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Preparing Plants for Early Nashville Spring Frost

September 30, 2026April 19, 2023 by The Parke Company

Weather can be fickle sometimes. Especially if you live in Middle Tennessee. One day it’s sunny and 75 degrees, and the next it’s close to freezing. Late frost is an issue every year, so it’s important to keep in mind when preparing your plants for the new season. Nashville trees have already started budding and some daffodils have bloomed. It’s a beautiful thing! But with that beauty comes a risk for early spring frost. So when that cold snap decides to hit, it’s best to be prepared.

Here are some ways to protect your plants:

Water the plants thoroughly before the freeze hits. This adds insulation to the soil and plant cells.
Bring plants indoors. Obviously this isn’t a great solution for all plants, but anything potted can be brought in for protection.
If you have small sprouts, protect them by placing a pot or coffee tin over them. Just be sure to uncover them the following day when the temperature hits above freezing. These baby sprouts need their sunlight!
Larger plants or shrubs can be covered by burlap or old bed sheets. Place the cloth across the entire plant and let it reach the ground. This not only insulates the plant but the soil as well. Like the previous tip, remove the cloth the next day when the sun pops back out.

Sometimes frost occurs suddenly and your plants are left unprotected. If this happens, possible damage could occur. Over the course of a few days, take note of the buds on your plants. If there has been discoloration (such as dark brown or black), then your plants are probably damaged. If your plants stay green and no discoloration occurs then your tough, little plants fought through the cold snap!

Sometimes assessing the damage can be hard to spot. If you have questions about your landscape and plants, contact the Parke Company to come check it out. They’ll be able to tell you the severity of the damage and the next steps for your landscape. If you have yet to schedule your landscape maintenance or design, there’s no better time than now! With spring in full swing, your trees and landscape is ready to see more color.

For more information about the Parke Company’s services contact them today!

Summertime Activities Spent with Trees

September 30, 2026April 19, 2023 by The Parke Company

Summertime is a season for a variety of outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, swimming and ziplining. All of these activities put you right in the heart of Tennessee’s wilderness and give you a new perspective on nature and landscape. Taking advantage of these fun pastimes not only exposes you to something new you may have never tried, but it’s a great way to see the beauty of Middle Tennessee in a whole new way.

Ziplining

While many summertime plans involve playing in nature, ziplining is a special activity that puts us right among the trees. Ziplining is always an exciting adventure and locations like Fontanel and Treetop Adventure Park offer exhilarating experiences. Though the Parke Company doesn’t build the zip lines, Parke employees can offer advice on proper tree care for both homeowners and companies looking to implement a zip line on their landscape on their commercial or residential properties.

Canoeing and Kayaking

Canoeing is a great activity during the hottest of summer days, and it’s a great way to see some of Middle Tennessee’s beautiful hills and trees. Nashville has a plethora of beautiful rivers. Get your feet wet and learn a little about nature! The Harpeth, Cumberland and Whites Creek are just a few of Middle Tennessee’s many rivers that allow canoeing and kayaking.

Hiking

If canoeing and ziplining aren’t really your thing, hiking is a great alternative! Many parks around the area offer hiking trails that expose visitors to the branches and beauty of Nashville. Shelby Bottoms or Percy Warner are just a couple parks to consider. The Parke Company works hard to preserve and care for the trees all around the area, and hiking through one of these trails will give you a great reason as to why they work so hard.

Summer is a great season to take advantage of all of these outdoor activities. Make sure to get out and see what Nashville’s trees and nature have to offer. It’ll be cold again before we know it! And if you’ve got trees or branches in your own landscape that look a little weary, call the Parke Company today for a tree care consultation.

Have You Ordered Your Live Christmas Tree Yet? Contact Parke!

September 30, 2026April 19, 2023 by The Parke Company

Whoever said you had to stick to the rule of waiting to decorate for the holidays until after Thanksgiving? Why not get started on the decorations now? After all, you don’t just have to limit yourself to Christmas decorations. Why not put up decorations for Thanksgiving? Autumn decorations pair beautifully with Nashville trees and landscape during this beautiful season. Decorations are a great way to get your family in the holiday spirit, and that even applies to decorations outside your home or business.

The Parke Company doesn’t just provide comprehensive tree care; our team can help you put together beautiful and festive decorations over the next couple of months in a variety of ways:

A live Christmas tree is one Parke’s most exciting services. Though it’s always fun to visit Green Hills Mall or Warner Park’s Red Trail to see living Christmas trees, it’s never too early to call the Parke Company to discuss your own living Douglas fir or Norway Spruce tree! Call the Parke Company and they’ll set up your live tree at your house, either inside or outside, to enjoy during the Christmas season. Once the holidays are over, Parke can come back out and plant the living tree in your lawn that will permanently become part of your landscape.

While your tree grows in your landscape for decades to come, it will provide much more than a Christmas memory for you and your family. Though it takes a bit of planning, it’s a great way for your family, especially children, to learn the importance of nature. Don’t need a tree but want to give one as a gift? The Parke Company can do that too! Just call them for more information.

There are other great ways to decorate your landscape with leaves and other holiday decor: your flowerbeds and mailboxes. Your mailbox is an ideal way to show some festive cheer before guests even enter the driveway. Whether you envision autumn leaves or Christmas holly, the Parke Company can make it happen with an array of artistic displays.

Want to add something more to your landscape aside from your mailbox? The Parke Company will work with you to create the perfect display for your porch. Your display can be simple or elaborate. Get in the holiday spirit both inside and outside of your home. They will even take care of any special planting needs for the holidays so your flower bed and landscape.

The team at Parke understands that you have a busy schedule, but don’t forget to call and discuss living Christmas trees and holiday decorating before it’s too late! And while you’re at it, you can talk about plans for your landscape, flower bed and tree care, too. Feel free to call them today for a free consultation or decoration ideas for the upcoming season.

Trees and Hackberry Wooly Aphids: 101

September 30, 2026April 19, 2023 by The Parke Company

Just because fall is here doesn’t mean it’s the end of bug season. Just like with other plants, trees are highly susceptible to invasive species. All kinds of pests can harm the trees and the things beneath them, not to mention annoy you, even in the fall. One of the more common pests in Nashville is the Hackberry wooly aphid: a small and furry bug that is about 1/10 inch long. Not only can these insects cause a lot of problems for trees but they also can cause issues with the people by creating falling hazards and damage to property. Here are just a few things to know about wooly aphids and how you can spot them if your trees and branches are infested.

These bugs infest Chinese Hackberry trees and can be found all over the U.S. and most of Asia. Blue or gray-toned, the bug also has black wings and secretes a wax or honeydew on the plants and other objects beneath them. The problem isn’t the bug itself, but the amount of honeydew it releases. You might walk outside and notice your car looks a little more “waxy.” Well, that’s not necessarily sap from a tree, but from the substance the bugs release. From cars to decks, the honeydew can create a big slippery mess, resulting in hazardous conditions. In addition, the dew can form into black mold that is hard to clean and damage patios, decks and other outdoor property.

If your tree is infested, you will notice the furry aphids on the branches and leaves of your trees, or you will see waxy film or mold underneath, which can be hard to clean up or get rid of. Because of this, it’s best to call in a tree care professional. The Parke Company is familiar with the woolly aphids and their arborists can recommend the best way to remove the insects from your trees.

Hackberry woolly aphids can be a serious problem if they’re not addressed. Plus, the moldy film the bugs secrete is an eye sore! The Parke Company arborists will recommend tree care to avoid future problems down the road. Whether you want to address fall/slip prevention or you want to avoid ugly mold on your property, inspect your Hackberry trees and their branches for any signs of these pesky bugs. If you do notice an infestation, call the Parke Company’s arborists team to discuss the next steps in removal. For more information about tree care and services within the Middle Tennessee area, call them today!

Late Freezes: How They Affect Your Trees and Landscape

September 30, 2026April 19, 2023 by The Parke Company

Spring hasn’t quite sprung, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start thinking about your landscape design and tree care services for the warmer months! Right now is the time to start planning and preparing for the spring months so your plants and tree have healthy and timely blooms.

Nashville is infamous for its late freezes. So what happens if a late freeze hits after you’ve completed your tree and landscape services for spring? Well, unfortunately that’s always a risk, especially in the Middle Tennessee area, but don’t worry! As long as you know what to do and how to protect your your trees and landscape, you’ll be good to go.

Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

What is a late freeze? Even with the threat of a late freeze, you can still prep and plant for the spring. A late freeze can happen as late as May, and you don’t want to lose those few months of bloom. A freeze occurs when the temperature drops below 32 degrees overnight. Frost is a common sign of a freeze, but a freeze can still occur even with no clear signs of frost.

What are the effects of a late freeze? Did you know that different plants react differently to a late freeze? That’s why it’s so important to know what kind of plants you grow on your property in order to keep them safe. Another factor is the temperature itself and the amount of time it remains that temperature. A few degrees can make a world of difference for certain type of plants. If you’re unsure, an arborist or landscape worker at Parke can help you identify which blooms or plants are at a higher risk than others during one of your landscape service or lawn service visits. The fragile plants or blooms are the ones most affected by a late freeze.

How can you protect your plants and how can Parke help? If you have potted plants that can be easily transported, bring them inside. You can also water plants before a freeze to insulate the soil and roots of the plant. You may also cover fragile plants with a flower pot or bucket to prevent frost or freezing damage on the blooms. For trees and shrubbery, cover with old bed sheets, fabric or burlap. Do not use plastic. Be sure to uncover anything you protected overnight in the morning.

Have more questions about late freezes and how to protect your beautiful landscape and trees? Parke has you covered. The team of experts at Parke will be able to tell you what precautions are necessary as well as how to keep them safe.

Interested in growing your trees and landscape into something impressive? Your favorite arborists and landscape team at the Parke Company can take care of all your tree service, landscape service and lawn service needs all year long. It doesn’t matter if you live in the Franklin area or the Madison area. They can take care of it all!

Writer of this blog – Gdweblab