A PLAN FOR TWO PESTS: How an Invasive Plant Species is Helping to Reduce a Pesky Insect Population

Posted on September 10, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

With the threat of Spotted Lantern Flies on the rise in our area, Penn State has a recommendation that seems to be working well for our clients and their neighbors. The idea is to apply an insecticide to Tree-of-Heaven plants, which happen to be irresistible food sources for Spotted Lantern Flies. When the insects gorge on this favorite food, they also consume the insecticide and die by the thousands (as shown below).

While Tree-of-Heaven plants are invasive and certainly not recommended additions to any garden, Sean Kramer, Hanselman Landscape’s pest-control specialist, has devised an effective plan to handle both undesirable populations: He cuts down female Tree-of-Heaven plants to reduce the spread of this species, and uses existing male Tree-of-Heaven trees as death traps for Spotted Lantern Flies. Our clients are thrilled with the success of this two-pronged approach, and so are their neighbors!

Contributed by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife

Thankful…

Posted on August 30, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

…for our local community and the surrounding landscape

Let’s face it, the Summer of 2020 has been HARD. Isolation from loved ones, disappointment over canceled plans, and personal and public strife are just a few of the hardships we have all dealt with in some measure. It is easy to get stuck in the ensuing despair and discouragement . . . . except there is so much good and beauty to be found right where we are, if we choose to see it!

In this season, we are grateful for the good-hearted people in our small town and on the encircling farms; for the hard work evident in the care of creatures and crops by so many of our neighbors; for their dedication to faith and family; for friendly smiles and waves from Amish children in farm lanes as we pass; for the honesty, contentment, and general good will at the core of our rural acquaintances.

What beauty are you seeing in the people and landscapes around you during this time when your focus has narrowed? (Feel free to share in a comment below, if you like.)

Contributed by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& perpetual joy seeker)

FALLING WATERS

Posted on August 13, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

The refreshment and sensory delight of falling water is undeniable, whether it be a trickle into a stone basin or a stream-fed, swim-in waterfall. Growing up as he did in the jungles of a tropical island in the Philippines where jungle streams and waterfalls were his playground, James Hanselman takes great joy in bringing the experience of falling water into the lives of his clients. Maybe you need this refreshment in your daily lives, not only in the heat of summer, but all year long!

Shared with delight by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& fan of falling water)

A variety of inspiring “falling water” options are available from the design/build team at Hanselman Landscape. Examples shown are a Japanese-style tsukubai, a Costa Rican vacation-inspired waterfall, and a church courtyard water garden, Lancaster and Manheim, PA.

URBAN ROOFTOP GARDEN YIELDS VEGGIES (& JOY) IN ABUNDANCE

Posted on August 3, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

She has always enjoyed watching things grow. As a child, she ate vegetables from her family’s garden supplemented by the fish and game her father brought home. Although she now lives in a bustling urban center, the lure of producing her own food still holds appeal.

With help from Hanselman Landscape, she now grows corn, cucumbers, beans, melons, Zinnias, lavender, herbs, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and cabbages in irrigated planter boxes–ON HER ROOFTOP!

“When I’m up here with my vegetable plants, it’s hard to believe I’m actually in the city! But anything is possible if you can just find people to carry out what you can imagine,” she smiles.

~Contributed by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife

A wide array of vegetables, herbs and flowers thrive in irrigated, Hanselman-made planter boxes in this Harrisburg, PA, rooftop garden.

GARDENS FOR CHILDREN

Posted on July 30, 2020February 8, 2024 by Betty Hanselman

James’ first official “children’s garden” was commissioned by a church preschool director who desired to create a natural play space, where rocks and trees replaced plastic and metal as the structural elements. Since then, he has had the privilege of designing many garden spaces with children in mind. Now that we are grandparents, we are delighted to see the creativity with which grandchildren and friends alike enjoy the garden spaces James has incorporated around our home.

Shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& advocate of “natural” playgrounds)

Natural elements–sand, gravel, rocks, trees and grass–provide delightful sensory stimuli for little explorers. (On the left is the courtyard garden crafted for a church preschool. On the right, friends’ children prefer boulder “picnic tables”.)

Creating Beauty from a Beautiful Place

Posted on July 14, 2020December 31, 2021 by Betty Hanselman

You’ll know you’ve arrived at our plant nursery after you’ve driven through Schenck’s Mill Covered Bridge over Chiques Creek, and farm fields give way to rows of well-groomed Japanese Pines . . . .
Happily shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& privileged to be “a little bit country”!)
Japanese Red and Black Pines of various types stand sentinel-like against a brilliant summer sky, Manheim, PA.