You are probably familiar with Phragmites australis. It is now ubiquitous in our region’s wetlands, displacing the beloved native cattail. Phragmites is an exotic invasive plant that reproduces by both rhizome and seed, easily outcompeting wetland natives. But, does it serve any purpose? Non-native phragmites in our native wetlands is not such a black-and-white invasive tale. Introduction to Wetland Restoration …

Newly terraced slope stabilizes hillside. Natural stone steps make it accessible. Our first landscape design project in Bergen County, New Jersey was a complex storm restoration project on a steep slope overlooking a river. During Hurricane Ida, historic rainfall collapsed the side yard slope just feet from the house.  Existing retaining walls began to collapse, and the once navigable slope …

This recently completed landscape design & build project was a complex, steep slope in a delicate wetland environment that required a tremendous amount of permitting, engineering and site development.  We are so proud of the final product and thankful for our incredible team – from Green Jay’s staff to our engineering partners and wetland consultants. The unique site, located on Lake …

A Hillside garden can be one of the most challenging landscape designs to execute, especially if it is a steep slope, like this Holmes, NY backyard. Why? Steep slopes are more prone to erosion — washing away of precious topsoil — especially during storm events. Furthermore, if the soil structure is high in sand and gravel, stormwater can drain too …

GJL has acted as the land steward for this property for over ten years! Jay Archer led the ecological restoration of the estate. A decade ago, this property was mostly traditional lawn (read: chemically-supported). Today, it has gradually been restored ecologically to a more natural state delivering many ecosystem services. This series is part of our 2020 Countdown of GJLs …