There may be snow on the way or snow on the ground, but that doesn’t mean the folks at the Parke Company, Nashville’s leading landscaping services organization, are kicking back and taking a winter break.
While it’s true, we do take advantage of the reduced workload to perform maintenance on our equipment, winter is actually an ideal time for an important tree service.
Tree, Hedge, and Shrub Trimming
When cold weather hits and trees shed their leaves, tree structure is easier to see. Winter is an excellent time for trimming trees. When trees are bare, it is far easier to locate failing or dead limbs.
Unless you have extensive tree pruning experience, it’s best to rely on professional tree pruners to remove the damaged limbs. Done correctly, pruning will improve the health of a tree and eliminate the risk of a falling limb.
Almost every type of hedge and shrub that grows in Nashville can be safely trimmed or pruned during the dormant winter months.
When people think “trimming,” they usually think in terms of deciduous trees only, but evergreens are also safe to trim. In fact, evergreens can represent an even greater “falling object” threat because it’s easier for snow to pile up on an evergreen than a naked deciduous limb.
The One Service We Only Do in Winter
There is one business operation that the Parke Company only provides in winter: ice and snow mitigation.
That’s just another way of saying deicing of walkways, driveways, parking lots, porches, and any other surface that might represent a slip and fall risk.
We use a magnesium chloride formula for our application, not a salt based material. Using magnesium chloride eliminates the potential damage to concrete, painted surfaces, and of course, green growing things that salt is responsible for.
Our residential customers appreciate the safety and convenience that clear walkways provide. Commercial clients are sensitive to their liability for slip and fall accidents. Employees and customers of those businesses appreciate the ease of maneuvering an otherwise icy landscape and the minimal risk of a fender bender in the parking lot resulting from spinning tires.
There is one other service that we will be doing this year. The Parke Company has been selected to help decorate Tennessee’s Holiday Tree at the state capitol!
Nashville Winters: An Excellent Time to Plan
A perfectly landscaped space doesn’t happen by accident. At the Parke Company, our specialty is installing and renovating landscapes. Before the first piece of field work is performed, every aspect of the landscaping and hardscaping is plotted out.
That means that every type of tree, shrubs, flowers, hardscaping pieces, and sod has to be selected and located on paper.
In a way, installing or renovating a landscape is similar to building a house. Our skilled landscapers follow a blueprint to create the finished product.
Creating that blueprint takes time, a lot of time. A client meeting takes place to establish the client’s goals and specific preferences. Time is required for the actual design. Another meeting with the client for approval of the concept is required to get the project off the drawing board.
Time is something that is in short supply for us during the warmer months. Winter is ideally suited for planning.
So while we won’t be out installing landscapes in the snow, we won’t be taking a break either. Winter is just another season of work for us.