Claire Hopple | The Parke Company

Time to Get Your Lawn Into Shape With a Topiary

March 7, 2024August 23, 2017 by Claire Hopple

If you have a yard lacking that special something that sets it apart from all the rest, there is a unique eye catcher you might want to look into. There is an endless amount of customization available, so even if someone else on your block has the same idea, the odds of coming up with the same design are almost nil. Yes, perhaps adding a topiary to your existing landscape is just what you need to put the look of your lawn over the top, so to speak. A topiary, in its most basic form, is just any number of bushes or trees that have been cut in such a way to grow into various shapes and sizes. It’s a practice that’s been around at least since the time of the Romans, although it has its roots in the Far East as well. We here at the Parke Company are well known for our landscaping services, because we take inspiration from every corner of the world, and also the history book.

How to Get a Lawn Topiary

Getting Started

As with all landscaping projects, the first thing you need to do is decide what shape the topiary will be in. If you want something a little more low key or one that has a less flashy visual flair, just design one with a basic geometric look, something like a globe or a square or a nestled pyramid. These designs are classic, and since they’re traditionally not something you tend to see popping up naturally, it makes for a nice change of pace when looking upon your yard. They also mix things up in terms of vertical variety, since topiaries can vary in size. The other option is to make something resembling an animal or a person. There is a little more work involved, but it does makes things a bit more fun. For example, a topiary in the shape of a butterfly in an area where they are known to congregate is a nice touch, while incorporating one in the shape of an octopus near or even in a pool is a good idea. A related concept is to use the basic principles of the topiary to make a hedge, or a garden wall around the perimeter of your yard.

Putting in the Work

Once you’ve decided on a design, the next step is to figure out what plant you will use. You want something that grows well and can handle being trimmed regularly. Most bushes work well for this, as they do not require a lot of maintenance beyond the usual watering and pruning. This is where the qualified arborists here at the Parke Company come in, as they’ll be able to find the perfect plant for the job. It’s just one of the more specialized tree services we provide. It is important to remember that topiaries do require a constant eye, because once things start to grow over, it doesn’t take a lot of time for your once nice and trim object to grow into something that can make your lawn look unkempt, kind of the opposite effect you are going for.

Topiaries are probably not for everyone, due to the work that goes into designing and building them. It is something that we here at the Parke Company are happy to do, so if a custom designed and shaped bush is exactly the thing you need to make your landscape perfect, give us a call today and we can get started.

Backyard Weddings: How to Make Your Backyard Special for Your Special Day

March 7, 2024August 9, 2017 by Claire Hopple

Bride and groom kissing in a backyard wedding

Weddings in Nashville are pretty expensive. For some couples, this isn’t an issue, having been blessed with a financially gifted family or great forward thinking. For most couples, however, the stress of the big day is usually the first test they face. With that in mind, many couples are looking to save money any way they can, and since one of the largest expenses is the venue, many look at hosting a smaller outdoor wedding in their own backyards. We here at the Parke Company are big fans of this idea, as it gives the regular backyard a chance to shine in new, unexpected ways. After all, why should the bridal party have all of the fun? It can seem a little daunting, but with a couple of quick changes, the lawn will be wedding ready in no time.

How to Prepare a Backyard for a Wedding

Flowers and Greens and Growing Things

One of the easiest things you can do is something you’ve probably spent a lot of time thinking about during the course of your wedding planning already: flowers. It is pretty easy to put flowers that match your wedding’s color scheme in baskets, displayed nicely around the yard, but there are some other, more natural ideas that work just as well. One idea is to actually plant fresh flowers around the surrounding area to make a natural perimeter. A trellis archway covered in naturally occurring vines is a nice way to cap off the idea, creating a sort of secret garden-esque feeling. It is important to remember to get plants that are in season, otherwise they might begin to die and wither before the occasion, killing not only the plant, but also the mood. Beyond just the flowers, it is a good idea to incorporate seasonal greens and fruits and vegetables as well. So for an autumn wedding, work in things such as corn and pumpkins or cherries, while a spring wedding would call for something along the lines of strawberries. With the sheer amount of color available in the flower and edible plants world, finding something that matches or complements the colors of your party should be a snap.

Incorporating the Existing Landscape

If you are going to have your wedding outdoors, other than making sure the lawn looks nice (i.e. no dead patches of grass or gnarled branches hanging over the guests’ heads) it is important to incorporate the natural landscape into the design of the “venue.” For instance, if there is a prominently displayed tree in the area where your wedding will be, make that a centerpiece of the design, as the backdrop for the bride and groom or as a photospace. Your lawn is special and unique, you might as well make use of it.

Once you begin to view your backyard as the setting for your wedding and not just the space around your home, the landscape design ideas will start to flow and become endless. Of course, if along the way you need a little help with the construction, or planting or fixing, the professionals here at the Parke Company are only a call away.

Late Bloomers: A Guide to Late Summer Planting

March 7, 2024August 1, 2017 by Claire Hopple

No one can question that the world moves quickly. It seems like not that long ago, the area was on the brink of summer, but here we are, with the kids already complaining about back-to-school ads taking over the airways. The point is, if you were thinking about planting new flowers, time is running out if you want to take advantage of what summer has to offer. Some of you might be worried that it’s already too late for that kind of talk, but luckily that is not the case. There remain a lot of options, including several types of vegetables, herbs, and flowers you can plant and enjoy before winter ruins pretty much all chances of having a little green in your life – something the garden professionals here at The Parke Company are firm believers in.

What to Know About Planting in Late Summer

Flowers Forever

It has always seemed that flowers are something to be planted in the early spring, to be appreciated throughout the summer, before failing in the fall as all growing things begin to die. That is not the case however, as there are several types you can plant in the coming weeks that will bloom and you can enjoy late into the year, depending on when the first frost hits. It seems like the world is getting hotter every year, so there is a good chance you can look out your window and still see something lovely, like a chrysanthemum or a peony, growing nicely. Perennials in particular do well under these circumstances, as do some other plants you might not expect: tulips, daffodils, and other typically spring plants can be planted until September to great effect. All it takes is the usual amount of sunshine, water, fertilizer, and love.

Herbs and Veggies

Of course, flowers are not the only things that grow, and in some cases, flowers are actually the most difficult to grow later in the year. Herbs and vegetables, on the other hand, do pretty well late in the year. After all, autumn is the time of the year when most crops are harvested, so it stands to reason they might be able to handle a little frost here and there, not that it’s usually a problem here in Nashville, at least for another couple of months. As far as vegetables go, you can still plant most squashes, cucumbers, beans, broccoli, carrots, and radishes with no problem, if you have the space for it. On the herb side of things, look at planting cilantro, parsley, and basil, as those plants will have the highest chance of success.

It goes without saying that the longer you go without planting these plants, the lower your chances of success become. Do not lose hope! All you need to do is make a plan and stick to it, as soon as possible. If you have questions about what you can grow at this stage in the summer, it might be time to contact one of the professionals here at the Parke Company, as not only will we be able to help you find something still capable of blooming, but also something that looks nice and the best place to plant it.

Fighting the Invaders: Tips For Dealing With Weeds and Vines

March 7, 2024July 25, 2017 by Claire Hopple

It seems like once you have a garden or a landscape that you like, you will spend far more time taking care of it than you will enjoying it. Of course, that’s part of the fun of watching your garden grow and prosper; it’s not as satisfying if you don’t put a certain amount of sweat and blood back into it. One of the most annoying tasks that many come across is the process of removing unwanted plants, such as the invasive vines and weeds that can choke out an otherwise perfectly healthy area in no time flat. There are a variety of herbicides and other harmful chemicals one can use to make this an easier task, but we here at the Parke Company believe in a more natural solution, which is why we have compiled a list of some eco-friendly ways to take care of those pesky plants.

How to Get Rid of Weeds & Vines

Identifying the Enemy

Identifying the problem plants at hand is pretty easy. All you need to do is drive away from Nashville proper and look at the roadside, and you will see entire trees, poles, and more taken over by a particularly invasive and fast-growing plant called Kudzu, also known as “the plant that ate the south.” Another commonly seen invasive plant is the several subsets of the honeysuckle bush, which is not necessarily a bad thing as many people like the smell it produces, but it is not always welcome, and can easily take up valuable resources like sunlight and water. Other plants include the winged burning bush, wintercreeper, and the purple loosestrife. As far as vines go, which are more troublesome considering how quickly they tend to grow, be on the lookout for various types of ivy and creeping charlie.

Taking Action

Once you know what you’re looking for, the problem then becomes what to do about it. Doing something is the first step, as the more you wait the more the problem gets out of hand. It is important to come up with a plan of attack, working from the outside in, and from the top down. Hacking away at the vines and getting to the root of the problem (so to speak) is a great strategy. Do not rip them up right away, as this could damage the roots of any nearby plants. You have to remember that the vines will sprout again soon, but cutting them down to size will have immense benefits for the next phase. For a lot of plants, the answer is to remove the shady coverings as much as possible, which helps them grow, and expose them to the sunlight so they wither and die. Another strategy is to smother the offending plants with a thick liner, although you have to be careful to avoid smothering the good plants, and to work a high-in-nutrient fertilizer into the soil afterwards.

Removing offending vines and weeds is a hard job, one that requires a lot of elbow grease and constant vigilance to make sure they do not return. If they do, you need to be prepared to step in right away or the problem will present itself again. If this seems like a lot of work, you could always give the professionals here at the Parke Company a call and we can help you with your landscaping needs, including maintaining these problematic plants.

Cool in the Shade: Plants That Do Well With Little Sunshine

March 7, 2024July 20, 2017 by Claire Hopple

One of the most difficult things about growing plants and flowers is that they have specific requirements when it comes to the sun. Lack of sun is not usually a problem in Tennessee, where the sun is out on a regular basis, but maybe you don’t have a garden that is in direct sunlight, or maybe you live in an apartment that faces the opposite direction as the sun. A yard with a lot of trees will also cut down on the sunshine that makes its way to the plants, limiting your options in terms of landscape design. Luckily, we here at the Parke Company are specialists when it comes to designing landscapes, and a lack of sunlight is not going to stop us.

Plants that Thrive with Less Sunlight

Shady Plants

The easiest option is to plant flowers and bushes that do well in the shade. There are a lot of them available here in the Middle Tennessee area, and many of them add a dash of color to an otherwise dark area. In particular, something like coleus, a leafy annual that has a nice deep purple color surrounded by a light green tone, would do very well in these kinds of conditions, as would many types of ferns. Another popular idea is to plant certain types of bushes, such as the Ohio Buckeye, under trees, since the plants do not need a lot of sunlight and create a nice layered look against the taller trees. For those dwelling in apartments, bushes and smaller trees obviously are not really a feasible idea, so you probably want to look into growing something smaller, such as spearmint, catnip, or parsley.

Issues and Concerns

Even though these plants do well with the lack of sunlight, there are some other things that you need to look out for. For plants near trees, there could be a bit of a battle for the nutrients in the soil. If left unattended to, the smaller plants will wither and die. An easy way to get around this is to make sure you work in fertilizer and other nutrient-rich additives so that there is enough to go around for everyone. Mulching your leftover grass clippings or leaves is a particularly eco-friendly way to do this. Another concern is water, for the same reasons. Some shade-friendly plants are better suited to dealing with less water, while others are not, so make sure to check into the watering needs of everything you plant.

A lack of sunlight does not mean a lack of green in your world. With a proper amount of care and a nice design, like the kind of work we here at the Parke Company provide, and your yard can still be lively and growing, despite a lack of the usual key ingredient. Even if you live in an apartment, you can still have the life you want, so give us a call today and let us help you achieve your gardening dreams.