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As the spring and summer growing seasons get into full swing you may notice an unwanted addition to your garden – Toxicodendron radicans – or Poison Ivy. Although a native plant to North Carolina, few gardeners embrace or encourage the growth of this plant, and while not everyone is allergic to the plant, this can change over time, with allergy developing as a result of repeated exposure.

You may have heard the phrase ‘leaves of three, leave them be’ referring to the common identifying feature of poison ivy being its three leaflets. Unfortunately, many plants have three leaflets. One plant that is often confused with poison ivy is another native plant Parthenocissus quinquefolia – or Virginia Creeper. When mature, Virginia Creeper develops five leaflets, but as it is leafing out or putting on new growth it looks very similar to Poison Ivy.

Every spring I get emails from friends and family asking me to identify a grassy green plant with pretty purple flowers that is blooming everywhere.  The answer – Liriope!  While I used to be surprised at the number of people asking me about this (somewhat boring, in my opinion) plant, I have since come to appreciate everything it has to offer.  A shade tolerant, flowering, evergreen groundcover, Liriope is available in two main types – Liriope muscari a clump forming variety and Liriope spicata a vigorously spreading variety.  While Liriope is universally popular, there are many other groundcover grasses worth considering.

Spring is here and the Dogwoods are blooming! Many of our clients love Dogwoods and want to incorporate one (or more) into their landscape design. Fortunately, there are a variety of Dogwoods available in the landscape industry, making it easy to find one that will work for almost any site. Read on to learn about how to pick the best Dogwood for your property.

While most everyone is familiar with the appearance of spring flowering bulbs there is another group of plants that can add a great deal of spring interest to your garden – spring ephemerals. Ephemerals are plants that emerge in spring and progress through their flowering and fruiting and enter dormancy by the beginning of summer. These plants take advantage of ample spring moisture and the sunlight that streams through deciduous trees (before they develop their yearly foliage). Read on for a few examples of spring ephemerals that work well in North Carolina.

With spring around the corner now is the time to perform some routine winter maintenance – cutting back your ornamental grasses. The dried foliage of these plants has provided great fall and winter interest, but to encourage healthy new growth and a neat appearance, this foliage now needs to be removed. Read on for easy step by step directions.

As winter settles in the garden can seem to be on hold – few things are blooming and cold temperatures keep everyone inside. Add the threat of a winter storm and few people are thinking about garden beautification! However, there are many plants that can really shine with a coat of ice or snow – consider adding one or a combination of these in a spot that can be viewed from your favorite cold weather spot inside the house.

Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ – Coral Bark Japanese Maple

While most Japanese Maples have interesting foliage and vibrant fall color ‘Sango-Kaku’ has the additional benefit of bright red stems, especially on the newest growth. When covered in snow the red becomes even more vibrant, and would make a great focal point at the back of a planting bed.

The leaves are down and the holidays are coming! Now is a great time to perform routine winter maintenance tasks including pruning, mulching, and general yard cleanup. Winter mulching gives your plants extra insulation against the coldest months of the year, while also giving your yard a fresh neat look for winter visitors. Mulching in the winter is a good way to get a head start on next season’s yard work.

Winter is also a great time to prune trees and shrubs. Plants without their leaves show their structure, making it easier to see where to make the best cuts. For many plants winter is also the healthiest time to prune – many summer blooming plants as well as many varieties of conifers prefer to be pruned during dormancy.

In addition to cooler weather and plants with beautiful fall color one of the things that I like best about fall is the arrival of bulb catalogs in my mailbox. Every year I am inundated with catalogs from the US and around the world showing beautiful photos of fields of flowering spring bulbs. I love flipping through these catalogs and coming up with hypothetical combinations of plants to look forward to come spring. But I also end up feeling overwhelmed by the range of bulbs available, and the number of ways to incorporate them into my yard. Below are two great options for using spring flowering bulbs, and how to transition them into summer plantings.

As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler the season of fall color begins. When a client asks for plants for a dramatic fall color display I often turn to plants native to North Carolina and other parts of the South East. There are many plants native to this area that offer superb fall color in addition to their wildlife benefits.

Nyssa sylvatica – Black Gum

A mid sized to large shade tree, Black Gums have spectacular orange red fall color. They also produce a deep blue fruit which is a great source of nutrition for birds. Consider using a Black Gum where you would use an Oak of a Maple.

With fall right around the corner now is a great time to think about a new landscape design for your yard. If you are considering hiring a landscape designer, but aren’t sure how you would like to change your yard – don’t worry! Many of our clients start with just a desire to make their property more attractive, without really knowing what that means to them. Read on for advice on clarifying your goals:

Start with identifying what you don’t like

Our clients can typically tell us what they don’t like about their property. It may be views of their neighbors’ properties, poor lawn, erosion, areas that stay too wet, or the presence of deer. Identifying things that you don’t like is the first step to determining what changes need to be made to your property.