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It’s Cold Outside! Schedule your Snow Removal Services Before It’s Too Late

September 30, 2026June 30, 2021 by The Parke Company

There is nothing like Nashville weather. One day we’re surprised with eight inches of snow and a few days later it’s sunny and in the 50s. Thanks, Mother Nature! And even though we’ve already had one snow storm hit the Middle Tennessee area, that doesn’t mean another one can’t come again before spring arrives. So before you panic, make sure all your ducks are in a row. Call the Parke Company to schedule your winter services.

Just don’t wait until it’s too late! If you are prepared now, it’s less stress in the long run. Not to mention, your services are completed faster. Not sure what Parke has to offer you during the winter months? Here are just a few of the Parke Company’s most valued winter services for clients all around the area.

Winter Landscaping Services

Snow Removal

Parke’s landscape team works diligently all winter long cleaning up snow and ice for many clients. When a storm hits (or even just a couple inches fall to the ground), the team will arrive at your home or commercial business and clear any walkways, driveways and parking lots of snow and ice. Deicing and salting walkways isn’t just for safety; it’s for your convenience too! It’s one last thing you have to worry about when you’re snowed in. The Parke Company completes snow removal and deicing services to contracted clients first, and then to customer call-ins. So don’t wait to get your driveway deiced! Call today to set up your account.

Firewood

With low temperatures come evenings with cups of hot cocoa and a crackling fire. Though Parke no longer offers firewood delivery services, they are happy to help existing customers find options around Nashville for great firewood for the cold nights to come.

Tree care

One of Parke’s biggest services during the winter months is emergency tree care service. During the snowstorm a few weeks ago, did you notice a lot of fallen trees and branches around Nashville? Trees will fall and block driveways, roadways or even land on cars and houses. It happens when the branches get too heavy with ice and snow. If you have an emergency situation, call the emergency tree care team for immediate assistance. Parke’s arborists will also cover other areas of tree care during the winter as well. These services are mostly precautionary and are completed to improve the life of the tree and prevent any possible damage in the future. These services include crown thinning, deadwood services or tree removal.

It’s safe to say, a lot of Nashvillians would be very happy if there wasn’t any more snowfall this winter. But it’s not guaranteed! We still have a few more months to go before spring arrives, so take the proper precautions. Sign up with Parke for snow removal as well as taking care of any tree care or firewood needs. For more information about routine snow removal or tree care services, contact the Parke Company today.

When Should You Prune?

September 30, 2026June 9, 2021 by The Parke Company

As summer begins, property owners across the globe are dusting off their gardening equipment and heading out into their yards. Just like getting your hair trimmed is important for encouraging growth, pruning your shrubs, trees, and bushes is a vital part of a healthy, thriving garden.

All gardening practices take precision and care to be completed correctly, and pruning is no different. But it doesn’t take a gardening professional to prune the right way– check out these tips on when to prune from The Parke Company!

What to Know About Pruning Plants

Preparation and Purpose

According to experts, the right time to prune depends on a number of factors. The purpose of pruning can influence when you should prune. If you plan to prune because of dead limbs and branches, this type of pruning can be completed at any time. It is critical to rid your plants of any dead or dying limbs since these may carry diseases that could spread to the rest of your plants.

To prepare for any pruning jobs this summer, always conduct a quick survey of the plants on your property to check for any dead or dying limbs– these should always take first priority and can be trimmed regardless of the season.

Pruning can also be used to prevent diseases from spreading where they are not yet present. For example, some trees, like oak trees, should be pruned when the trees are dormant in winter. This practice prevents dangerous oak wilt from spreading in the spring and summer when trees are blooming.

This is often the case for trees. Heavy pruning should be conducted in the winter when the tree is dormant, while light pruning can be conducted in the spring. Most flowering shrubs should be pruned approximately two weeks after flowering. Pruning before or after this time period runs the risk of reducing or completely eliminating flower displays, according to the experts at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

When to prune your property’s specific shrubs or plants depends largely on the time in which they bloom. If your shrubs are spring-flowering, they should be pruned immediately after flowering. If they are summer-flowering, they should be trimmed in late winter or early spring to anticipate the summer blooming.

It is crucial that you prune your landscape and that you perform the pruning at the appropriate time. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease throughout your landscape and simultaneously improve the aesthetic quality of your plants and shrubs.

If you’re not sure when exactly your plants bloom, don’t run the risk of eliminating flower displays by guessing. Hiring the right landscaping services is critical to evaluating your landscape and performing pruning the right way.

Contact The Parke Company Today!

Even if you don’t have much of a green thumb, landscaping services from a landscaping maintenance company like The Parke Company can help you discover the unique qualities of your landscape and determine the specific blooming period of your shrubs.

Whether it is lawn mowing, leaf removal, or more complex projects like hardscape installation, The Parke Company is the right landscaping company for the job. Our experienced professionals are ready to develop a landscaping plan that works for your property and your budget. For residential or commercial landscape maintenance, give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you!

How to Apply Fertilizer to Your Garden

September 30, 2026June 7, 2021 by The Parke Company

When most of us think of simple ways to improve our lawn or garden, fertilizer is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Properly applying fertilizer takes planning, preparation, and careful consideration if you want to reap the full benefits of using fertilizer on your lawn and garden.

But you don’t have to be an expert landscaping professional to properly apply fertilizer– just check out these tips from The Parke Company to get your dream garden started today!

How to Fertilize a Garden

Choosing Fertilizer

Choosing the right type of fertilizer can depend on a number of different factors. If you are looking for the most eco-friendly options, you can use recycled materials that you may even have around your house like torn newspaper, cardboard, or compost from food scraps.

If you are looking for something high powered that may yield quicker results for your lawn or garden, there are inorganic fertilizers with nutrients that are readily available to your garden, nourishing them immediately. Some of these fertilizers are also designed to “slow-release” the nutrients to sustain nutrition over time.

Fertilizers can also be dry, water-soluble, and come in a variety of sizes, material-makeup, and prices. Fertilizers will also differ between lawns and gardens. Never use a lawn fertilizer on your garden and vice-versa.

Whatever fertilizer you choose, it is important that you opt for whatever best fits your budget as well as your particular landscape.

Application

Most professionals agree that soil should be tested every two years. By performing these landscaping services, your soil testing report will reveal the nutrients in your soil in addition to the nutrients your soil lacks. This information can also help inform your decision in choosing a particular fertilizer.

When you get to the point of actually applying your fertilizer, there are typically four different methods of application:

1. Broadcast Before Planting

Using this method, the appropriate amount of fertilizer is spread evenly over the garden, mixing with the soil at 3-4 in depth. This method is usually the most ideal for home gardeners.

2. Band/ Row Application

With this method, fertilizer is added in strips alongside the row before planting.

3. Starter Solution

This method is used rarely and should be considered carefully if you believe it is the best for your garden. Typically used for transplants, you can mix 2 tablespoons of garden fertilizer with a gallon of water and pour it into the hole you will plant in, allowing the solution to soak.

4. Application to Growing Plants/ Side Dressing

Particularly in sandy soils or in nutrient-lacking beds, side dressing can help infuse nutrients into your soil.

To use this method, sprinkle fertilizer along the sides of the rows and water into the soil. The amount and timing for this application method will change depending on the types of plants in your garden.

Contact The Parke Company Today!

Applying fertilizer is a lot more than ripping open a bag and dumping it on your lawn. Proper application of fertilizer takes time and patience, in addition to knowledge of your landscape.

For the dedicated gardener, all of this may come easily, but for those who want a beautiful garden without all of the legwork, hiring a landscaping maintenance company for your projects can help give your garden the jump start it needs to bloom.

Late Freeze Alert: How it Can Affect Your Trees

September 30, 2026May 27, 2021 by The Parke Company

Nashville and the surrounding Middle Tennessee areas are notorious for late freezes during the spring. It’s a bitter truth Nashvillians have been living with for years. And while a late freeze generally doesn’t affect us other than an occasional frost on our car in the morning, it can affect the livelihood of your newly budding trees and flowers. Your landscape is especially susceptible to freeze if shrubs, small plants or young trees are planted.

Take precautions in order to decrease the risk of damage from frost. If you have things ready to go for your landscape, it’s time to focus on the trees themselves. Though trees are strong and can withstand a lot, it’s important to be cautious. Of course the arborists at Parke are always happy to help monitor and determine precautions for your tree care, but here are some things to keep in mind to get you started:

What to Know About Tree Health in Winter

Healthy trees are happy trees

Have an arborist from Parke come out to do a full tree care work-up on all your trees. Our experts will make sure your trees, whether young or old, large or small, are healthy. This keeps disease and illness away. If a tree is damaged or diseased from a previous ailment, the tree will use its resources to fight off illness, not the freeze from a late frost. Prevention is an arborist’s number one piece of advice to avoid mishaps in the future.

Deep watering right before freeze

Many arborists will recommend giving your trees a deep watering right before a freeze to help keep damage from occurring on the buds of trees. By watering, moist soil will absorb heat during day and alleviate some of that cold air in the evening from the tree. You can also water your trees by spraying or misting leaves and buds.

Blanket young trees and shrubs

Like your landscape, consider using burlap or a sheet to cover young trees and shrubs. This is a great preemptive tree care measure and it helps keep your trees and landscape looking pristine.

Of course there are times when trees fall victim to freeze damage and there’s nothing that will save it. If this is the case, call a Parke arborist and schedule a tree service appointment. Our experts will be able to tell what damage has happened, if the tree can be nursed back to health, or if crown thinning or tree removal services are necessary.

Trees, especially full-grown trees, are resilient and can withstand all kinds of Nashville weather. As long as your trees are healthy and you prepare in advance, they can withstand the late freezes this spring. Contact the Parke Company’s tree service team and they’ll be able to come out and assist you with any tree care needs. Spring is the season for new beginnings and a fresh start. Don’t begin the season with damaged or dying trees due to an inconvenient late freeze. Take advantage of our tree care expertise at the Parke Company.

Tree Preparedness: What To Do in the Threat of a Storm

September 30, 2026May 27, 2021 by The Parke Company

It’s springtime, and the saying “April showers bring May flowers,” comes to mind. Well, it might not be April yet, but it’s close enough, and the showers are definitely coming to the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area. And while some are just simple, spring rains, other showers can be serious threats. Tornadoes, lightning and flash flooding are all factors that have caused detrimental damage to areas around the country. But one of the most damaging factors during storms are trees. Nashville trees can be easily uprooted or damaged in a storm. Branches and leaves can be yanked off the trunk, harming both the property and the tree itself.

That’s why it’s important to be informed and properly prepared for any possible severe storm that might enter the Middle Tennessee area. Sometimes we can have several days of warning before a storm approaches, but other times, bad weather patterns can change and arrive unexpectedly. Though it’s important to have an emergency plan in place for your family, it’s also important to make sure your trees are properly cared for.

Here are three things to consider for your tree care:

Check trees for stability — Schedule a tree service appointment with an arborist at the Parke Company. A certified arborist will be able to asses any potential danger or instability your trees might have. In addition, if you schedule an appointment with an arborist, he or she can also check for possible disease or other problems.
Care as necessary — If there is a problem, or an arborist finds that parts of your tree are unstable and cannot withstand a strong storm, the arborist team will be able to address it and take care of it quickly. Parke’s tree services will be able to put your mind at ease. Whether it’s a simple crown thinning or treatment for disease, they’ll be able to get it taken care of in no time.
Call for emergencies — Sometimes you can do all the right things and take all the right precautions and Mother Nature still deals you a bad deck. If a tree falls in your property or in the middle of the yard, the Parke Company’s emergency team can help. Their emergency team is trained and certified to handle high-stress situations involving fallen trees. Have the emergency number handy but be sure to also have other important local numbers too, such as Nashville Electric Services (NES) and Metro Water Services. This is in case a tree falls on a power line or damages a sewage system.

Nashville is a great city, but sometimes the weather can be fickle. So be prepared for all possibilities! From a late freeze to lightning damage to your trees, make sure you know how to handle each situation properly. For more information about Parke’s tree care services, contact an arborist today. If your landscape floods, the landscape crew at Parke can help with that too. If you do need emergency tree care services, contact Parke immediately for assistance. Be safe, Nashvillians!