1. Water new plantings deeply once a week until the ground freezes, enough to wet the soil eight to ten inches down. Evergreens keep using water all winter.
2. Shelter young evergreens on windy or roadside spots with a burlap screen set on stakes, which helps against drying winds and road salt spray.
3. Keep mulch pulled back a few inches from trunks and stems so the bark stays dry and healthy.
4. Plan a privacy screen now so it can go in first thing in spring.
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Up North Scapes
THE LANDSCAPE LETTERVol. 1, Issue 5 ◆ October 2026
◆ Featured Project
From a Steep Hill to a Backyard You Can Use
Published
This backyard ran straight into a steep, grassy hill, and the homeowners wanted to push that hill back and gain real, usable yard. The crew cut the slope back with an excavator, set a crushed stone base along the full length of the cut, and built a long block retaining wall to hold the hill in place.
Steps built right into the wall lead up the slope, and the ground in front was graded for new lawn, so the yard now runs all the way back to the wall.
“We had a retaining wall installed to push our hill back and expand our backyard. Derek’s team are clear perfectionists and take pride in their work.”Josh Green, Google review
ServiceRetaining walls
What we builtBlock retaining wall, built in steps, graded yard
PhotosFrom this job, shared by the homeowner
Before · The Hill as the Dig Begins
During · Stone Base Along the Cut
Build · Wall Up, Steps Going In
Seasonal Tips
Your October Yard Checklist
Pro Tip
For a narrow side yard, Emerald Green arborvitae stays slim and tidy. For a long, open property line, Green Giant grows quickly and holds up well where deer pass through.
Company News
New Articles on the Blog This Month
New articles are going up on the blog this month, starting with how to choose the right evergreens for a privacy screen. Browse the blog →
New: Plantings and Privacy Screen Pages for Your Town
We added plantings and privacy screen pages for fourteen Seacoast towns, from Portsmouth, Rye and Exeter to Dover, Durham and Newmarket, and patio pages went up for the same fourteen towns. Find your town →
Did You Know?
Green Giant arborvitae can grow three to four feet a year in good conditions and reach twelve to eighteen feet wide when full grown, so it needs room to spread.
What Homeowners Say
★★★★★“I had Derek of Up North Scapes plant a row of Green Giant Arborvitaes a couple of weeks ago as a privacy fence. Although they are pretty young yet they look great. The lawn should thicken in a couple more weeks. He and his crew finished the job in one day. My wife and I are very happy with the results and working with Derek.”Ron, Google review
If we worked on your property this year, a quick Google review helps the next Seacoast homeowner find us.
Leave a ReviewOn the Calendar
Now: Deep water new plantings once a week until the ground freezes
Before the snow: Shelter young evergreens on windy or roadside spots with burlap
Early spring: A great window to plant a new privacy screen
Before the snow: Shelter young evergreens on windy or roadside spots with burlap
Early spring: A great window to plant a new privacy screen