Company Team Members Attend Piedmont Landscape Association Seminar

This past Thursday marked the 36th annual Piedmont Landscape Association (PLA) Seminar in Charlottesville, Virginia, held at the Paramount Theater located on the Downtown Mall. Several members of the Windridge Team were able to attend. It is a perpetual company goal to not only keep current with popular landscaping trends, but also broaden our professional knowledge base, keeping current with industry standards & best management practices. One of the most pressing topics is the current shifting of our climate and it’s projected impact. We are busy adapting our traditional landscaping methods in an attempt to curb this change as best we can so that it may offer the plants an opportunity to adapt as well, to the best of their ability to do so. 

The general consensus is that we need more plant diversity, less open mulched area, and scale our dependency on irrigation way back. Consider a staggered hedge of mixed trees and or shrubs in lieu of that long row of identical trees or shrubs. Planting ground covers (even if they are annual vegetable plants) to cover mulched areas to suppress the weed seeds that are banked in the soil that will germinate, eliminating the need to use herbicides. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. Why then not think of reducing your lawn area to just what you use?

These are all simple and effective ideas that can have tremendous environmental impacts and greatly increase your enjoyment of your yard. Whether your goal is increasing wildlife in your yard or just lessening the work time and increasing the play time, the professional staff at Windridge is here to assist you in achieving your ‘greenscape’ goals.

 

Here are some cool links to a few of the topics (and professionals leading this charge) in the Green Industry mentioned above.

The Foodscape Revolution with Brie Arthur

Eco Beneficial Landscaping Tips from Kim Eierman

USDA Forest Service Climate Change Atlas

 

Better Than Crape Myrtle

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It is undeniable that Crape Myrtles exploded on to the scene over the past decade. They seem to be planted everywhere in the Piedmont Region of Virginia. Due to the over planting of this decorative tree we are seeing a resurgence in Crape Myrtle Tip Blight. Crape Myrtle Tip Blight results from a fungus that causes leaves near the tips of the tree branches to turn brown in spring or summer. If you look closely at the infected foliage you can see the small black spore-bearing bodies. There are ways to avoid this problem, by planting a similar but superior tree. If you are thinking about planting a Crape Myrtle consider a comparable tree that your neighbor’s probably will not have.

The Seven-Son-Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is a large, fountain-shaped, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically grows 15-20′ at maturity with a 10′ spread. It may also be trained as a single-trunk tree. This sassy underused tree features attractive white flowers which appear in whorls at the end of each branched cluster in early summer. Each whorl contains 7 tiny flowers (hence the common name of seven-son flower). Flowers are followed in fall by an equally showy (if not showier) display: small, purplish-red fruits, which are almost always immediately consumed by birds; leaving the ‘crown’ of five very showy, sepal-like rose calyces which last into late fall. Tan bark exfoliates to reveal attractive brown inner bark, which provides good winter interest. Birds use this bark as nesting material and will even nest in the tree itself. Its leaves are narrow, shiny, ovate-oblong and medium-green with a beautiful fall color. This tree has been a personal favorite here at Windridge for a while and we are delighted to see it coming available in our local nurseries, it is definitely increasing in popularity as an ornamental tree. Cultivars such as ‘Temple of Bloom’ can now be found with ease due to the plant being grown locally. It is a good source of nectar for butterflies in the fall.

Flowers in Winter

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Who says you can’t have flowers in the landscape in Nelson County Winter?!

A beautiful Witch Hazel can bring a winter surprise to your yard. The Jalena Witch Hazel, pictured brings a whisper of Spring with its blossoms in the midst of Winter. There are several species available that bloom at staggered times, some of which are fragrant. This underused plant is a prime candidate for a small semi shaded spot in your yard.

Or how about some sweet winter annuals, Violas (similar to Pansies) will cheerfully hold a place in your yard from October to mid May? The ones in the picture are right here at the entrance of Windridge Landscaping in Nelson County and were grown by Saunders Brothers Nursery in Piney River.

Last but not least, our native Cold Hardy Cactus holds its place in a Xeriscape rock bed. This small succulent Prickly Pear lends a unique texture to its bed and challenges us to reconsider our definition of the ‘traditional evergreen’ plant.

A Tree Nerd Runs Into Friends

On a recent trip to Baltimore for MANTS, the Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, our arborist, purchaser, and estimator extraordinaire Jennifer Hughes was fortunate enough to meet two of her heroes. On the left is Micheal Dirr, professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia and author of the infamous Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, aka the plant bible. On the right you will find his friend Coach Vince Dooley, master gardener for the past 20 years and former head football coach at UGA for 25 years. Thank you to Tim from Spring Hill Nursery for taking the photo, it’s going to be Jenn’s Christmas card!

Hands On Event For High School Students

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Last year in the spring Windridge Landscaping took the opportunity to host a Career Day for 50 local high school students in the hopes of getting them excited about the possibilities for jobs in the field. With help from Creation Appreciation, Edible Landscapes, Allied Concrete & Eagle Bay Hardscapes, we were able to show the wide variety of job opportunities. Spring is fast approaching and we definitely hope to have this group and more back again. Check out the article in the National Association of Landscape Professionals Magazine.
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Winter Weather Can Be Hard On Trees

Ice covered trees could be spotted all over our area yesterday. If one of your favorite trees is covered in ice here are a few things to remember: do not shake limbs as this can cause them to snap, if a limb does break have it removed and the stub properly cut as soon as the weather will allow, and proper pruning can go along way to preventing the damage from occurring in the first place. Windridge has a wonderful arborist on staff that can help your trees stay happy and healthy.

Enjoying The Fall Color

Abundant rain has given us fall landscape colors that we don’t often see. Native plants can provide this color consistently since they are used to the area. Grasses can provide color and texture well into the winter. Some of our favorites include Little Bluestem, Broomsedge, and Muhly Grass. If you see a plant you like, take a picture and drop us an email,we’d love to help you identify it!

Winter Is The Time To Install An Outdoor Living Space

The canvas is bare and the bones are exposed. Winter is a great time to install an outdoor living space. Water run off and drainage issues are easily exposes and can be remedied with the outdoor landscape and hardscape installation. All of the dirty work can be done in the winter so your new landscape will be ready to enjoy in the spring.

Fall Is Bulb Planting Season

Although daffodils come to mind the number of bulbs available to plant is amazing. Our friends at brentandbeckysbulbs.com have a stunning assortment and their website is full of wonderful information.  My favorite bulb to plant this time of year isn’t of the flowering variety though, …it’s garlic. Doesn’t take up a whole lot of space and the deer don’t like it. Varieties that are tried and true in our area can be found at your local farmers market.

Marshmallow Season Is Right Around The Corner

Hilton Homewood Suites Firepit

Make your backyard an inspirational place to spend time with the family. Outdoor fireplaces come in all shapes and sizes, finding one to customize your space is what we do best. From carving a space out of a hillside, to defining areas in a vast backyard, Windridge would love to chat with you about what your family is looking for.