Photo Credit: Neil Landino, Counter Top: Connecticut Stone Calacatta Gold Honed Marble, Kitchen Sink: 39" Wide Risinger Double Bowl Fireclay, Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Arctic Gray 1577, Trim Color: Benjamin Moore White Dove, Kitchen Faucet: Perrin and Rowe Bridge Kitchen Faucet VIDEO BLOG, EPISODE 2 – FINDING THE PERFECT STONE Watch this happy client’s testimonial on how Connecticut Stone transformed her existing kitchen into a bright, beautiful and functional space.Featuring Calacatta Gold Marble and Carrara Marble. Video Link: https://youtu.be/hwbWNMFrAV0

A Lake Michigan Home gets a Modern Refresh from Dresner Design. Photos by Tony Soluri. This couple moved from Chicago’s Wicker Park to a rural setting but wanted to maintain their modern aesthetic. Scott Dresner of Dresner Design created a light bright clean-lined kitchen perfect for the couple’s need to entertain. Must have’s included a drawer for over sixty spices, storage for three sets of dishes, a coffee bar, and a huge island the couple uses for entertaining. The palette is mostly white to maximize outdoor views. Constraints were plenty both timeline and budgetary. Dresner came up with some creative solutions, which allowed the homeowners to save on cabinetry and materials and splurge on appliances.

Example of a classic kitchen design in Atlanta

photo by ramsay photography
This is an example of a modern courtyard landscaping in San Francisco.

Design ideas for a large traditional partial sun front yard brick driveway in New York.

Photography by Joe Dodd
Design ideas for a large modern front yard landscaping in San Francisco.

Our St. Pete studio shows you how to decorate a home for the holidays with style and elegance. A neatly decorated Christmas tree, wreaths in Christmas colors, and matching decor in holiday colors are the essential elements of your Christmas wonderland. See our designs for holiday decor inspiration. --- Pamela Harvey Interiors offers interior design services in St. Petersburg and Tampa, and throughout Florida's Suncoast area, from Tarpon Springs to Naples, including Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Sarasota. For more about Pamela Harvey Interiors, see here: https://www.pamelaharveyinteriors.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.pamelaharveyinteriors.com/portfolio-galleries/oak-hill-home

This enclosed side yard with garden/potting shed is sure to provide hours - and years - of enjoyment to the home gardener! To avoid animals munching on produce, the chip and dale fence also has mesh installed. Love this space!

Bulbine Le jardinet

Heirloom Tomatoes | Lore Patterson
This is an example of a traditional formal garden in Seattle for summer.

Slate Gray painted alder cabinets mixed with those fashioned from distressed oak keep the kitchen "piecy", as if renovated over time. We varied the styles and materials to provide an historic interest. Open shelves in reclaimed oak and antique iron brackets allow for casual and "at your fingertips" storage. An aged copper hood adds warmth, and a floor of concrete tiles on the diagonal gives the impression of terracotta, but with a much higher durability. Photography by Emily Minton Redfield

Example of a large 1950s medium tone wood floor and brown floor sunroom design with no fireplace and a standard ceiling

John Kane / Silver Sun Studio
Country porch photo in New York with decking and a roof extension

John Granen
This is an example of a contemporary side yard garden path in Seattle.

This Washington DC interior design project features two beautifully distinct dining spaces, each telling its own design story within the same residence. The first dining room commands attention with forest green velvet seating, a dramatic black fluted pedestal table, a brass and glass bubble chandelier, and a large-scale abstract gold artwork flanked by floor-to-ceiling olive drapery, a masterclass in luxe, color-driven transitional dining room design. The second dining space leans into refined elegance, cool grey walls, a glass-top round table, plush white velvet chairs, a cascading silver globe chandelier, and a sculptural silver wall installation paired with a custom lit built-in bookcase. Together, these spaces demonstrate how thoughtful residential interior design can create cohesion across an entire home without sacrificing individuality in each room.

Inspiration for a transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in London with white walls

photo by Douglas Gibb
Example of an eclectic living room design in Edinburgh

Adding woodchips underneath your trees has many benefits. Some of these benefits include: -soil moisture retention -nutrient leaching when decomposing over time -smother weeds and invasive plants But before you add any woodchips to your gardens and trees, it’s important to make sure you aerate the root zone. Doing so improves the oxygen supply and leaching to the roots. You will see more growth when there is more oxygen. Our team at Five Star Tree Services has come up with a guide on how you can use woodchips in your gardens. Where To Place Woodchips Even though there are many benefits for your trees, there is a right and wrong way to use them. If used incorrectly, you can actually end up hurting your tree instead of helping it. This can happen when there is an excessive amount piled up around a tree, its roots, and the trunk. Woodchips should never touch the trunk of a tree for extended periods of time. What happens is that moisture is retained in the chips and will eventually cause the tree to rot. The end result is death if not caught in time. An indication of rot and decay is fruiting bodies or mushrooms. It is important to keep an eye out for these indicators by taking a good look at your trees. To avoid this situation, make sure to evenly and carefully spread out the chips around the root zone. Clear any chips away from the trunk by an inch or two. When applied correctly; you will see your trees thrive and prosper. They will stay healthy and vivacious from the moisture retention and gradual organic leaching. Soil Compaction Soil compaction can dramatically affect your trees. This is often an overlooked issue for many landscapers. Due to things like foot traffic, large amounts of rain, construction, and the use of heavy machinery, are all factors that result in soil compaction. Things like water and nutrients can’t saturate through the soil when it becomes too compact. This results in soil that is without minerals and dry. When this happens, tree roots struggle to push through the soil, resulting in stressed trees. Preventing Soil Compaction If a tree is left in compacted soil, it will eventually die. One way to avoid this if you are having any construction done in your yard is to set up a Tree Protection Zone, or TPZ. Fences are used to create a barrier where heavy equipment and machinery can’t go in. When heavy machinery is used, this creates extremely compact soil and has been known to crush roots. How Five Star Tree Services Can Help Using woodchips is a great way to help your gardens thrive. But it is vitally important to use it properly, otherwise you will end up hurting your trees, instead of helping them. If you require any Richmond Hill Tree Care Services, don’t hesitate to give us at Five Star Tree Services a call at (416) 990-3355!

Spring brings the first rays of steady sunlight that encourage your trees to start sprouting fruit and flowers. However, sometimes at the start of spring, the cold weather makes a sudden and abrupt turn as winter tries to reassert its dominance. This can cause a late freeze, which is difficult for many trees to combat. Fruit trees are the most vulnerable during a late freeze, but Five Star Tree Services has some suggestions to help you protect your fruit and flowering trees from a late freeze. Protecting Your Trees Some fruit trees are better able to protect themselves from the cold, but all trees need to be protected from the frost. Depending on the type of tree you have, several methods of protection are effective. Peach Trees: To protect peach trees, cover them with a blanket or a sheet during the day. This will allow heat to build up that will protect them at night during the freeze. Make sure to leave the cover in place until the freeze passes. Citrus Trees: These are the most fragile of all trees. Small trees should be draped with burlap, a sheet, a tree frost blanket, or any other type of fabric at least a day before the freeze occurs. The cover has to surround the whole tree to trap the heat and prevent frost. Apple Trees: These trees are pretty sturdy compared to other fruit-bearing trees. They can handle the cold, but it is still a good idea to cover them during sudden frost. It is important to avoid placing ground covers, mulch, and weeds from around the base of a tree during cold weather and frost periods. The moist bare soil emits more heat than soil that is mulched. Watering trees ahead of a frost can also help to protect them as water also emits heat. When you expect a freeze, it is also best to furrow-irrigate at night or use a sprinkler on its low setting while ensuring there is proper drainage for your trees. Any time the outside temperature is forecast to drop below 32 degrees; you should cover your trees. Which Trees Can Survive in the Cold? No fruit-bearing trees are made for cold climates, but some are better equipped to handle the cold than others. The Plant Hardiness Zone can help you choose the right trees to plant for the area where you live. For example, lemon trees and other citrus trees need to be planted in zones 9-11 where the risk of cold weather is minimal. Pear trees, on the other hand, need cold weather to thrive and should be planted in zones 4-8. Freezing Dangers Some fruit or flowering trees that are caught unguarded during the late frost may lose their blossoms. In many cases, these trees will no longer sprout during the current growing season but will come back next spring as healthy as ever. Younger trees are more prone to damage than mature trees. Trees that have closed buds are also able to handle the cold better than those that have already started to bloom. Of course, the longer a freeze is present, the more dangerous it is for your trees. How We Can Help The skilled arborists here at Five Star Tree Services are always on hand to help protect your trees from frost and with regular maintenance. Some of the other services we provide include tree removal, tree planting, and tree pruning in Richmond Hill and the Greater Toronto Area. If you require our assistance, give us a call at (416) 990-3355 today.