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Winter Time is the Perfect Time for Tree Services

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

Here at Parke we are known for our superior tree care. Our highly experienced ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborists are experts in diagnosing and remedying tree issues, ensuring the healthiest possible environment for your tree landscape. Winter time may seem like a lull in landscape care but the conditions of a Nashville winter are optimal for diagnosing and treating a whole slew of tree issues that will facilitate a verdant and healthy spring growing season. Here’s a list of just a couple of the tree services we offer at Parke to help your trees grow strong and tall for years to come.

Types of Tree Services for Winter

Deadwood Removal and Pruning

The dormant period of time in the winter is the ideal time for pruning and deadwood removal. Arborists commonly recommend winter pruning for several reasons. The dormant season allows for less intrusive pruning and an overall lighter impact on the surrounding environment. A leafless tree also gives our pruners a clear visual of the plants structure providing insight into how the tree will handle high winds and extreme weather in other seasons. This means smart pruning that will help you avoid the potential devastation of downed limbs later on. Additionally, certain trees can only be pruned while dormant to minimize disease contamination. Our arborists will work with you to identify these species and provide you piece of mind knowing that the job is done right and safely for your precious investments.

Tree Identification

Do you know what’s growing on your property? Chances are you don’t have a full grasp on the diversity of tree life surrounding you! We can help. Parke’s expert eyes will provide you a comprehensive survey of all trees on your premises including species identification, location, and condition analysis. This information is helpful in many ways. It can help you develop a clear budget for the care your trees need as well as laying the foundation for developing a comprehensive PHC (Plant Health Care) program. This unique program is a Parke Company exclusive and gives proper fertilization, water and soil conditions to your landscape year in and year out!

Tree Removal

Need to clear some space in your landscape? Winter time is perfect for tree removal. Our expert technicians will remove the entire tree, even grinding down all apparent surface and feeder roots, meaning you can be assured that hidden roots won’t be absorbing valuable nutrients from the soil and robbing the plants you intend them for. Using special stump grinders, we penetrate up to a foot below the surface to chip and mulch the stump and root systems. This leaves you with a fertile space that will be ready for replanting in the coming seasons.

Take advantage of the dormant season with Parke’s superior tree services. While you’re arranging for our expert arborists to assist you don’t forget to check out the many other services our landscape pros offer. We even do snow removal! Be sure to jot down our tree emergency number too (615-201-9999) and keep it handy. Stay warm!

Landscape Design for Winter Time

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

Most people think of the winter months as a time of inactivity for their landscapes but winter actually provides a unique opportunity to change the face of your landscape. Unlike designing in the growing season, dormancy offers a stripped back, exposed look at your surroundings. At Parke, we can help you use this season to your advantage. Consider some of the services we offer below to make the most of this winter season and prepare your environment to be the best it can be when Spring comes.

What to Know About Landscape Design in Winter

Focused Design

Dormancy simplifies the appearance of your landscape. Without the usual cover of leaves and blooming flowers and shrubs you can quickly identify any areas where your landscape could benefit from a more intentional design element. You may decide that it’s not a plant that’s needed! This is a good time to consider hardscaping options like stone work walkways and walls. Parke offers custom expert service to determine a unique approach to your environment and needs. How about adding a pond or a bench? While you’re at it consider a trellis, bench, or an arbor! The possibilities are endless!

Landscape Cleanup

Winter is the perfect time to get rid of debris and clutter. At Parke we can provide another set of eyes to determine if you have any problem areas that could benefit from brush removal, pruning, or perhaps even large shrub or tree removal. Check out some of the winter time tree services we offer and their benefits here. Pruning and debris removal is less invasive during the winter time and therefore an ideal off-season investment to facilitate a lush growing season. Contact us today at 615-350-6033 to schedule tree services!

Winter Planting

It’s best to avoid putting new plants in the ground when deep freezes are still happening but when done properly winter can be a fine time to add new life to your space. When considering winter planting, look for areas that would benefit from the presence of an evergreen. These plants add color in a bleak season and are available in greens, yellows, and even rich deep blues such as the dwarf blue spruce. Berry producing shrubs also liven up an otherwise dormant landscape and provide year round greens. Let our highly experienced ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborists guide you to the best plants for your landscape needs.

Don’t let the cold weather deter you from giving your landscape a new look this winter. We can provide an expert take on the steps best for you to maximize your growing season. From removing the clutter to adding plants that will beautify for years to come you can have confidence that Parke’s highly experienced team will deliver. Don’t forget that Parke’s expert hardscaping services can add a new dimension of interaction to your surroundings. Maybe it’s time to add that walkway through your winter wonderland! Contact us today to start dreaming and planning your next project with our expert team of designers and arborists.

Mulching & Chipping: Prepping Your Landscape For Spring

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

It may seem a little early to start talking about Spring but it’s not too early to start developing a plan to guarantee your landscape will be at it’s healthiest when the warmth returns. The Parke Company is committed to the year-round health of your landscape and environment. Through sustainable green practices and our highly trained ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborists, you can be assured that your landscape will be getting the best treatment for your investment. One of the best things you can do right now to prep your landscape for the Spring time is take advantage of our mulching and chipping services. Here’s why:

How to Prepare Your Landscape for Spring

Cleanup

Still have a lot of leaves laying around from last Fall? Maybe you’ve got a yard full of branches that have accumulated over the winter. Let us take care of those for you! Winter is the ideal time to clear away all that has piled up during the Fall and Winter. Parke Company will take your yard waste and recycle it by turning it into mulch for your flower beds or yard in general. Mulching and chipping services are good for more than just cleanup, too.

Planting

By cleaning up the debris and leaves that littered your landscape you’ll be improving the appearance of your environment as well as revealing new potential locations to plant additional trees and shrubs. Once you decide to add a new plant you’ll be able to use the mulch generated from your debris to aid the planting process. On the other hand, you may notice that a certain tree or shrub has not fared too well over the past season or two. This would make a perfect candidate for our tree removal service as well as become fodder for creating more mulch through the chipping and mulching process we offer. Whatever your landscape needs, Parke has the remedy!

Fertilizing

Nothing beats turning your old trees and leaves into life-giving fertilizer for your new and existing landscape! The satisfaction of being truly green and natural for the fertilization of your landscape is the ideal (and economical) alternative to bringing in synthetic fertilizers. Your lawn will thank you as it responds to the nourishing nutrients and moisture retaining layers of fertilizer. Have a lot of pine trees? We can help turn all those downed pine needles into a lightweight and effective mulch! Pine mulch has many of the same benefits as standard mulch and conditions the soil due to its unique pH level. It also smells great which can be a common complaint when dealing with fertilizing substances!
While it’s still Winter time in middle Tennessee, it’s never too early to start making sure your lawn has the best possible chance to be as healthy as it can be. By utilizing the Parke Company’s many landscape services you can be assured that you’ve done everything necessary to obtain a healthy and flourishing landscape this coming spring. Contact one of our highly trained landscape experts today to discuss the best actions for your lawn.

Add a Little Color to Brighten up your Lawn

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

Although the weather in Nashville has been pretty warm this year, it can be a little disconcerting to look out the window and see a whole lot of dead, brown and generally gross looking lawns. While most flowers and bushes will not bloom until May at the earliest, we at the Parke Company believe it does not mean that you have to look at what appears to be an apocalyptic wasteland until spring really rolls around.

How You Can Add Color to Your Lawn

February Flowers

When people think of roses in February, it is usually the kind that come wrapped in a bouquet with a teddy bear and a box of chocolates. That being said, there are several species of roses that are blooming as early as now, including the Winter’s Bliss and Pink Frost lenten roses, which display a dazzling array of colors ranging from magenta to deep red and white. Why not keep the spirit of Valentine’s Day alive and outside, to remind you that Love lasts all year round?

Pansies are another good way of adding a different hue to the mix, since some versions of the flower have been specifically bred to live in cold environments, meaning you will not have to worry about any late winter cold snaps ruining your hard work. Pansies also come in a mix of colors, including many shades of yellow and blue, giving you a lot of different options for maximum color mixing.

Bushes and Shrubbery

One area people might not consider when looking to add a little color to their lawn is shrubs and bushes. Some shrubs, such as the Daphne family of bushes, bloom now, and are a great way to add large swatches of color to an area that looks as if it had a sepia filter applied to it, while something like Witch Hazel brings deeper oranges and reds to the table. It is important to note, however, that many of these bushes can be difficult to work with and may produce toxic berries, so it would be a good idea to let someone qualified help get things set up.

One thing to consider when adding shrubbery and bushes is the impact that a good mulch will have, not only on the health of the plants, but also on the visuals. We at the Parke Company believe that incorporating a good mulch into your landscape is key to a nice looking lawn.

It is understandable to want to wait a bit before getting into the grind of working on your lawn, but the earlier you get started the better your lawn is going to look, considering that many of these plants work better the longer they have been in the soil. Besides, who does not want a nice looking, bright and colorful lawn to stand out against the drab lawns currently decorating neighborhoods? You do not even need to know what you are doing, since we at the Parke Company offer services to help with landscape design and tree removal to mulching and irrigation. We will be there every step of the way to make sure your lawn is looking colorful and beautiful.

3 Simple Methods for Pruning Evergreen Trees

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

The Parke Company landscaper pruning an evergreen tree

Pruning evergreens can be an intimidating task for newbies. We perform these tasks every day at The Parke Company, but we understand that pruning can be baffling to nonprofessionals. After all, you don’t want to damage your beloved evergreens, or cut too much away and have them looking awkward.

The Parke Company would be happy to take this task off your plate. Our rates are affordable and our work is professional. However, if you want to handle routine pruning on your own, here are some ways to successfully prune the evergreen trees and shrubs in your yard and garden.

Best Pruning Methods for Evergreen Trees

Formal Shapes for Junipers and Arborvitaes.

Scaly bristled evergreens like Junipers and Arborvitaes are great candidates for formal, classic shapes. Oftentimes, these are the cone-shaped, “Christmas Tree” silhouettes that are so familiar to us all. Other shapes are possible, too. All you have to do is start when the tree is young, trimming away the tips of branches until you achieve the shape you want. Because you trim the tips away, the small branches will grow wider instead of longer, making your tree much fuller and healthier looking.

New Growth in Larger Cypresses and Other Evergreens.

In Leyland Cypress trees, for example, branches grow from near the tip. These branches “want” to dominate the growth energy of the tree, so they send hormones back through the branch toward the trunk, as a signal to stop other growth. The tip then keeps happily growing, even though it gives the tree an unbalanced “leggy” appearance. Again, it’s important to remove these new growth areas. This will favor new growth to come from nearer the trunk, making the tree healthier and fuller in appearance.

Natural Shaping for Japanese Yews and Other Evergreen Shrubs.

The Japanese Yew is a popular evergreen shrub that lasts a long time and provides a natural appearance, while taking up variable amounts of space in the garden or landscape. When pruning, it’s tempting to try to replicate globes or other “formal” shapes you’ve seen on TV. But this isn’t good for a plant like this, nor does this shape resemble the way the plant would grow on its own in nature. It’s better to, again, cut the tips of the longest growth, bringing the shape towards something more manageable, without making the plant look like Edward Scissorhands had a go at it. By eliminating long and aggressive growth, you’ll even extend the life of the shrub. Light will now be able to penetrate the outer topiary, which will allow greenery to live nearer the plant’s core.
At The Parke Company, we like to extend the life and usefulness of trees, prolonging their days before they are reduced to stumps and firewood. Most people who have trees like the ones described are a little unsure about what pruning is supposed to look like or accomplish. But pruning is pretty simple. With minimal work, you can improve your evergreen trees’ appearance, health and longevity. The Parke Company can do it for you, but we’re also happy to help you do it yourself.