Claire Hopple | The Parke Company

Winter is Coming: Getting Your Lawn Ready

March 7, 2024September 20, 2017 by Claire Hopple

As more and more pages are torn from the calendar, we get closer and closer to winter. Recently on this blog we have been discussing the importance of getting things prepared for the impending season of cold winds and snow, but there is one area that we really haven’t discussed: lawn care. When combined with the harsh heat the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area receives right before the winter, the grass outside your home or office is really going to take a beating in the coming months. There are several things you can do to minimize the hurt, however. With that in mind, here are some tips for taking care of your lawn as the seasons change, brought to you by the professionals here at the Parke Company.

How to Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

Getting Low

The first and one of the most important things to do is to start lowering the blades more and more each time you mow the yard. Lowering the blades while mowing helps the grass get acclimated to a shorter length, so it’s not all happening at once when winter comes. You don’t want to have high grass during the winter months for several reasons. For one, the longer the blades of grass, the more surface area each individual blade will cover when it gets tramples. Have a lot of these and it will choke out what is underneath all the more. For another reason, small animals such as mice like to hide in tall grass during the winter months, and the little critters love to eat the roots and otherwise damage your plants.

It is for these reasons that it is important to rake the falling leaves right away. Leaves that are left alone too long will kill the plants underneath them because they block all the sunlight and have a tendency to absorb the water that should be going to the grass. Instead, bag the leaves up and leave them for a leaf removal service or keep them and create a nutrient-rich additive that will be extremely beneficial when introduced to the plants. Also keep in mind that anything left on the lawn after the first snow is going to leave dead spots, so make sure to remove any larger logs or dead trees first.

Prepare Yourself

Grass loses a lot of nutrients during the late summer months thanks to that scorching heat, so it is a great idea to add fertilizer before the first freeze of the year. The nutrients will stay in the soil all winter long, feeding the grass and helping things stay healthy until spring rolls around again. This is probably one of the most important things you can do, because otherwise when the snow melts for the final time, your grass will be yellow and dead and generally gross looking.

It can be difficult to remember all of the things that need to be done to keep your lawn in tip-top shape, but that is why we are here to help. Let the pros in grass health and lawn care here at the Parke Company help ease your burden by taking care of it.

Autumn Tune-Up: Getting Your Lawn Ready For the Fall

March 7, 2024September 14, 2017 by Claire Hopple

Spring and summer are usually thought of as the time for landscaping, what with all of the extra daylight and the general theme of growth. Winter is usually reserved for snow maintenance and preparing for the upcoming growing season, leaving autumn lost in the shuffle. It doesn’t have to be that way, however, as there are many projects to tackle that will make a world of difference when it comes to landscaping. From planting new flowers to getting the grass prepared for the winter or making your own compost for later use, the number of things to be done in the autumn is almost endless. It is something the professionals here at the Parke Company are skilled in, and if any of the following tips sound like something you would like done to your home or business, we can definitely give you a hand.

How to Prepare Your Lawn for Fall

Out With the Old, in With the New

One of the things you can do to make your landscape ready for autumn is to plant new, appropriately fall flowers. I know what you’re thinking – fall is hardly the time for planting new plants, but there are many species of flowers you can plant to shake things up. For example, perennials such as chrysanthemums, or for something a bit more healthy, echinacea. The kind of plants you are looking for are the ones that can deal with the extreme heat the mid-Tennessee and Nashville areas have, while also being able to survive some of the colder temperatures we see as well. As a bonus, many of these plants come in more autumn-worthy shades, such as purples, yellows, and oranges

Dotting the I’s and Crossing the T’s

Fall is also the perfect time to take care of those little things that have a way of building up during the year. Trimming the trees, one of the many tree services the Parke Company does, is a great example of something to do in the fall. As we have discussed before, collecting the now falling leaves to start your own compost pile is a great way to prepare for the upcoming spring. The compost, which creates a nutrient-rich additive, will then be used as mulch, which has many uses. Plus, any kind of cement – an area of landscape design that often gets overlooked – could use a look. Before the weather gets colder and the snow and ice take their toll on the ground, look for any kind of nicks, divots, or pot holes to be filled in. These kinds of preventative tasks will make your life a lot easier when the calendar rolls around again.

Fall is the perfect time to get things done around the home, and for one final push to make your lawn look the best it will for several months. The Parke Company is here to help in any way we can, from offering advice about planting new flowers to servicing the trees and bushes on your home or business’s lawn. There’s a lot to be done, and we would love to help you get started.

Damaging Storms: Picking Up the Pieces Afterwards

March 7, 2024September 6, 2017 by Claire Hopple

After the thunder and the lightning have passed, after the rain has stopped and the floods have receded, what is left?

The cleanup.

While Nashville and the middle-Tennessee area didn’t face anything close to what Hurricane Harvey did to the south coast, we did get our fair share of damage from the storm. A simple walk outside in the following days revealed the damage done, from fallen trees and downed power lines to water damage from flooding. There is a lot to be done, and city workers from various public works departments are overworked. It is for this reason that we here at the Parke Company also offer municipal services, such as clearing brush, cleaning up storm damage and helping to remove trees in emergency situations.

How to Pick Up After a Storm

Cutting Through the Confusion

There is a lot of confusion in the immediate days following a storm, which is why it pays to have someone help clear up some of that mess. Most cities will delay trash pick ups, or have more than the originally scheduled pick ups, as the city tries to clear away the debris. If you see a downed power line, make sure to notify the right authorities, and never, never touch it. You never know when a line is still active, and if there is still water around, even walking near it could be fatal. Since downed power lines are a focus in the wake of a massive storm, things like fallen trees tend to get forgotten, especially if they’ve fallen on your yard or in the lawn of your business. Tree removal is something that we here at the Parke Company are happy to help with, as it can be a tricky and dangerous endeavor without the right skills or tools.

Down the Drain (or Sewer)

One area that is definitely neglected is the impact leaves can have in the wake of a storm. It doesn’t seem like it would be an issue, but in areas with flash flooding, the sewer system is already overtaxed. Several yards worth of wet leaves create massive blockages, leading to more flooding and other problems. This is a good reason to always rake and bag your leaves. Even in the event of a storm, the professionals at the Parke Company will arrive at your home or business and make sure the leaves are safely disposed of. Similarly, gutters need to be cleared for the same reasons, as no one wants to have a leaky roof in the wake of a storm.

Storms can be terrifying; watching the sheer amount of power Mother Nature is capable of displaying can make one feel small. The cleanup afterwards is capable of causing these emotions as well. It doesn’t need to stay that way for long, however, and we here at the Parke Company will make sure that things return to normal as quickly as possible, and that the feelings of safety and relief come with them.

Composting: Taking the old and making it new

March 7, 2024August 29, 2017 by Claire Hopple

Autumn is getting close in Nashville – you can practically smell the pumpkin pies baking and hear the sounds of backyard football games. That means you can probably smell the aroma of rotting leaves and see the buildup soon to overtake your lawn as well. What should you do with the leaves falling aimlessly to the ground, and if only there was a way to deal with them in a helpful and environmentally friendly way. Luckily, there is. While we here at the Parke Company are happy to take away anything you might have stored in those heavy leaf bags, by saving them, you can create something infinitely more useful: a compost area.

What to Know About Composting

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

At its simplest form, a compost garden is just a collection of food and yard waste, kept moist and allowed to aerate. After a period of weeks or months, depending on the type of composting used and the materials involved, the waste will break down into a handy substance that can be used in a variety of ways, including as a soil additive, a conditioner, or a fertilizer. Since the project can take as long as six months, if you get started now, your compost will be ready for the spring planting and growing seasons. While the products of your fall cleanup are probably going to be the most common ingredients, you can also throw in the clippings from mowing the lawn, scraps from the table (just not meat or bones), and even things such as cardboard and wood chips. The important thing is to get a mix of nitrogen and carbon based materials, as too much of either will throw off the balance of the compost. The other main ingredient is oxygen, which is why a compost pile needs to be turned regularly. The oxygen provides a fuel for the breakdown process, as does the moisture from a regular watering, although you can always let the natural rainfall handle that aspect.

Reaping the Benefits

There are several types of composting available to you. The most common one involves an enclosed area, usually a chicken-wire fence covered with a tarp. When constructing it, start on a bare patch of dirt to allow microorganisms and other decomposers an easy way of reaching the materials. You should layer wet and dry materials, and look into breaking up some of the tougher materials. For instance, corn cobs take a very long time to decompose, so you might want to cut them into smaller chunks to aid that process. Additionally, larger, flatter objects, like cardboard or a large pile of leaves, need to be shredded before getting added.

If you do end up with a large amount of leaves, you might want to look into several leaf-only composting options. For one, you can create a compost pile made only of leaves, which includes a layer of dirt between every couple of inches of leaves. This will take the longest amount of time to fully compost, and won’t provide the same number of nutrients as a normal compost, but it still has its benefits as a soil additive. You can also use the leaves to make a sort of tea bag, which you can then steep in a barrel of water for a couple of days. After that, remove the bag and the water has now become a healthy, nutrient-rich drink you can use to water your plants with.

If the idea of composting is something that intrigues you, or you just have more yard waste than you know what to do with, you can always call the Parke Company to help you get started

Time to Get Rid of That Tree: Tips For Removing Unwanted Stumps, Branches and Trunks

March 7, 2024August 23, 2017 by Claire Hopple

It’s getting late in the summer, which means that the number of free days available for summer projects is dwindling. Sure, the heat and generally warm climate here in Nashville and the mid-Tennessee area means residents have more time than most, but do you really want to try to fit in removing that pesky stump come football season? Trees tend to be one of the more overlooked areas, especially when it comes to removal. It’s something the professionals here at the Parke Company take pride in, knowing exactly how much to trim and when to turn it into firewood, which is why we’ve put together this guide about tree and stump removal.

What to Know About Getting Rid of Fallen Trees

Know What You’ll Need and Why You’re Doing it

The first thing you’ll need to think about if you are going to handle this tree yourself is what kind of tools you’ll need. For larger projects, like cutting down a tree completely, you will probably need a chainsaw, as well as safety glasses or goggles. For a smaller project, such as pruning or clipping some of the smaller branches, you will likely be fine with little hand-held clippers. Make sure the area around the tree you’re working on is clear of any overhead obstructions, such as telephone wires, and make sure you know which direction you plan on having the tree fall.

If you plan on pruning, a little bit goes a long way. Taking care of some of the smaller offshoots is a good way to clean up the general look of the tree and even change its perceived height. However, if you cut the larger branches or one of the main offshoots, it could cause irreparable harm to the tree, inviting something like rot or other diseases to take root. Since there are a lot of ways a project of this undertaking could go wrong, it is recommended to let one of the professionals here at the Parke Company handle it so you know the job will get done right.

Now What?

You’re probably wondering what you can do with the tree after it’s fallen, or how to take care of the stump. The tree itself, or any branch cuttings, can easily be turned into firewood, or if it is a nice wood, turned into some great homemade projects. Reusing the wood in this way not only helps the environment, but also adds a nostalgic touch to anything made out of the tree. As for the stump, well, they can be pretty annoying with their stubbornness and refusal to willingly leave the ground. Plus, if it is ripped out of the ground while still connected to other root systems, it could damage them. It’s best left to someone used to stump removal.

Luckily, the arborists and tree surgeons here at the Parke Company are skilled at all sorts of tree maintenance, both at homes and for businesses. After all, with the sheer number of ways tree services could go wrong, wouldn’t it be better to let someone who knows what they’re doing – and actually enjoys it – to take care of it? We certainly think so.