Heimarck & Foglia, LLC recommends the following digital resources for landscape planning, maintenance, and education:

PLANTS

New England Wildflower Society

http://www.newfs.org/

NEWFS offers more than 250 courses, tours, and public events each year, centering on the conservation of North American native plants.  NEWFS manages Garden in the Woods, a beautifully maintained educational landscape in Framingham , MA .  Many NEWFS courses are taught at Garden in the Woods, which has the largest native plant nursery in New England . 

The NEWFS website is an excellent resource for information on the rare and endangered plants of New England .

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

http://www.bbg.org/

Another excellent resource for education and horticultural research.  The facilities are beautiful and it is well worth a visit when in New York City .

UConn Plant Database of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/

The University of Connecticut manages a detailed online plant database which is searchable by both Latin and common names.  Homeowners that would like more information about a species listed on a planting plan can find it here.

Hort.net

www.hort.net

An extensive database of trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers, searchable by Latin name.  A personal labor of love, this website has many pages of interest to the gardener and ecologist, including about two dozen active horticultural mailing lists, and their archived correspondences.

 SOILS

UMass Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst operates a soil testing lab out of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.  It is important to have a soil test done as a baseline for any landscape design, and the UMass soil test is inexpensive and available to private citizens.  The goal of soil testing is to provide guidelines for the efficient use of soil amendments, such as lime and fertilizer.  A Standard Soil Test includes an evaluation of pH, cation exchange capacity (an important measure of the soil’s ability to retain and to supply nutrients), individual nutrients and heavy metals.

HISTORIC/CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

The Trustees of Reservations

http://www.thetrustees.org/

The TTOR mission is “to preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts ."  The Trustees of Reservations have been an active force for Massachusetts landscape preservation since 1891.  TTOR-managed properties are open to the public and include natural resources like Crane Beach in Ipswich , which offers both recreational opportunities and wildlife refuge; and historic landscapes, such as the Naumkeag estate in Stockbridge, designed by landscape architect Fletcher Steele.

SUSTAINABILITY

U.S. Green Building Council

http://www.usgbc.org/

The USGBC is the leading national organization on environmental building matters.  The LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by the USGBC; it serves as the benchmark for sustainable building practice and certification.  Heimarck & Foglia, LLC is a proud member of the USGBC.

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)

http://www.nesea.org/

NESEA is an education and advocacy association that promotes renewable energy, green buildings, and energy efficient practices.  It is the Eastern chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.