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Late Blooming Plants Perfect for Zone 7 Gardens

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Red and orange fall leaves on a tree

Fll is in full swing and many of us have officially shelved our garden plans in hopes of starting again next spring. However, there are many “late blooming” plants available, which are a perfect choice for extending the life of your gardening dreams and allowing you to spend a bit more time in your garden before the frost fully covers it for the season. 

In any case, understanding the climate is crucial for fully-informed gardening. What grows in Arizona certainly will not grow in Michigan. If you are a home or business owner in zone 7, there are some specific plants that may help you stretch your gardening seasons into the colder months. Here’s what you need to know. 

How to Identify and Garden in a Zone 7 Garden

Where is Zone 7?

Regions in the country are divided into eleven different growing “zones” or “plant hardiness zones” by the US Department of Agriculture. Rather than divisions like the Midwest or East Coast, growing zones are determined by weather patterns. Because of these divisions, growing zones can help residents determine how to best care for their landscape. 

Zone 7 is a longitudinal belt of cities in the southern half of the US stretching primarily from northwestern Texas around to northeastern Virginia. The majority of Tennessee is a zone 7 plant hardiness zone. 

According to Gardening Knowhow, this is “an area with a moderately long growing season. The typical growing season generally lasts about eight months in zone 7 and the annual low temperature is about 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 C.). With the first frost around November 15 and the last one about April 15, planting a garden in zone 7 is a snap.”

Gardening in Zone 7

If you are growing plants in zone 7, most experts agree that you can start many types of seedlings indoors and transfer them into the ground later in late summer. You can do this with most vegetables: carrots, squash, and brussel sprouts, to name a few. 

Many plants that thrive year round develop berries in the colder months of zone seven. While these plants are always growing, the new season brings a new life to the plants. Plants like viburnum, barberry, and holly all experience this phenomenon. 

There are also a number of flowers and perennials that thrive later in the fall and add beauty to your landscape design. Brown-eyed Susans and Purple Flame Grass both thrive in the colder months and can add some color to your landscape in lieu of spring flowers. 

Hiring Landscaping Services

While many home and property owners love gardening, making the right choices for your zone and the season is a lot harder than solving some lawn problems. It shouldn’t take an advanced degree to make your property beautiful– contact the experts!

Hiring the experienced professionals at The Parke Company for landscape services is the first step to ensuring you receive the kind of landscaping and lawn services necessary to preserve the assets on your property. 

From lawn mowing to tree removal, 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.

Winterizing your Irrigation System

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Icicles hanging from a bush

It seems like it was just yesterday that we were gearing up for summer and now we are well into September. No longer are we worried about lawn problems and lawn maintenance, we’ve shifted our focus to leaf collection and preparing for fall and winter. 

Though there are many exciting features of the colder months, this season can wreak havoc on some of your landscape if not attended to properly. It is never too early to start preparing for the winter. Start with your sprinklers by winterizing your irrigation system with services from The Parke Company. 

How to Winterize Your Irrigation System

Efficient Irrigation Systems

The key to a quality irrigation system is efficiency. Each system should find the perfect balance between sufficient hydration of the landscape and water conservation to benefit both the environment and your wallet. 

When it comes to winterizing these systems, it is crucial to understand the changing needs of your landscape. As temperatures drop, chances are that your lawn and gardens will need less water, and your irrigation system should be adjusted to accommodate these evolving needs. 

Protection Against the Elements

There are a few important steps when it comes to preparing your irrigation system for winter. Ultimately, your goal is to protect your pipes against the damage that can be caused by water freezing within them. 

Insulation is key to prevent the cold temperatures of winter from affecting your pipes. This is typically accomplished through foam insulation, tape, and plastic around your shut-off valves. Any property owner who has made the mistake of forgetting to winterize their irrigation system can attest to the nightmare incurred when an important valve is frozen in place. 

You will also need to thoroughly drain your pipes of any residual water. Water that is left behind in the winter can freeze and expand within your pipes, leading to blockages at best and burst pipes at worst. It is paramount that your landscaping service provider meticulously examines your irrigation system to ensure that all potential dangers are eliminated.Certainly, this is not a task you want to tackle on your own.  

Hiring Landscaping Services

Our landscaping experts have the experience and skills necessary to help you devise the best ways to protect and beautify your landscape in winter and in every season. Our technicians know just how to get you the biggest bang for your buck and protect your investments in your home’s landscape.

From lawn mowing to tree removal to preparing any feature of your property for a change in weather, the landscaping professionals at The Parke Company have the experience and the skills to handle lawn problems and answer your landscaping services questions. Let us 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.

What Is Crown Thinning and How Can it Help My Trees?

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The Parke Company crown thinning trees in Nashville

If you have trees on your property, you probably know that they can be one of your best assets or your biggest nightmare. Lush, healthy trees are a perfect way to add shade to your home and improve curb appeal. At the same time, unhealthy trees can litter your yard with dead leaves and present a great risk if there is a chance that the tree may fall. 

While you may know about tree trimming and leaf collection, one of the best methods for maintaining the health of your trees may be one you’ve never heard of. Crown thinning is the industry secret that may be the difference between sad, lifeless trees and trees that revitalized your landscape.

What is Crown Thinning

Just like most other plants, trees do need pruning to remove dead material and promote growth. Crown thinning is a specific method of pruning. Unlike tree topping that can end up killing a tree, crown thinning selects specific limbs and branches to treat.

According to the Arboricultural Association, crowning thinning is a method similar to crown lift or crown raising in which “the removal of a portion of smaller/tertiary branches, usually at the outer crown” is performed to, “produce a uniform density of foliage around an evenly spaced branch structure.” 

Typically, this process does not drastically change the overall shape or size of the tree, but involves the systematic removal of material, not to exceed 30% of the tree overall.  

How Can Crown Thinning Help My Trees

There are a number of different benefits of crown thinning. Many people may opt for crown thinning because it is a great way to allow more light to pass through your trees, increasing the amount of sun that reaches the surrounding area. 

Crown thinning can also be beneficial for areas in which you desire less wind resistance and reduced weight on a particular tree. It should be noted, however, that crown thinning does not always reduce the leverage on a structure. 

Hiring Landscaping Services

Obviously, crown thinning is more than just trimming a few branches and calling it a day. 

Proper crown thinning requires tools and expertise you may not have at hand if you’re not already a landscaping professional. It also ensures only the appropriate parts of the tree are trimmed so that it lives a long and healthy life.

Crown thinning is a process that must be kept up over time and carefully tracked to reap its full benefits. Our landscaping experts have the experience and skills necessary to help you devise the best ways to protect and beautify your landscape. Our technicians know just how to get you the biggest bang for your buck and protect your investments in your home’s landscape.

From lawn mowing to tree removal, the landscaping professionals at The Parke Company have the experience and the skills to handle lawn problems and answer your landscaping services questions. Let us 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.

5 Ways to Enhance Curb Appeal with Landscaping

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Considering the current state of the world, the housing market seems tenuous, to put it lightly. Whether your area’s economy has felt the weight of the pandemic or you are remaining strong in spite of it, there are a number of reasons to feel uneasy about buying or selling a home right now. 

It is more crucial than ever that you do everything in your power to highlight the better features of your home and ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward when you put your property on the market. One effective way to do that is to highlight the unique Nashville landscape in your home exterior decor.

How to Enhance Curb Appeal With Landscaping

Careful interior decorating is a must, but it may all be for nought if the exterior of your home turns away potential buyers. While it may be the last thing on your mind, curb appeal should be at the forefront of your to-do list when selling a home. 

If you’re looking for creative ways to make your home stand out, look no further. Let’s explore five ways to enhance your curb appeal with landscaping. 

Here’s everything you need to know. 

  1. Colors 

There are a number of ways to make your house stand out, but painting your siding a bright color that sticks out for all the wrong reasons, might not be the best one. 

It’s no secret that color draws eyes and helps to differentiate your home from your neighbor’s. A brightly-colored door is a nice change, but some adjustments with landscaping can help add a touch of the rainbow without a single coat of paint.

Colorful flower beds and shrubbery are great ways to feature your front yard and contrast from lush green grass. Especially if you live in a more urban area where lawns are more limited, potted flowers are a lovely substitute. They can also complement the pops of color on your home without being too abrasive to the passerby’s eye. 

  1. Levels

When you think about what people see when they look at your home, most property owners focus on clean siding and trim lawns. What you may not have considered, however, is the importance of incorporating different levels to your visual landscape.

By installing plants and shrubs of different heights, you force the eyes of prospective buyers to travel to different places around your property. This can give your house the appearance of being larger and draw attention to features like large windows, all of which are selling features.  

  1. Shapes 

Another way to add interest and boost curb appeal is through shapes. Most houses are relegated to shapes like rectangles and squares, leaving their appearance fairly two-dimensional and rather traditional.  

Shrubs and other plants are great ways to incorporate curves and rounded shapes into the visual aesthetic of your property and add interest that is otherwise impossible through your home’s architecture alone. 

  1. Uniqueness

When you purchase a home, your options for adding your own personal stamp on the home itself can be fairly limited unless you’re prepared to do some serious construction. 

By changing up your landscaping, you have the opportunity to incorporate as much or as little greenery and flowers as you’d like. Landscaping is one of the few things you can do to your property that gives you almost full agency through projects that can be completed in an afternoon, or for larger projects, within a few days or weeks. Your personality can shine through when a yard is meticulously tailored or offers an easygoing serenity. Anything is possible if you are willing to fully invest in a new look.

  1. Hardscapes

For those property owners looking to go a bit further, hardscapes aren’t just for backyards. 

While you may not install a large fountain or pond in your frontyard, you do have a number of options for incorporating hardscapes to boost curb appeal. 

Paved walkways and smaller fountains are special features that can help your house stand out from the crowd and tip the scales in your favor in the mind of a potential buyer.

Whether you’re looking to sell soon or just want a way to improve the appearance of your home from the street view, curb appeal can always be improved, but it may require some help from professional landscaping services. 

Hiring Landscaping Services

Our landscaping experts have the experience and skills necessary to help you devise the best ways to protect and beautify your landscape. Our technicians know just how to get you the biggest bang for your buck and add value to your home’s aesthetic to put your property ahead of the rest.

From lawn mowing to tree removal, the landscaping professionals at The Parke Company have the experience and the skills to handle lawn problems and answer your landscaping services questions. Let us meet the unique needs of your property and bring your design dreams to life. 

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

Healthy Trees – 5 Signs to Look For

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What Do Healthy Trees Look Like?

When it comes to landscaping, flowers and shrubs tend to be the stars of the show: they’re a lot more delicate, require more focused care, and tend to grasp attention much more quickly than anything else on your property. 

As such, most property owners are likely to make their greatest landscaping investments with flowers, gardens, and shrubbery. Some will even assure they always have a meticulously tailored lawn.

In most cases, trees are relegated to the perimeters of a property and many people understandably assume that they take care of themselves. However, during dry seasons, you actually should ensure they are watered almost weekly. 

While they can be easy to ignore, the savviest property owners and managers are keenly aware of the health of the trees on their property. 

Not sure where to start when it comes to evaluating the trees on your property? Look no further for the answers you’ve been seeking! 

Here’s everything you need to know. 

  1. Full, Healthy Leaves

Hopefully this one is a bit of a no-brainer. All trees will undergo natural cycles of dropping their leaves in the fall and remaining dormant in the winter, but a tree that doesn’t regrow in the spring and summer is a sign of a dead or dying tree. 

Your healthy trees should have full, colorful leaves with every new season; if not, it may be time to call a local arborist for a check-up. 

  1. Trunk (or Central Leader)

In the best circumstances, your healthiest trees will have one single trunk and it will split off into branches close to the top. If your trees do not have a strong central leader, and it splits off into multiple trunks, this is the sign of a weak or damaged tree. The healthiest trees will have a strong base off of which smaller branches will stem. 

  1. Strong Bark

It can be helpful to think of bark on a tree as similar to your own hair. In times of stress or nutrient-deficiency, our hair tends to fall out at a greater rate than what is normal, indicating that we may have a health problem at the time. 

In the same way, a tree’s bark should be strong, not brittle or crumbling. Bark that remains strong on the tree’s trunk is a sign that your tree is in good health. Strong bark does not crumble and is free of moss and mold.  

  1. Growth Over Time

It doesn’t take a landscaping professional to know that plants should be growing over time. If you’re curious as to whether or not your trees are healthy, it may be prudent to check their growth every season. 

While long-term growth can be difficult to detect if you haven’t been tracking your trees, a landscaping professional can help you devise measures to evaluate your trees’ growth.

  1. Branch Health

One final method to verify tree health is through examining branches. Certainly, branches that have fallen to the ground are likely to be brittle and dry since falling usually indicates that they are already dead. 

Check the branches that remain on your tree to determine your tree’s health. In the case of a healthy tree, peeling back a bit of the bark should reveal green-ish flesh beneath.

In any circumstance, healthy trees are crucial, not only to maintain the beauty of your landscape, but also to prevent the catastrophe that accompanies trees that fall. 

Especially if you suspect that your trees may not be in perfect health, hiring landscaping services is a crucial first step. 

Hiring Landscaping Services

Our landscaping experts have the experience and skills necessary to help you devise the best ways to protect and beautify your landscape. Our technicians know just how to get you the biggest bang for your buck and add value to your home’s aesthetic while keeping your property safe. 

From lawn mowing to tree removal, the landscaping professionals at The Parke Company have the experience and the skills to handle lawn problems and answer your landscaping services questions. Let us 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.

MAKE IT PRETTY, MAKE IT RIGHT.

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7110 Cockrill Bend Blvd Nashville, TN 37209
615-350-6033
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