toothpicks.

Hostas, though, just keep coming back. Like lilac bushes, you can’t kill ’em with a stick. These herbaceous perennials are highly prized for their foliage, the sheer number of color, leaf shape and texture variations, and low-maintenance behavior.

Nine new varieties will be available at Green Scene’s 37th annual Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the garden building on the National Cattle Congress grounds. They include “Afterglow” featuring large heart-shaped leaves with wide yellow margins in an upright mound; “Andrew,” a unique tri-color hosta with puckered, folded and ruffled leaves; and “Golden Needles,” a mini with yellow leaves streaked in green.

At least 30 named varieties (and countless bags o’nameless hostas) will be sold at the sale, making choices tough. Green Scene has made it easier with a hosta-filled shade garden design. In addition, members have created a low-water garden design for plants better able to handle drought. All varieties will be at the plant sale.

Hosta-filled Shade Garden (newer varieties)

A. Astilbe “Sprite” — Dwarf, shell pink plumes

B. Hosta “Ice Follies” — Dark green, creamy-white margins

C. Hosta “First Frost” — Blue-green, gold margin that turns white

D. Hosta “Dreamweaver” — Corrugated leaves, contrasting white centers

E. Hosta “Captain Kirk” — Splashy gold, green edges

F. Hosta “Devil’s Advocate” — Heart-shaped, tall and upright

Note: Plant in multiples to fill space.

Hosta-filled Shade Garden

(traditional varieties)

A. Heuchera “Palace Purple” — Purple-leafed coral bells

B. Hosta “Antioch” — Green white margins

C. Hosta “Halcyon” — Among best blue hosta cultivars

D. Hosta “Tokudama Aureonebulosa” — Chartreuse in spring, blue-green margin

E. Hosta “Paul’s Glory” — Blue-green margins, chartreuse centers

F. Hosta “Undulata” — Wavy leaves, twisted at the tips.

Note: Plant in multiples to fill space.

Low-Water Garden

A. Snow-in-summer

B. Ice Plant “Fire Spinner”

C. Sedum “Autumn Joy”

D. Miscanthus sinensis “Morning Light”

E. Liatrus “Squarrosa”

F. Ratibida or Mexican Hat, red variety

G. Gaillardia “Arizona Apricot”

H. Geum “Prairie Smoke”

I. Lady’s mantle

J. Dead Nettle “Chequers”

K. Penstemon “Silverton”

L. Sedum “Frosty Morn”

M. Coneflower “Pow Wow Wild Berry”

N. Aster “Woods ink”

0. Lamb’s ear “Fuzzy Wuzzy”

Note: Plant in multiples to fill space

Hosta tips

— Hostas grow in well-drained, average soil enriched with organic matter.

— Apply a well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer at half the rate in spring. Stop fertilizing after mid-summer or growth will be soft and vulnerable to disease, slugs and snails.

— Water an inch per week, more if the weather is scorching, at base and around plants.

— Plant, transplant or divide in early fall or spring before leaves unfold. Keep plant and roots moist. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and 1 1/2 times as wide as its diameter. The crown should be planted at soil level. Water at least 1 gallon a day until plants are established.

Tips for low-water gardening

— Choose drought-tolerant and/or native plants that thrive in low-water conditions.

— Water until plants are established for first two years. Eventually plants can rely on rainfall, with supplemental watering as needed.

— Incorporate organic matter into soil for water retention. Water deeply and infrequently to force plants to root deeply.

— Mulch with a 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch.