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Which Plants Thrive in the Summer Sun?

June 24, 2025June 20, 2025 by The Parke Company

A lush garden with a pathway leading a shed, flowers, and bathed in sunlight.

The summer heat can be brutal in Nashville, and not just for us humans. Our lawns and landscaping can suffer in high heat and drought conditions, but they don’t have to. Here are some plants you can incorporate into your landscaping that will thrive in the summer sun.

Heat-Tolerant Flowers

Want to enhance your landscaping with pops of color but worry about keeping your flowers cared for in the dog days of summer? What plants can take full summer sun? Many flowers are capable of holding up despite the highest heat. Fortunately for anyone with a green thumb, there are tons of flowers that can grow just fine in hot, dry climates like Nashville. Some plants have adapted to high heat and low moisture conditions through environmental changes over the course of generations, while others have been cultivated by botanists to withstand warmer climates. Take the summer snapdragon, for example. Snapdragons are notoriously hard to grow in hot areas, but the hardier cultivar, the summer snapdragon, does just fine. These flowers grow tall or trailing (which means they spread out horizontally on the ground or dangle from hanging pots), with blossoms that can be blue, red, pink, white, or lavender. While they do need regular watering and a boost in the form of liquid fertilizer from time to time, they are very good at growing in full sunlight. They also attract butterflies and aren’t particularly tasty to deer, making them a great option for watching wildlife without worrying about them ruining your hard work.

If you want to plant flowers in summer, you’ve probably heard that lavender is a great bet. This is because lavender is native to the Mediterranean, making it especially resistant to the heat of the summer sun. Lavender provides beautiful color to any landscape and spreads well across garden beds. Lavender is also renowned for its pleasant fragrance, which makes it particularly nice to walk among on a lazy summer evening. As for watering, these perennial plants only need to be hydrated every few weeks unless drought conditions are extreme. In this case, you may need to bump up the watering to a weekly schedule until things get back to normal.

Another great floral candidate for your Nashville landscape this summer is the purple coneflower. These flowers grow quite tall, and their purple blossoms feature large, seed-covered cones. They attract a great deal of pollinators, such as butterflies and finches, which feed on the seeds as they ripen. They grow well in most soil types and need regular (but not frequent) watering, making them one of the best plants to plant in summer.

Drought-Resistant Ground Cover

Ground cover is ideal for garden beds that need to be filled in and can provide a verdant, green hue to every inch of your landscaping. Ground cover and shrubs are known for their hardiness, and if you’re in Nashville, this is what to plant in the summer. Hostas are great for garden beds because, while they do spread, the spread is slow. This helps keep them in their designated areas of a garden bed with minimal pruning, making them easily managed throughout the season. Hostas are most notable for their large heart- or oval-shaped leaves that are usually deep green, but they do flower in the late spring in Nashville. These flowers attract pollinators like most flowers do, but the leaves are attractive to deer. They grow well in partial shade but can stand up to some pretty dry conditions, provided they’re watered regularly.

Looking for something a bit different from the other ground covers you see around Nashville gardens? Try mondo grass. These blanketing plants spread well, stay green all year round, and can tolerate full sun or some shade. The grass-like foliage grows about eight inches tall if not trimmed (it can be mowed like grass, just once a year in the late winter) and even sprouts some beautiful blue berries in the fall. Overall, mondo grass is a very drought-resistant ground cover plant that can spread in problem areas of your garden even in the hottest days of summer.

Sun-Resistant Shrubbery

Shrubbery is an excellent way to give your landscaping a flowing feeling, which also guides the eye along paths or can serve to hide things. Shrubs are versatile aspects of any green space, and they can provide a great deal of protection to the soil in a garden via their roots. This makes them helpful in areas with drainage concerns, and they can be planted alongside smaller, more delicate plants like flowers to give them protection from the elements. But not every type of shrub is ready to put up with Nashville’s harsh summer sun. If you’re looking for some shrubbery to diversify your landscaping but need to ensure you’re choosing drought-resistant plants, we have some picks for you.

One great option for heat-tolerant shrubbery is boxwoods. There are many types of boxwood shrubs that can be planted as decorative elements and borders for your gardens, so make sure you’re getting a cultivar that can withstand dry, hot summer days. Boxwood shrubs can be shaped quite easily to suit whatever style you need and can be pruned even in the summer. These shrubs grow dense and stay green, even when drought conditions are extreme.

Another colorful summer shrub to consider for your Nashville landscaping is the camellia. These hardy, thick shrubs can grow over 10 feet tall and produce flowers in the fall. They require very little care in terms of watering, making them a great drought-proof option for home and business owners looking for privacy shrubs. They do need some protection from sunlight, so they grow best in partially shaded areas. They are evergreen, meaning they’ll give your landscaping a pop of color all year long.

Don’t Let the Heat Foil Your Garden

Overall, there are several landscaping options available for individuals concerned about Nashville’s hot summers. If you’re looking for help with your lawn and garden this summer, from planting and installation all the way to weekly maintenance, look no further than the experts at The Parke Company.

Landscape Maintenance: Four Tips for Summer Weeding in Nashville

July 29, 2025June 6, 2025 by The Parke Company

Closeup image of yellow dandelions in a patch of green grass.

Weeds are just plants, but they can be unsightly and harmful to the health of your landscaping, and they can torment you all summer if you’re not careful. Here are four tips for staying ahead of these pesky plants in your lawn and garden all summer long.

1. Identify Your Problems

One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make when tending their yard or garden is not targeting their specific issues. Landscape maintenance requires some serious dedication, and that means learning what you’re up against. Every region of the world has different weeds, and every type of lawn or garden can be particularly susceptible to a different variety. If you don’t know what specific weeds are a threat to your landscaping, you won’t be armed with the right tools to fight them effectively. Crabgrass is a particularly troublesome weed for Nashville homeowners, and it’s one that can easily infiltrate a lawn without you noticing. Crabgrass looks a lot like other grasses, but it spreads quickly and chokes out the healthy grass or plants you’re trying to grow. Crabgrass germinates in the early spring, so if you notice it now, that means it can be pretty widespread. The easiest way to spot crabgrass is to look for spots in the lawn that are growing taller than the rest. Crabgrass leaves grow tall if left alone, and they tend to hog water as they do it.

Another common Nashville weed is the dandelion. These are pretty self-explanatory. Everyone knows to look for the telltale yellow flower or the wispy, puffy seedlings when it’s about to spread across the lawn. If you know your lawn or surrounding lawns have dandelions, prepare for them before spring gets too far along. For removal after they crop up, you can use certain kinds of pesticides, which we’ll explore a bit later.

Knowledge really is power, and in the case of weeds, it can save you some real labor in the summer if you prepare in the spring. Learning whether the weeds you’re going to encounter are perennial, annual, or biennial drastically changes how you can approach weed treatment. Do you prepare by spraying pesticides, or will it suffice to simply cut a weed down or dig it up at the roots? It all depends on the identity of your lawn’s troublesome invaders, so make sure you know what you’re up against.

2. Keep Your Lawn Healthy

Many weeds are harmful to the health of grasses and other plants in the landscape. One weeding tip that’s often overlooked in the prevention of weeds is to maintain your grass properly. Unhealthy grass will attract weeds and can even help promote their growth, so it’s important that you maintain your lawn properly year-round, but especially in the summer. Homeowners who want to save time may cut corners and mow their lawns shorter to lengthen the time between mowings. This is a big mistake. Short grass is especially attractive for weeds, and cutting your lawn too short can bring tons of weeds and kill your grass. Instead, keep your grass near the top of its recommended height. Not only does this give your lawn a more lush appearance, but it also shades the soil, preventing weeds from germinating.

Another way homeowners may mistakenly invite weeds into their landscaping is by improperly watering. It’s very important to keep your lawn and garden beds properly hydrated in the summer, but doing too much can actually cause weeds and other harmful growth to occur. Watering a lawn deeply but not too much is key. This helps get the water to the deeper root systems. Strong, healthy roots mean that your grass is less likely to die if weeds do crop up. One of the factors that enables weeds to spread rapidly is that their roots are typically shallow. If they are too prevalent in an area, they’ll soak up all the water before your grass roots can get any hydration.

3. Stay on Top of Weeds

Much of what we’ve discussed so far focuses on preventing weeds, but there are many scenarios where you may not be prepared. Whether you’ve just decided to tackle yard care on your own, you just purchased a new home, or you’re just entirely new to the concept, there are plenty of reasons why you may have a serious weed problem already developing in your lawn this summer. So, how do you remove grass weeds? You’ve already tackled the biggest hurdle when it comes to weeding your lawn: you’re ready to act. There are a few ways to remove weeds, but the biggest thing is not to procrastinate on lawn care. If you notice a weed, remove it. Spend some time each day in your lawn or garden inspecting for weeds or plants you cannot identify.

Not every threat to a lawn is necessarily a weed; some non-native or native plants that grow in the wild can cause issues for a lawn or garden. Use online resources to identify risky plants or weeds, and learn the specific ways to treat them. Sometimes, simply pulling a weed up by its roots or cutting it down to the dirt is enough to stop it. Other times, you may need to intervene with pesticides.

4. Use Your Tools Wisely

While time is of the essence, you can cause more problems if you’re too hasty to treat all the weeds in your lawn at once. Some pesticides are designed for use during specific seasons or only on certain types of weeds. Others can be completely harmless against the weed and actively damage the grass or plants in your garden. Always do your research on the pesticides you’re using, from the chemicals they include to the conditions for applying them. Wear proper protective equipment against pesticides, and opt for natural pesticides when possible. Keeping up with pruning should help you ensure you don’t need the heavy-duty stuff, because there are some people who shouldn’t use pesticides. Some may cause issues for pets or people in the home if they’re particularly sensitive, and other people may just prefer a more natural approach.

Don’t Let Weeds Take Over Your Lawn

No matter what your idea of a healthy lawn looks like, you’re sometimes going to need professional help to ensure things look their best. Give us a call at The Parke Company today for a free consultation and estimate on our landscape and lawn maintenance plans, so you can stay weed-free all summer long.

Landscape Installation: Nashville Hardscape Projects That Boost Curb Appeal and Market Value

June 24, 2025May 20, 2025 by The Parke Company

An outdoor patio with a brick fire pit, wooden chairs, a table, and green foliage.

Your landscaping says a lot about how you keep your home, and the benefits that quality design and craftsmanship impart on your property go beyond aesthetic. Here are some hardscape projects for your Nashville property that can boost curb appeal and market value for your home.

What Are Hardscapes?

Landscaping has two general categories: softscapes and hardscapes. Put simply, softscapes are the living components of your yard: the trees, grass, flowers, and plants that make up the green space of your property. Hardscapes, on the other hand, are the inorganic objects that we use to decorate and accentuate our spaces. A good balance of softscapes and hardscapes is critical to ensuring your landscaping looks great and has the proper “flow.” A landscape should feel natural, even if many of its components aren’t at all natural. If your landscaping is hard to navigate, either on foot or with the eye, it’s probably too busy or segmented, and that’s bad for curb appeal.

Landscape installation is an art form, and making sure that you rely on an experienced hand and eye when planning your lawn is critical. If you’re looking for Nashville hardscapes, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of The Parke Company’s most popular hardscape designs and products. These are the hardscapes we install the most, which means they’re both popular and high-quality, because we never compromise on that. Let’s dive right into some great choices for your Nashville landscaping.

Paths and Walkways

A landscape or garden that’s walkable makes a huge difference for potential homebuyers. Seeing beautiful flowers and plants from a distance is fine, but many people love the idea of being able to walk among wildflowers or simply easily access all parts of their yard. There are many ways to incorporate paths and walkways into your landscaping, and each option can create a different feel depending on what you’re looking for. Gravel or stone paths are more affordable than concrete or paver walkways, and they foster a rustic vibe for your landscaping. These paths are more susceptible to becoming washed out or overgrown if not properly maintained or planned for, though. It’s important to make sure that your lawn drains properly before exploring gravel or pea stones as a walkway option. Heavy rains can wash stone from its desired location and make a mess of your garden if you’re not careful, but that’s also true for mulch and soil.

Pavers and concrete walkways are much sturdier options, and they can be great for accessibility purposes and aesthetics. While concrete doesn’t always look great, it provides a very level and easily navigated path, which can be helpful for people with disabilities or the elderly. Concrete can be colored and stamped to look more appealing, which can ease the harshness of the flat color it usually has. While these options are more expensive, they can really enhance the look of your landscaping. Concrete also offers unparalleled durability and longevity, making it a great investment for prospective buyers.

How much value does hardscaping add? It really depends on how much you’re willing to do. Walkways are a huge improvement that can vastly improve the value of your landscape, so they’re one of the biggest ways to see a great return on investment for your landscaping installations.

Fire Pits

Everyone loves a s’more, so if you can incorporate a fire pit into your landscaping safely and attractively, you’ve got a great boost for your home’s market value. Fire pits come in many shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common: they can be dangerous. In Tennessee, fires cannot be constructed within 25 feet of a structure. This means that fire pits need to be installed away from your home, sheds, and other wooden or combustible structures. Fire pits can be free-standing metal or brick enclosures. These are more affordable than larger, more elaborate fire pits that may be designed for other purposes. Some fire pits are premade, and others can be made of paving stones and other inflammable materials, depending on the expertise of your landscaper. Fire pits that use natural gas to produce a flame are becoming more and more popular. These features may require more work, including the installation of underground gas pipes, so they can be more expensive. Other fire pits use propane tanks that can be hidden in the structure of the fire pit, giving you an easily refillable gas source that doesn’t require digging. If you’re on the hunt for landscape installation services near you, The Parke Company can help you get the fire pit that suits your needs and fits your property. We know that a fire pit can be a great addition to a home’s hardscaping, as many home buyers are willing to pay more for social outdoor areas.

Fountains and Water Features

Water features are a great way to make your landscaping more dynamic. These hardscapes are interesting because they can incorporate softscapes like underwater plants and even animals like koi fish into their aesthetics. Fountains and other water features can be quite elaborate or simple, depending on your budget. Some homeowners opt for complex circulating water systems complete with waterfalls and changes in depth. Others simply look for a fun little circulating fountain or a koi pond for natural mosquito prevention. The challenges of water features include budgetary restrictions and the need for electricity or water connections. This can be a dealbreaker for cost-conscious homeowners looking for more affordable hardscapes. But the ROI from a fountain can be substantial when it comes time to list your home on the market, especially in competitive neighborhoods.

Upgrade Your Nashville Property

Ultimately, no matter what hardscape you opt for to improve your landscaping, know that if it’s done well, it can greatly improve the market value of your home or business. If you’re interested in learning more about how hardscapes work and what options give you the best bang for your buck, give The Parke Company a call today for a free consultation and estimate.

Landscape Installation: Spring and Summer Softscape Ideas for Nashville Residents

June 24, 2025May 10, 2025 by The Parke Company

The green season is finally upon us once again in Nashville, so you know what that means: it’s time to start adding color back into your landscape! Here are a few softscape ideas to help you improve your lawn and garden and how to achieve the best results.

Flowers and Color

Incorporating color into your softscape design is one of the quickest ways to improve the overall aesthetic of your yard. Flowers, as well as flowering trees and bushes, can all be added to any lawn to enhance its color. From cherry trees to roses, your landscaping can be a spectacle of color, both big and small.

Spring is a great time to plant perennial and annual flowers. These springtime plants are likely already flourishing, but it’s not too late to get blooming flowers transplanted into your garden beds. While the time has already passed for planting flower seeds or bulbs, there are still many floral options for your lawn. Some of the most common flowers for a great pop of color that grow well in the Nashville climate include gerber daisies, irises, and petunias. You can even transplant bulb-based plants like tulips, which come in practically every color imaginable. While it’s a bit too late to plant most trees (they are best planted in the fall or winter), you can still transplant rose bushes or other flowering plants this spring. Hydrangeas and lilacs are both beautiful, early spring bloomers that can keep going all summer.

Softscaping with flowers or flowering shrubs can be tricky and requires keen attention to detail and knowledge of the soil type, irrigation patterns, and sun exposure of your lawn. That’s why it’s often best to rely on the expertise of the professionals for your landscape installation this spring and summer. When you work with The Parke Company, you can rest assured that the plants we source are high-quality and the perfect addition to your property. Any landscaping company can give you pretty flowers for a week, but a great landscaper knows how and what to plant to provide color and vibrance all season long. Don’t let this dissuade you from trying some DIY on your own, though, if you’re interested in cultivating your green thumb! Caring for a flower garden is a challenge that many homeowners love and take a great deal of pride in. If you’re looking for something to get you and your family outside to connect with nature all spring and summer long, planting flowers is a great way to do it.

Incorporating Nashville Natives in Your Landscaping

The iris is a beautiful flower that can be a great addition to any Nashville lawn, so it’s no wonder that it’s the Tennessee state flower. These native flowers enhance not only the aesthetic appeal of properties but also the overall ecology of the landscape. Native plants attract native insects and birds, which act as pollinators to spread color and keep the land green and healthy.

But irises are far from the only native plant that’s perfect for Nashville landscaping. If you’re looking for a more natural-looking landscape, look no further than the dozens of plants that are native to our area. The benefits of planting native this spring and summer are plentiful. From supporting the ecosystem to conserving water and cutting down on weeds, everyone wins when you landscape with native plants. However, there are things you need to consider when planting native flowers and other plants.

Ensure that the plants you’re looking at won’t cause issues for the trees and grass you already have on your property. Like any plant, some natives can hog space or spread, which might not work for your lawn. Do your research, and do not source native plants from the wild. Transplanting wild plants yourself is not a great idea, as it can damage the ecosystem that you remove them from and bring other plants into your lawn that you may not want. Instead, work with landscapers who source their plants from local nurseries that specialize in Tennessee natives. Beautifying your property while ensuring that your landscaping is going to fit in with the ecosystem is a great way to save money and help plants and animals. While native landscaping isn’t for everyone, it can give you a newfound appreciation for the area’s diverse plant life.

Low-Maintenance Plants for Dry Summers

Native plants are lower-maintenance options for home and business owners because they’re already accustomed to our climate. Since the plants are used to growing in the soil conditions of the area, they call for a lot less watering. This means you don’t need to worry about spending an arm and a leg on watering, even if we get hit with a particularly nasty drought. Likewise, hardy and drought-resistant plants will be fine if you’re out of town on summer vacation. Give yourself one less thing to worry about this summer while keeping your Nashville landscape looking beautiful.

However, there are non-native plants that also work well in Nashville summers, and now is a great time to plant them. If you’re looking to give your landscaping some green despite watering challenges, you can’t go wrong with Appalachian sedge. These stubborn plants will grow with very little water and can put up with some pretty high temperatures. American wisteria is another native, drought-resistant woody vine that can give you vertical color. These vines can grow up to 70 feet on their own without much water to speak of. Not only do these purple flowering vines not need constant watering, but they’re also naturally fairly resistant to pests and other damage. Deer don’t particularly love wisteria either, meaning this might be a good option to plant if you want to keep the color but spare your lawn from dinnertime. Last but not least, another native dry soil champion, the common yarrow, is a beautiful white flower that doesn’t need any attention to deliver beauty. Additionally, yarrow is known for attracting butterflies, which only enhances the overall quality of your lawn. They’re perfect for any lawn that’s difficult to water, and they stay flowering for quite a while.

Embrace the Season’s Blooms on Your Property

No matter what softscapes you’re looking to install this spring, The Parke Company has you covered. If you’re ready to get to work with one of Nashville’s most dependable landscaping companies, give us a call today for a free estimate.

What to Know About Irrigation Startup This Spring

June 24, 2025April 22, 2025 by The Parke Company

Ready to restart your irrigation system after the winter, but aren’t confident doing it yourself? Here are the steps for waking things back up and how irrigation services from The Parke Company can help ensure your sprinkler system is prepared for spring and summer.

First Steps

When spring finally starts, your irrigation system has a chance to start back up, too. Wondering how to start up an irrigation system in spring? You’ve come to the right place! We have tips for best practices and a walkthrough of how to do it yourself if you want.

An irrigation system might seem simple at its core, but it’s made up of many moving parts, and spring startup can be a bit of a chore to tackle on your own. That’s why it’s never a bad idea to consult your local landscaping company if you aren’t confident in the DIY approach. The Parke Company has been installing and maintaining irrigation systems for decades, and we also offer irrigation winterization and startup services if you’re looking for an easier option. But if you’re ready to take on the task yourself, you’re in good hands. While it’s always good to consult the manual (or the steps provided by your irrigation system installer) for the exact steps for your system, below you’ll find a guide for doing it on your own. Take this all with some caution, however, as all systems vary slightly, and your home’s water supply may also be difficult to track down if you’ve never done it before. Usually, it’s as simple as following the pipes in your basement or crawl space toward the sprinkler system on the exterior of your home, but everyone’s setups vary.

A Rough Outline for Irrigation Startup

Before we get any further in the process and turn the water back on, it’s important to do some inspections of the system first. Walk around your lawn and inspect the sprinkler heads, looking for any signs of damage or clogs. If a sprinkler head needs replacing or cleaning, it’s important to do that before running water through your irrigation system. Spring irrigation startup is essentially the reverse of winterization, so if you’ve done that before, this shouldn’t be too difficult.

First, find your vacuum breaker or system backflow. This is generally located on the exterior of your home. It comes up from ground level on your home, and is a collection of pipes that should be easy to spot. There are usually screws or ball valves located on this pipe. Turn those to “closed,” and then close the main water flow before heading inside or into your crawl space and finding the main water supply. This is usually in the basement of your home if you don’t have a crawl space. Now, head back outside and open the water flow into the vacuum breaker. If you’re not sure of the difference between open or closed with a ball valve, it’s simple: if the handle is parallel with the pipe, it’s open. Finally, at the vacuum breaker, you’ll find another ball valve or handle that should be opened. This is the pipe that supplies the irrigation system with water and leads toward the sprinkler system. Once this is open, find your irrigation system’s controller. Turn the controller to manual watering mode. Most systems have this setting, though some may call it simply “Run.” Ensure you select all quadrants or sprinklers if your system has those settings and run them for at least two minutes. Once you have the water running to all of your nozzles, it’s time to inspect everything once again.

Ensuring Proper Function

While the irrigation system is running, visually inspect each sprinkler to make sure that it’s spraying correctly. It shouldn’t be hard to see if things aren’t working right, but be on the lookout for any smaller issues like a single blocked nozzle. This can impede proper water distribution in the summer, so sussing it out now can save you from finding dead spots in your lawn later in the year. After the system has run and the sprinklers have visually cleared your inspection, check the valve boxes in your yard for any leaks. These boxes are usually dug right into the ground and have plastic or metal covers. Depending on the size of your lawn, you may have quite a few, so make sure you are checking each one thoroughly. Look for obvious signs like pooling water or even just some wet soil. It can help to open these valve boxes before running the water and checking them if your soil is particularly dark or already wet from rain; that way, you can spot the difference if a leak does occur. Once you’ve inspected the valve boxes, replace the covers and return to the vacuum breaker. Check for any leaks there. If you don’t see any issues, congrats! You’re all set and ready for the spring. Head back to your sprinkler controls and schedule your first watering.

Maintaining and Upgrading Irrigation Systems

With your irrigation spring startup complete, it’s time to look toward the future. Whether everything worked perfectly or you isolated some problems, it’s important to be proactive with your maintenance and upkeep. The good news is you don’t have to tackle these fixes or upgrades on your own. If you’re stressed about an issue with your sprinkler system or just want to get something a bit more modern to keep up with the dry summer months, The Parke Company is the premier irrigation service near you. While starting up an irrigation system isn’t that difficult to do on your own, it can be a bit time-consuming, especially if any issues are present. Proper winterization can save you from costly damage to your irrigation system, which makes it very important to get that done properly. In the event that you need repairs, we can provide them immediately upon isolating the issue during startup, which saves you time and gets it all done in one day.

Get Sprinkling!

Spring is here, and that means summer will be upon us before we know it. Plan to get your sprinkler system set up as soon as possible. Give us a call at The Parke Company to schedule irrigation system startup and maintenance today.