How Are Landscaping Clippings Recycled and Reused?

March 7, 2024December 4, 2019 by The Parke Company

Make Your Landscaping Work Renewable

In the pursuit of creating a greener planet, how you care for your landscape has never been more important.

While a neighborhood fall cleanup and regular recycling are great ways to care for the needs of the Earth, your landscaping services can also play an instrumental role in helping you foster the health of the planet.

When most people complete landscaping project, the natural reaction is to bag up clippings and trimmings and leave them out for yard waste services to pick up. What you may not have realized, however, is that the leftovers from your latest landscaping endeavor can actually be reused in important ways.

When you’re completing your next landscaping project or hiring lawn services, keep these things in mind as you consider how your landscaping clippings can be recycled and reused.

Different Types of Landscaping Waste

Tree Waste

In most circumstances, large tree branches cannot be simply disposed of after tree removal. One thing that tree waste can be exceptionally useful for, however, is mulch.

This does mean that you will need to ensure your tree removal services will also involve a tree chipper as well.

When you’re arranging for a tree to be removed from a space on your property, the chips from that tree can be used to help foster growth for new plants around that area or to help bolster the flourishing of plants already there.

Especially as fall and winter rolls around, tree waste can also make excellent kindling and firewood. Depending on local laws, if you don’t have a fireplace (or just have a lot more wood than you would need) you can also loan out free firewood to friends, or try to turn your tree care into a small profit by selling your excess firewood.

Lawn Waste

Much like tree trimmings, lawn waste can also make excellent mulch. As long as your haven’t been having significant lawn problems, reusing lawn clippings to better the plant life of your property couldn’t be easier.

Simply avoid the temptation to bag up your grass clippings!

In the summer, you may want to rake or brush clippings to the margins of your lawn so that you avoid unsightly sunspots in your grass, but capitalizing on the benefits of reusing grass clippings is a low-maintenance way to go green with your landscaping services.

Garden Waste

One of the most beneficial ways to reuse and recycle landscaping clippings is through saving your garden waste. Composting is certainly not a new idea, but you may not have realized just how tremendous the benefits can be.

Not only does composting on your own property help you to make use of fruit and vegetable scraps and avoid sending them to a landfill, it also deeply enriches soil with vital nutrients. Plus, according to the EPA, composting these organic materials can even help reduce methane emissions that would normally arise in landfills and reduce your carbon footprint overall.

As more and more data on the current state of the environment is revealed, conscientious citizens understand that it is more important than ever to carefully tend to the environment. One simple way to do that is through reusing and recycling the landscaping clippings you’d normally bag up and toss out.

An even simpler way to go green is by having your landscaping service provider do it for you. Make your life simple by contacting the experienced professionals at The Parke Company, who have the know-how to properly care for the aesthetic and environmental quality of your property. Our experts have the exact skills necessary to best fulfill your landscaping dreams without harming the planet.
Give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you.

How Long Will My Home Landscaping Installation Take?

March 25, 2024December 2, 2019 by The Parke Company

Most homeowners know that there is no renovation completed without a little bit of mess. Any painting project will require some tarps thrown around your home. Tree removal projects will involve trucks around your home and quite a bit of debris cleaning and raking leaves.

Even so, no one wants tons of bulky equipment lying around their property and landscaping professionals milling about for weeks on end if it’s not absolutely necessary.

If you’re considering a new landscaping installation, expedience is a must. When you’re weighing your options for landscaping services, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Factors in How Long a Landscaping Installation Takes

Mutual Availability

Like any major project in your home or landscape, a new landscaping installation will take some planning and schedule shifting.

If your availability and your landscape service provider’s availability aren’t harmonious, you may be at a bit of a standstill. While not all landscaping projects require that you are present during their completion, if you’re someone who likes to closely monitor projects being completed on your property, mutual availability will be something to take into consideration.

You will also want to consider when your landscaping service provider is available to begin work on your desired landscaping project.

If the particular installation you desire is a hardscape like paving or a new pond, you will most likely need to wait until the next warm season to begin breaking ground on those projects. The same goes for certain seasonal plant softscapes.

Talk with your landscaping professionals about how their availability (and yours!) may affect the timeline of your next project.

Property Status

Starting your next landscaping installation project will also depend heavily on the current state of your property.

If you’ve already got lawn problems and are in dire need of lawn services, the basic needs of your property will need to get taken care of before you start adding “window dressing,” so to speak.

When you speak with your landscaping professional about what you envision for your property, ask them for an evaluation on the current state of your property. If they notice that your property needs a significant amount of basic care and lawn maintenance before new installations can be considered, you may be significantly extending the timeline of your next installation.

This may also cause your to reconsider the design of your project to better fit the current state of your property, for expediency’s sake.

Whatever you decide, it is vital that you have a professional take inventory of your property before you start planning big projects.

It would be devastating to start planning and designing a gorgeous gazebo, only to learn that several trees would need to be removed first, setting back your timeline significantly.

Project Magnitude

It goes without saying that a larger project will likely take more time. For most people, there is a particular design dream they have in mind and the timeline will simply have to work around that dream.

On the other hand, if you’re just looking to revitalize your property and can allow for some adaptability to your design ideas, you may be able to speed up the process of beautifying your home.

For those in a time crunch, speak to your landscaping design professionals about your low-maintenance options for beautifying your property. These experts may have great ideas for ways that you can improve the look and feel of your outdoor spaces that will save you time and money.

Regardless of how long it takes to complete your landscaping installation, the most important thing is that you don’t do it alone. The landscaping professionals at The Parke Company have the experience and the skills to meet the unique needs of your property and bring your design dreams to life.
Give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you.

How Often and How Much Should My Lawn Be Watered?

March 7, 2024November 18, 2019 by The Parke Company

Rainbow showing in a sprinkler watering a lawn

Regardless of the climate in which you live, letting natural rainfall be your lawn’s sole source of water is a recipe for lawn problems. If you want a lush, green lawn that is the envy of your neighborhood, you’ll need to water your lawn through other methods. Whether it is through an irrigation system, a tried-and-true sprinkler, or some other method, you’ll need to conduct some lawn maintenance if you want to keep your lawn looking vibrant and healthy.

In that case, you may then find yourself asking the same question many property owners are asking: How often and how much should my lawn be watered?

When you’re strategizing for your next landscaping project or hiring lawn services, you’ll want to consider these factors in your decision-making process.

Factors in How Your Lawn Should Be Watered?

Type of Grass

Every person has different tastes and dietary needs, and so do different types of grass. According to the lawn experts at Scott’s, keeping a newly-seeded lawn moist (but not drenched) is critical for maintaining your lawn’s health.

According to their lawn professionals, “You will likely need to mist the seeded area once or twice a day (possibly more if it’s hot and dry outside). Once the seeds start to germinate, continue to keep the top 2 inches of soil moist until the new grass reaches a mowing height of around 3 inches. After that, begin to cut back watering to twice per week and soak the soil deeper, about 6 to 8 inches, to encourage the grass roots to grow down deep into the soil.”

The specific breed of grass can also be an indicator of the quantity and frequency of water necessary to keep your lawn healthy.

Grasses like tall fescue have deep root systems that will hold up well during dry spells and require less frequent watering. On the other hand, breeds like Kentucky Bluegrass will lie dormant during dry seasons and perk back up when rain comes back.

If you didn’t personally seed the grass on your property, there is a good chance that you’re not even sure what type of grass your lawn is comprised of. In that case, call up the seasoned professionals at The Parke Company to get a proper evaluation of your property’s lawn and strategize how to best care for its health.

Climate

In most cases, it’s important to understand that an established lawn is fairly resilient. Lawns can turn grey or brown during a dry spell and go dormant, then revive when rain returns.

This may not be the case, however, if your grass is in constant turmoil. A typical, healthy lawn might be able to survive weeks without being watered, but if you live in a dry climate, in which your lawn is suffering months at a time without rain, your lawn is already at risk.

To determine if the climate of your region has gotten the best of your lawn, you can perform the “footprint test”. If you walk through your lawn and your footprints quickly disappear, you’re in luck! Your lawn has stayed hydrated. If your footprint remains, this means that your grass lacks the moisture to spring back into place.

Experts recommend that the “top 6 to 8 inches of soil (where most turfgrass roots grow) is wet. Most lawns need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week—either from rain or watering—to soak the soil that deeply. That amount of water can either be applied during a single watering or divided into two waterings during the week.”

If your climate does not naturally offer this much rainfall, you’ll need irrigation to compensate for the lack of moisture.

Figuring out exactly how much moisture your lawn is receiving is no simple task, and while there are hacks like “can tricks” and complicated math, you might want to save the science projects for another time.

For now, make your life simple. The same experienced professionals who can help you with lawn mowing and fall cleanup can also help ensure that your lawn is being watered properly for the specific needs of your property. Our experts have the exact skills necessary to evaluate your lawn’s current condition and strategize how to best fulfill your landscaping dreams.

Give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you.

What to Consider When Interviewing and Hiring a Professional Landscaper

March 7, 2024November 4, 2019 by The Parke Company

Whether it’s tree removal, irrigation system repair, or other landscaping services, hiring the right person to do the job is paramount to your project’s success. When you’re deciding who to hire for your next landscaping project, you’d benefit from doing a bit more than a few minutes of scrolling through Yelp reviews.

Here are a few things you should consider when interviewing and hiring a professional landscaper.

The Interview

This phrase may be catching you off-guard. An interview with my landscaper? Chances are that you have rarely, if ever, interviewed a prospective business to complete work on your house.

While this may seem like a strangely formal step, interviewing contractors and other home renovation services is fairly normal. With projects like landscaping and renovation, high costs require that you find the exact person right for your job. It would be a tragedy to spend large amounts of money for a project that fails to live up to your expectations, or fails entirely.

What to Think About

Price Range

Even if a landscaping service provider has stellar reviews, those four or five stars come at a price. Certain projects with a high aesthetic value may warrant paying top dollar. Flower beds or hardscapes like fountains and patios aren’t projects that you want to start over, and they can be massive eyesores if not done correctly.

When you need a project completed perfectly because of the visual effect it will have on your property, you may find yourself willing to spare no expense to get your project done. In other cases, like tree removal or stump grinding, the visual impact a certain project will have on your property is less important. Chances are, you’re more concerned with the task being completed quickly and at a low cost.

If your interview with a landscaper involves them listing off a million different secret costs, you may want to look elsewhere. Be aware of a landscaper that tries to nickel and dime you by suggesting additions to your project; they may not be the one you’re looking for.

Desired Project

It goes without saying that what your project is should be something you take into consideration when hiring a professional landscaper.

Ask your landscape architect if or how many times they have completed a project like this one before. You may be able to flip through a portfolio of their work so you can get an idea of what their skills are. If they have never completed a project like the one you’re requiring, this may be a sign that you want to look elsewhere. Even so, if the landscaping professional is still keen on your project regardless of their experience, this may be an opportunity to talk down the price since you’re taking a risk on their inexperience.

Schedule

The most demoralizing moment arises when you’ve found the perfect landscaping professional at an ideal cost but their only open availability isn’t for six months.

It is vital that your schedule and the schedule of your landscaper are compatible. This is important on a macro scale in order to get the project started in a timely manner, but it should also work on a micro level to ensure that completion of the project won’t interfere with your daily schedule.

When you interview a landscaping professional, it is important to ensure that their staff is flexible enough to work with your schedule to complete your next project.

If you’re preparing your property to sell or simply trying to improve the look and feel of your home, you don’t want to handle landscaping projects on your own. It’s vital that you hire the right landscaping professional to ensure that your projects are completed in a way that fits your budget, price point, and expectations.
The folks at The Parke Company are precisely the professionals to get that done. Our arborists and landscape artists are skilled professionals able to meet the needs of your unique property. Give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you.

Six Care Tips for your Newly Installed Landscaping Feature

March 7, 2024October 9, 2019 by The Parke Company

The Parke Company landscaper trimming a hedge

Landscape installations are a surefire way to add visual interest to your property without completely overhauling the look of your home.

Installations come in a variety of forms. They can be softscapes: adding trees, shrubs, flowers and other foliage to your landscape. You may also elect to install hardscapes: things like walkways, pavement, rocks and ponds. Or, perhaps your new landscape installation could consist of decor like outdoor lighting, water features, or tree hangings.

Whatever type of landscape installation you decide on, it’s important that these featured pieces stay as beautiful a year from now as they are when they’re first put in.

Here are six care tips for your new landscaping feature.

Best Ways to Maintain a New Landscape Feature

1. Lawn Maintenance

Aside from the obvious ones, there are plenty of reasons to keep your lawn maintained. Other than keeping a pristine lawn for aesthetic purposes, the health of your landscape can be compromised if you do not take good care of your grass.

By choosing the appropriate mower height and keeping your lawn at the optimal level, you reduce your risk for weeds to grow in grass that is stressed or unhealthy.

Weeds left to their own devices can infiltrate your new landscaping feature over time. Your once beautiful walkway may now be overrun by weeds and other uninvited pests.

Be sure to maintain your lawn to combat any plant life with malintent.

2. Brush Clearing

Similar to maintaining a tidy lawn, it is also important to clear brush regularly.

When dead leaves and foliage stay on the ground unattended, there is a significant risk of mildew and fungus growth. If you have a water feature nearby, moist environments can be severely compromised by the presence of these invaders.

Piles of leaves and brush can be a convenient home for small rodents and pests. Naturally, these unwanted guests might also make a home in your new fountain or rock feature. Keeping brush and foliage maintained can help circumvent this risk and keep critters at bay.

3. Check Irrigation

Faulty irrigation systems can present a real problem for property owners. Not only can irrigation systems that dispense too much or too little water damage the plant life of your property, they can also cause significant structural damage to landscaping features.

If your irrigation system isn’t working correctly, this can have an adverse effect on your water features, resulting in sky-high water bills. You may also find that your landscaping features suffer water damage from a leaky sprinkler system.

Having your irrigation system evaluated by a professional could help you avoid unsightly damage.

4. Tree Trimming

Tree trimming on your property is a great way to ensure that your landscaping features shine.

Ponds filled with dead leaves are unsightly, and it would be a tragedy for your beautiful outdoor lighting fixtures to meet their end at the hands of a fallen branch.

Be sure to get your trees trimmed regularly to avoid damage.

5. Energy Conservation

Conserving energy is a great decision for any reason, but it can also do a lot to maintain the health of your new landscaping feature.

Particularly with features like lighting or fountains that are supported by electricity, conserving energy can help to ensure that your features don’t run themselves ragged and that all pieces and parts stay operational for as long as possible.

6. Expert Advice

Ultimately, it’s hard to notice every flaw or red flag in a property where you spend every day. Hiring an extra set of eyes for your landscaping services could be just the ticket to ensure that no issue goes unnoticed and every problem is attended.

The experienced arborists at The Parke Company are well-versed in what it takes to properly maintain landscaping features through high-quality landscaping services. From installation to repair, our experts are here to ensure that your property stays beautiful.
Give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you.