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Storm Prep: How to Protect Your Trees and Landscape From Seasonal Changes

September 4, 2025September 4, 2025 by The Parke Company

As the seasons change in Nashville, the weather can become quite unpredictable. Fall is a time when leaves change color, but it can also be a time of intense storms, especially if La Niña develops. Protecting your trees and landscaping from these storms and winds is possible, as long as you know how to prepare. Here are some of our tips for storm prep this fall.

Fall Storm Tree Preparation

For young trees, high winds can pose big problems. Fall can bring major gusts, with the added risk of tornadoes later in the fall, so it’s important to be prepared for these types of weather. If you’ve recently transplanted trees in the last few years, you can do a few things to ensure that they have a good chance of surviving the seasonal changes between summer and fall.

Water your young trees deeply but infrequently; this helps them naturally develop stronger root systems. If you’ve already had your trees on a good watering schedule this summer, keep it up in the fall, paying attention to drought conditions to ensure that you aren’t overwatering. Too much water can damage roots or simply soften the soil, making the tree’s root system weaker. Stronger roots keep trees from being uprooted during windstorms, but saplings have the odds stacked against them.

Fortunately, there are other things you can do for young trees to protect them from storm damage. You likely have seen stakes planted around a tree, attached by rope or wire. Staking is a common form of tree protection that helps saplings grow straight and survive stormy weather. Staking provides supplemental support to a tree, giving it extra strength to stand up against damaging gusts from fall storms. The best stake method depends on the type of tree and its location, but generally, you should use three stakes to give it optimal support. It’s important to drive stakes into the ground at least a foot from the tree, avoiding damage to the rootball that’s underground. Triangulating the stakes around the tree helps provide it with the best support, while ensuring that you do not over-tighten the guiding wire, which gives the tree assistance without damaging it. Trees also need to flex and bend in the wind, as this is a natural way to strengthen their trunks as they develop. Giving them some space to move naturally while staking them is the best way to guarantee they thrive as they mature.

The best way to protect your trees is to give them a lot of attention and care year-round so they stay healthy and robust. While the summer and early fall aren’t the most optimal for tree pruning, you can still consult an arborist to give you an idea of your trees’ health and alert you to any problems. Pruning during this time of year can be risky, and actually make your trees more susceptible to damage from fall storms and the potential remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms. If a tree expert can properly inventory your trees, however, they may have other ways to help your trees weather the storms they may face this year. Nashville trees are no strangers to heavy winds, but that means they may have damaged limbs. Removing dead wood can be done in the fall, and when it’s properly and safely performed, tree trimming is possible all year round. Ensuring that any damage from recent summer storms is properly cleaned up and cleared away helps prevent disease and hazards posed by partially fallen branches. Work with local professionals like the folks at The Parke Company this fall to make sure your trees are ready for the fall and winter seasons.

Preparing Landscaping for Colder, Windier Weather

Hiring a reliable Nashville tree service is important, but it’s not the only thing you need to do this fall to ensure your property is ready for the changing weather. Trees aren’t the only aspect of a Nashville lawn that needs assistance when it comes to heavy winds and fall storms. Garden beds, shrubbery, and hardscape features are all at risk of wind damage this autumn.

Wrapping shrubbery and bushes is an effective way to protect them from damage caused by wind, cold, and even pests this winter. Generally, burlap is used, which helps to insulate the plant and keep moisture locked in. As winter leads to scarcer food for local wildlife (such as deer), they may find your garden to be a convenient food source. Wrapping keeps them from defoliating your garden and leaving you with dead landscaping come spring. Another way you can protect your landscaping from fall and winter storms is by replenishing mulch. Mulch can be washed away by heavy summer rainfall, so ensuring that your garden bed is properly mulched this fall is important. Mulch protects roots from wind erosion and insulates them from cold weather, while also locking in moisture and releasing it slowly for steady hydration during a plant’s dormant winter cycle.

Protect Your Other Outdoor Features

Once your plants are prepared for the changing seasons, you need to make sure that your non-plant lawn decor is ready for wind and cold. Some outdoor furniture or other decorations may not be heavy enough to withstand high winds. Consider taking some things into storage, either in your shed or garage for the fall and winter storms. Alternatively, you can use stakes to help secure lighter hardscapes and keep them from blowing away. Water features and irrigation systems should be winterized in preparation for the colder months, as we often experience cold snaps that could cause damage by freezing water in pipes or sprinkler heads. Follow proper winterization procedures to drain all of the water from anything that can be harmed by even the slightest risk of a freeze, as you’re much better safe than sorry when it comes to the unpredictable Nashville winters we’ve been having. As with all of these tips, many of these things are best left to the pros.

Parke Can Help as Things Cool Down

Don’t hesitate to reach out to The Parke Company and schedule a visit with a landscaper or arborist to guarantee you’re ready for the changing seasons. Give us a call today to make your appointment, before fall storm damage poses a problem for you.

Signs Your Trees Are Struggling in Nashville’s Summer Heat—and What to Do

September 4, 2025August 21, 2025 by The Parke Company

Summer can be hard on us all. With high heat and low rainfall in many parts of the U.S., we’re dealing with some unpleasant weather this summer. Nashville is still getting plenty of rain this summer, but it’s been scorching hot. The trees on your property may be struggling with the heat, so let’s review how to spot signs of distress and what you can do to help ensure your trees are healthy during this especially warm summer.

Leaf Scorch

From the sound of it, leaf scorch should be leaf damage directly caused by the hot sun, but it’s not. Instead, the heat is indirectly causing this issue for your trees. Summer tree damage like leaf scorch is actually the result of inadequate water, which is something we often see in drought-prone Nashville summers. Even during rainier summers, leaf scorch can rear its head.

The visible symptoms of leaf scorch are easy to spot, but detecting them early is important to ensure that you can help a tree recover. Look for leaf scorch when the weather is especially dry, but always keep an eye out for this issue. You’ll notice that your leaves are looking like they’re starting to die, similar in appearance to how they may look in the fall. In the early stages of leaf scorch, the outside edges of leaves will turn brown—look along the borders of your trees’ leaves for brown, dry, and crumbly foliage. When unresolved, leaf scorch can turn the entire leaf brown, and it will eventually fall from the tree. Check the grounds of your property for fallen leaves that are either fully or partially brown for an early indicator of leaf scorch.

The best way to treat leaf scorch is to provide more water to your tree. Leaf scorch in the summer is usually due to drought, but other factors can contribute. The roots of a tree manage its water supply. If the soil around the tree is relatively well hydrated, the issue may be with root damage or problems with the trunk of the tree. This can be harder to diagnose and treat on your own. That’s why you should consider consulting a landscaping company in Nashville like The Parke Company, as their expertise can help correctly diagnose a leaf scorch issue early and help you treat it.

Other Leaf Indicators

The leaves of a tree are the best way to determine its overall health, but leaf scorching is just one sign. Other notable signs determine something is going wrong with your tree, and the health of the leaves is your best bet for spotting things early.

In the summer, trees are exposed to a lot of sunlight, which they need to live, converting water and carbon dioxide into food. But that sunlight can be overkill, especially when a tree doesn’t have enough water. Leaves of a malnourished or underwatered tree will visibly change, wilting, shrinking, and turning yellow or brown. Outside of the fall, when deciduous trees naturally shed their leaves, leaf drops are a sign of a stressed tree. If your tree is losing a lot of leaves, and you notice its crown thinning or just dead foliage piling up on your lawn, there’s something wrong.

Spotting Other Summer Tree Issues

Leaves aren’t the only parts of a tree that suffer when dealing with high temperatures and drought. But what are the other symptoms of heat stress in trees?

A good indicator that something is wrong in younger trees is slow growth. You likely won’t notice a lack of growth from a larger, mature tree, but in some cases, you may be able to observe that growth has slowed or halted in newer trees. These trees should have rooted well after planting them, but signs of failure are relatively easy to spot in a tree’s first season. You should never try planting trees in summer heat. Instead, opt for fall or late winter for transplanting in Nashville. If your properly planted tree is struggling (whether that means it’s not growing taller or sprouting leaves), that’s a pretty good indicator that it’s not getting adequate hydration.

On mature trees, you may notice dead limbs or branches in the summer. These are quite visible sometimes, as the leaves on healthy limbs contrast them. If you note dead limbs or visible signs of rot or pest infestation, it could be due to summer heat and dryness. Getting the proper help quickly is the best way to prevent issues like this from leading to the tree’s death. In many cases, early intervention can help put a tree back on the right course, even during the toughest drought.

How to Help Struggling Trees

Now that you know many of the most obvious things to look out for, you’re probably wondering what can be done. Rather than tell you what you should have done, we’re going to focus on what you can do now to help a struggling tree.

The best thing you can do for your trees during signs of heat stress is to call an arborist. Professional tree service landscapers are well-versed in a tree’s complex health system and can give you the proper diagnosis and treatment plan for getting your tree back to good health. Arborists will recognize signs you may miss, and can help you take stock of all the trees on your property that may need help. Since most of the time water is the issue, the solution is often to improve your landscaping’s irrigation. Whether that means introducing a sprinkler system that targets trees (and also can help keep your lawn looking green) or employing a soaker hose directly on the roots of afflicted trees, you have options.

Improving the drainage of your property may also help you deliver much-needed moisture to the trees that need it. In some cases, parts of your landscaping may be too wet and others too dry, which can lead to other issues like mold and fungal growth. Installing drainage systems or improving gutter downspout management can help alleviate problems with a tree’s water supply.

Ultimately, the right fix for your tree comes down to the root cause of its issues. While heat stress and drought conditions common in summer deprive trees of water, other issues like disease, rot, or invasive insect damage can cause similar symptoms. In those cases, extra water won’t help and could actually harm the situation.

Help Your Trees This Summer and Beyond

Expert intervention is the best thing for trees and homeowners alike when summer heat causes problems for your landscaping. Give us a call at The Parke Company today for a free consultation and estimate on how we can help your trees during this difficult season.

Late-Summer Planting Guide: What to Add to Your Nashville Landscape Now for Fall Beauty

September 4, 2025August 7, 2025 by The Parke Company

As summer starts winding down and the weather starts to cool, it’s time for another round of new landscaping additions for your green thumb to work with this fall. Here are some colorful flowers you can plant now to enhance the fall beauty of your Nashville landscaping this autumn, and some tips for making the most of your efforts.

Preparing For Fall

One of the best ways to ensure you get the most from your garden this fall is to have it cleaned up and ready before it’s too late. Toward the end of August and into September, you may notice some of your summer blooms aren’t faring that well. This is natural. Before you can get to planting anything new, you can give your garden bed a refresh by pruning your flowers or removing dying annuals like sunflowers or petunias. It’s also a good time to cut back on perennials that are going into rest mode as the summer comes to a close. You don’t need to remove them completely, but taking off deadheads and even cutting the flower back safely with pruning scissors can help clear the way.

Rather than throwing these plants away, incorporate them into your compost and use the fertilizer later on. Landscaping in Nashville is a constant fight with the extreme variations in moisture we see depending on the season, so it’s important to make sure your garden bed manages water well. Use the cooling weather as an opportunity to work on your garden, refreshing mulch and removing weeds so that you can start planting all over again.

Now that you’re well prepared for late summer planting, it’s time to explore your best options.

Autumnal Floral Ideas for Late Summer Planting

There are many ways to give your garden a pop of color in the early fall, but you need to start preparing right now. Late summer in Nashville is still quite hot, but we tend to see a bit more precipitation in August and September, making it prime time for adding new flowers to the garden. Whether you’re new to the area or you’ve been here for decades, you may be wondering the same thing: what exactly is there to plant in late summer?

Some flowers aren’t well-suited to fall weather, just like others aren’t exactly hardy in the dry heat of summer. Many annuals work well in the summer or fall, however, so let’s review what you can plant right now to ensure your garden looks good even as temperatures cool.

Rudbeckia Black-Eyed Susans

These flowers, related to the sunflower, are probably already familiar even to a novice gardener. Known for their large and vibrant, yellow-orange petals and dark centers, the black-eyed Susan can be planted throughout the spring and summer, but they only bloom for a limited period. If your garden already has black-eyed Susans in it (they’re especially good in the heat but can survive cooler weather just as well), you may be able to use the seeds from the previous flowers to have another round grow in the fall. They can bloom in late August and into September here in Nashville, and prefer direct light. Black-eyed Susans also don’t need a ton of water or maintenance to give off fall colors for several weeks, making them a great pick for folks without a ton of free time for taking care of their garden.

Lantana

Lantana is another flower that’s well-suited for your Nashville landscape in late summer and into the fall. Lantanas are beautiful, small flowers that love sunlight and thrive in direct light with well-draining soil. Lantanas come in many colors, ranging from white to bright pink, and everything in between. They’re an excellent addition to any landscape in need of some color and variety, which can be hard to come by with the arrival of fall weather. These flowers need a lot of water when they’re first planted, so take advantage of late-August rainstorms to give them a free boost.

Zinnia

Zinnias, much like black-eyed Susans, can be planted from spring into late summer. In many cases, zinnias are only knocked out by the first frost, which may not come for several months if we’re lucky. While most folks suggest late July as the latest time for planting a zinnia, with the proper maintenance and watering, they can thrive in your garden even if you plant them in August. Landscaping in Nashville can be quite strange, that way. You can get away with a lot of unorthodox planting by taking full advantage of our protracted summers and fall rain showers. Zinnias grow tall and can produce some expressive color for your garden when other plants are starting to shrink away.

Chrysanthemum

The chrysanthemum (or “mum” for short) can be planted in the spring for summer color, or in the late summer to flourish all fall. Well-maintained mums planted in the spring can last all the way through the fall, but they can be planted now in a pinch. Also known as the mum, chrysanthemum flowers come in many colors and are especially hardy. They can withstand high temperatures and some considerably cooler weather, making them great for the fall. Nashville temperatures can always fluctuate pretty wildly, but the mum doesn’t mind at all. Mums need plenty of water, but they’re well worth the effort!

Pansies

Pansies are a flower that you can plant as late as mid-fall, making them one of the best failsafes for fall and even winter color here in Nashville. Pansies have a broad spectrum of color, making them a great way to diversify your landscaping in the autumn. Pansies can be difficult to plant from seed, so you may have better luck buying established flowers from local nurseries or having them installed by a landscaping company. They need well-drained soil and frequent watering, but produce eye-popping results when well-cared for.

Color Your Landscape With The Parke Company

Every landscape benefits from pops of seasonal color. The late summer and fall are also great times to plant spring-blooming bulbs, giving you a head start on next year with months to spare. No matter what you’re looking to do with your landscaping this summer, The Parke Company is on standby to handle your planting, maintenance, and installations. Leave a message on our website for a free consultation and estimate so you can keep your landscaping looking colorful year-round.

The Importance of Mulching in Mid-To-Late Summer for Nashville Yards

July 29, 2025July 24, 2025 by The Parke Company

A colorful garden scene with plants, tools, and a cozy home backdrop.

Mulching is an important part of maintaining and improving your property’s landscaping, but is there a bad time to do it? Adding mulch or laying new mulch during any season isn’t a bad idea, but should you mulch at the end of summer? Read on to learn more.

The Benefits of Mulching Anytime

Mulch is a vital tool for landscapers. Whether you have a green thumb or are a professional lawn care provider like The Parke Company, mulch is something you’re going to need to become proficient in. Mulch can do a lot for lawns and gardens, as well as trees. One of the most important things that mulch does is protect the soil. Topsoil is a precious commodity in any lawn and garden because it helps protect root systems. Along roadways and other areas where traffic or pollution can occur, topsoil can help filter contaminants from rainwater, preventing them from reaching the roots. Without topsoil, many plants could be washed away, and trees might suffer from root die-off.

But what does mulch do to help topsoil? Mulch can be very absorbent, meaning it can soak up heavy rains and distribute water more slowly to the plants around it. Mulch also creates a natural barrier to protect the soil beneath it from heavy torrential rains, hail, and run-off from homes or other structures that may damage topsoil.

So if we’re in the midst of a streak of heavy rainstorms, can you mulch in the summer to help protect your garden beds? The answer is yes. There’s no bad time to mulch, so if you notice your mulch needs some replenishing, even this late in the summer, go right ahead and stock up. While most recommend mulching in the fall and spring to prepare gardens for seasonal change, there’s no single right answer for when to mulch.

Mulch is also an essential component for trees and garden plants during the winter months. A few inches of mulch around a tree during a cold snap in the fall or winter can prevent soil temperatures from reaching a critically low level, thus saving your tree or plant from root damage. If you’re outside already, enjoying the summer sun and hanging out by the pool or maintaining your flower garden, there’s no reason not to mulch in the summer. Since the late summer is generally pretty hot here in Nashville, it’s not everyone’s favorite time to work outside for too many hours. But there’s no reason it can’t be done.

Mulch is also important when trying to keep weeds at bay. Mulch can stop the weed seeds from germinating, keeping them in the dark. If stubborn weeds do crop up in spite of your mulching, they won’t have roots that are as deep because of the mulch’s intervention. This makes the act of weeding easier on your hands and a far less time-consuming task.

New Mulch in Nashville During the Summer

What about if you’re looking to install a new garden bed during the late summer months? If you’ve heard warnings against undertaking new projects in the summertime, let us give you some peace of mind. Installing a new mulched garden in the summer isn’t going to cause you any major problems. Are there better seasons for installing mulch to prevent weeds in garden beds? Of course! But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. The main reason that people don’t often add new mulched gardens in the summer is because that’s when weeds are running rampant. During this time, it can be difficult to ensure that weeds aren’t already taking root beneath the new mulch. One way to help ensure that mulch does its job despite stubborn weeds is to rake and till the topsoil where you’re going to add mulch. This helps kill any weeds that may be developing, as most don’t have deep roots when they’re not visible above ground. When you mulch properly, you don’t need to worry about excessive weeds in a garden bed. This is especially true if you already practice proper weed and pest management on your property.

If you’re ready to mulch now, we are too. Mulch is most effective when laid properly, so it’s important to leave this work to experienced landscapers. This helps ensure that any of the risks associated with mulching in the late summer don’t crop up later in the year.

Risks of Mulching in Mid-To-Late Summer

Many of the dangers associated with mulching in Nashville during the summer don’t really depend on the season. Over-mulching is the real problem, and it doesn’t matter when you do it; it will cause trouble. Too much mulch, especially in the late summer when the rain tends to pick up, can encourage too much moisture retention. Thick beds of mulch can absorb high amounts of water, which can lead to mold and fungal growth. Besides being unsightly, mold and fungi, like mushrooms, can damage plants by taking over their territory. Mold is also a good indicator of a worse issue: your roots might be drowning. If there’s a lot of moisture above ground in the mulch, that means the soil is also heavily saturated. Roots can’t absorb all the water that heavy mulching can lead to, and this means roots are in danger of dying. This will quite quickly harm smaller plants and shrubs and can weaken trees to the point of disease as well. Moist mulch can also have the opposite effect that it has during the winter, and the temperature of the soil in the hot sun can rise to dangerous levels for your garden plants. So if you lay mulch on too thick, you may be doing a lot more harm than good for your landscaping.

Get Help Mulching the Right Way

There’s no wrong season to mulch, but there are things that can certainly go wrong if you’re mulching incorrectly in the middle or end of summer. Dispense with the guesswork when it comes to mulching this summer and call the pros at The Parke Company for a free consultation and estimate for your mulching needs.

Summer Irrigation Tips: How to Conserve Water While Keeping Your Lawn Lush

July 29, 2025July 8, 2025 by The Parke Company

A sprinkler showering a vibrant green lawn.

The summer months are upon us, and with that comes extreme heat and potential drought in Nashville. Here are a few tips for conserving water during these dry, hot months while maintaining your lawn’s vibrance.

1. Store Water

One of the best ways to conserve water while ensuring your landscaping stays hydrated during a dry spell is to catch rainwater. Early spring and summer can be quite wet, but that much-needed hydration doesn’t always extend into the late summer and early fall. We’re no strangers to droughts in and around Nashville, so what can you do to take advantage of rain in the wet season?

Catching and storing rainwater can save you money on your water bills and help conserve water when everyone (plant life included) needs it most. Attaching rainwater collection systems to your home can help you collect and store valuable rainwater year-round, allowing you to use it to irrigate your lawn.

There are many ways to collect and store rainwater, with a method available for nearly every budget and type of home. Most systems use a home’s gutters to collect water into one or more storage barrels. These barrels can hold water for weeks or months, depending on how well insulated they are, and they can be collected from when the need for water arises. From whole-home collection systems to DIY rain barrels set up under your downspouts, the only limit is the amount of time and money you’re willing to invest in rain catchment. For most homeowners, the systems pay for themselves in saved water within the first year, as even the more expensive systems aren’t too costly. Since rain catchment is relatively low-tech, you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to efficiently gather and store water for your irrigation system. You can supplement your summer irrigation with rain barrels and other forms of rain catchment, but chances are you’ll still need a full lawn irrigation system.

2. Tune Up Your Irrigation System

One way to maximize the benefits of your irrigation system is to ensure it’s functioning properly. A single, persistent leak may not stop your lawn from being irrigated, but it could waste gallons of water all summer long. When the ground is particularly dry, small leaks may not be noticeable before they’re absorbed deeper into the soil. Yearly irrigation inspections and tune-ups help ensure that you’re getting the most from your sprinklers.

The springtime is the best season to have your irrigation system pipes and sprinkler heads looked over for damage, but it’s not too late if you’re considering doing it in the summer! To conserve water with your irrigation system, make sure it’s functioning properly. Proactive sprinkler replacement is relatively affordable, but if your system springs a major leak, it may cost a lot more to fix in a pinch. Don’t let it come to that; opt for yearly Nashville irrigation services with The Parke Company.

3. Water at the Right Time

Knowing the right time of day to water and how regularly to run your irrigation system will ensure you save money and time this summer. So, what is the best time for irrigation in summer? It’s generally accepted that it’s best to water your lawn well before the temperature is going to reach its peak. Following that wisdom, the best time to water is in the very early morning. How early is too early? There’s no real wrong answer there. Between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. works best, but when the weather is especially hot, it’s best to go earlier rather than later. The primary reason for watering so early in the morning is to avoid evaporation. When you water early, when the sun is either completely down or just rising, the water has enough time to properly soak into the soil. Watering during daylight hours means you’re losing a certain percentage of water to the air before it has a chance to help your lawn at all. Evaporation can happen quickly in the summer (it’s what makes summer so humid here), so don’t underestimate the water savings that a proper irrigation schedule can provide.

Watering in the evening is not great for plants because it can allow the moisture to sit too long in the soil, leading to fungal growth. Maybe you’ve noticed that after a particularly wet week, mushrooms crop up in the garden. This can happen with irrigation systems, even during a drought. Timing is everything, but fortunately, there’s a wealth of wisdom available on when to water in every specific region, taking into account the current weather trends. Don’t want to do all the research yourself? Work with a landscaping company to help determine your watering schedule, and have us do the programming and planning for you. You might think that a drought instantly calls for more water than when the climate is more normal, but that’s not always the case. Many plants, especially those found in Nashville, are naturally drought-resistant. Giving them too much water, even when it’s drying up at record rates, may be detrimental to their health.

4. Prepare Garden Beds and Other Plants

It’s not just your lawn that needs water during a drought. Every plant in your landscaping will struggle to remain hydrated in the summer heat. That competition can deprive your grass (which has shallower roots) of the moisture it needs. One way to keep your grass healthy is to maintain the water levels of the surrounding trees and garden beds on your property. Mulch is an excellent insulator, which can protect the ground around flowers and trees from rapid drying under the sun’s intense rays. Mulch helps with water conservation by keeping moisture where it needs to be, and can act as a short-term storage for water, as wood and other natural mulch materials absorb water.

Since mulch keeps roots cooler, they need less water to properly support a plant’s growth and nutrition. Mulch also protects roots year-round, so when we do get some torrential rain, the healthy soil doesn’t wash away when a lot of water falls quickly on the garden. Exposed tree roots can dehydrate under even mild summer heat, which can greatly weaken a tree’s foundation and negatively affect its health.

Go Into the Dry Season With Confidence

Want to ensure that your home or business’s irrigation system is ready for summer, no matter how hot it gets? Give us a call at The Parke Company for a consultation and full inspection of your sprinkler system today.