Brightleaf

I love hibiscus!  Growing up in Virginia my Grandmother had a potted tropical hibiscus outside her door every summer.  I loved the bright blooms and the tropical look of the plant, and to me it meant that summer had arrived.  When I started working at the nursery years later I learned that ‘hibiscus’ can actually refer to a variety of plants – the tropical one that I was accustomed to, as well as a large shrub variety, and a native perennial.  Read on to learn about each and how to best use them in the landscape.

With blueberry season right around the corner it is a great time to consider adding these versatile shrubs to your garden. In addition to their fruiting, blueberries add to the landscape with their fantastic bright red fall color. Best sited in full sun, these plants like an acidic soil with good moisture and drainage to perform their best. Read on to learn more about how to incorporate these plants in your garden.

Crapemyrtles are part of the summer landscape of North Carolina. You’ll find them on highways, in commercial plantings and neighborhoods, and throughout many residential properties. While Crapemyrtles or Lagerstromia sp. are a popular plant, they are often sized inappropriately for their planted location – leading to another feature of the North Carolina landscape – the aggressive pruning of these trees, known as ‘Crape Murder’. To help avoid this we’re sharing some advice on how to select a Crapemyrtle – if you consider all the factors listed below you are certain to choose the right plant for the right place.

I love hosta!  I love it’s form, it’s color, and the huge number of varieties available in the market.  Whenever i’m at a nursery I have to take a look in the hosta section – I’m always looking for unusual new varieties.

When I moved into my house in Durham several years ago I noticed that one of the garden beds planted by the previous homeowners was full of a low growing, evergreen plant.  I wasn’t sure what the plant was, so I left it for the time being and worked on other projects.  Come spring I was surprised to find that the plants were full of strawberries, and that they had produced more fruit than we could eat, without any care or maintenance.  Now when clients ask about incorporating edibles into their garden, strawberries are often the first plant that I suggest.  Read on to learn about adding strawberries to your garden.

One easy way to surprise someone with your plant knowledge is to tell them about all of the varieties of hydrangeas that can be grown in North Carolina.  From traditional mophead varieties to hydrangea trees and Hydrangea arborescens to Schizophragma hydrangeoides read on to learn about these exciting plants.

There are two native hydrangeas available to North Carolina gardeners – the Oakleaf and Smooth Hydrangeas.  These are two very different plants – the Oakleaf is larger, with boldly toothed leaves, panicle flowers, and fantastic fall color while the Smooth has white mophead flowers, great sun tolerance, and can be pruned to the ground every season.

The hydrangea that most of our clients are familiar with is the blue and pink blooming bigleaf hydrangea.  In addition to this great plant, there are lots of other interesting types including red blooming varieties, those with variegated foliage, and a range of lacecap varieties.  All of these grow best in partial shade, suffer from deer damage, and need to be pruned immediately after blooming or not at all.

Probably the least known hydrangea types are the hydrangea vines and the panicle hydrangeas that can be pruned as trees.  Hydrangea vine comes in two species – Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris and the Schizophragma hydrangeoides, which though not a true hydrangea is very similar in appearance.  Both are shade tolerant, vigorous climbers, with great flowering.  The panicle hydrangeas are the largest shrub variety, and are often seen ‘limbed up’ to give them a tree like appearance.  Panicle hydrangeas are very sun tolerant and are considered deer resistant.

With all the varieties of hydrangea available there is one to fit in every yard.  Interested in adding one to your garden?  Contact Bright Leaf Landscaping at 919-475-1015 or fill out our online contact form.  Design and installation are our expertise, and we are always happy to meet with new clients to discuss potential projects!

In central North Carolina a common plant found in the landscape is the Pinus taeda or Loblolly pine.  These native trees are found throughout the woods, and in many clients’ properties.  With their tall stature, short branching, and seasonal shedding, pines create a unique environment for gardeners.   Read on to learn about my favorite plant combination with pines.

In areas without deer I love to plant a mix of azaleas, hydrangeas, and ferns underneath the dappled shade of pines.  Azaleas provide evergreen interest and spring blooming, which is followed up by the emergence of fern fronds and the summer blooming of hydrangeas.  All of these plants grow well in a part sun/part shade environment, and are large enough to stand up to the needles shed by pines every fall.

Interested in adding plants to the pine woods on your property?  Contact Bright Leaf Landscaping at 919-475-1015 or fill out our online contact form.  Design and installation are our expertise, and we are always happy to meet with new clients to discuss potential projects!

We are looking for a self-motivated Landscape Crew Leader to join our growing Durham NC landscape company. This position is responsible for directing 1-3 crew members in daily operations. The daily activities of this position include, but are not limited to, reading scaled plans, supervising the loading of all necessary materials, driving trucks, trailers and some equipment, preparation of jobsite, layout based on plans provided and coordination & supervision of the installation of plantings, hardscape and mulch. The Crew Leader must possess a high attention to detail and effectively communicate with subordinates, peers and his/her supervisor. It is the Crew Leader’s responsibility to ensure that the crew provides quality service that meets or exceeds our customer’s and management’s expectations. Ideal candidates will possess a friendly, customer service minded attitude and will conduct themselves in a professional manner, and treat all crew members with respect. 

One of the most frequent requests I hear from clients is how to best provide screening to areas of their property.  From blocking the view of neighboring houses, to screening a client’s utility boxes – screen plantings come in all shapes and sizes.  Read on to learn about some of my favorite plantings for screening large, medium, and small areas.

Juniper is both one of the most versatile plants that I use in my designs, and the one that is the most difficult for me to sell to clients.  Clients tend to think of juniper as the overused, ugly, prickly plant that they would prefer not to have.  I think of it as a tough plant that can be beautiful if sited correctly, and rely on it to solve problems from poor soil to full sun, while being deer resistant and evergreen.  Read on to learn about some of my favorite junipers and how they can work in your garden.