Carolina Preserve Vendor Show

Thank you to all the residents and future residents for stopping by to see us yesterday. We had a great time talking with all of you! Your kind words and compliments were very much appreciated. We look forward to the next show, and to seeing you all out and around the neighborhood. Michael and Cristy Hoskins

More than just curb appeal

My sister found the following article today online and sent it our way. It's great and we could not have said it any better. Landscaping your lawn really does pay off. Hope you enjoy it. Cristy Hoskins

Landscaping can add value during the sale of a home
By Paige Bowers
Homeowners across the country are finding there's more to a well-landscaped yard than that simple bit of curb appeal. After all, well-manicured hedges and strategically placed trees often add to a home's resale value and reduce utility costs for the family that moves in.
Just ask Nancy Henderson, who discovered that by planting two maple trees in the front yard of her former Martinsville, Va. home, she could cut down on her air conditioning and electricity bills. When Henderson sold her house seven years ago, she said the trees became one of the home's selling points.
"People were very anxious to know how the trees helped with our air conditioning and electricity bills," Henderson says. "And we were able to show potential buyers on paper how the trees decreased our bill costs over time. The couple that wound up buying the house didn't try to knock the price down as much as other couples did because the man was into gardening and understood the advantage of having this natural cooling."
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Research on home valuesLandscaping's effect on home values varies, according to a 1998 University of Florida study. Lot size, plant type, plant spacing and overall design all play roles in how much money homeowners reap from their beautification efforts at resale time. The report states that homeowners added a lot of color to their yard if they wanted a quick sell, while those who were more concerned about a long-term payoff focused on trees and shrubs that would grow over time.
The recommendation: Landscaping paysOverall, the report advises homeowners to invest in a good landscape plan for added value. "It's true," says Bonnie Van Fleet, spokesperson for the Reston, Va.-based Associated Landscape Contractors of America. "A properly installed and maintained landscape gives homeowners a 100 to 200 percent on their investment and increases overall property values in the neighborhood. And just think: You only get a 75 percent return on investment if you redo your bathroom."
Added benefitsVan Fleet also says landscaping improves home security. She says insurance agencies put a great value on landscaping, and will pay the several-hundred-dollar replacement value for trees struck by lightning. Thorny shrubs are often planted under windows to deter burglaries, she says, and the practice is becoming so common that owners of commercial buildings are doing it.
"Trees and shrubs are investments that grow," Van Fleet insists. "If you look at the same housing side by side, the house that is well landscaped sells by much more. Anyone who has looked at real estate taxes recently will see there's definitely a difference depending on a house's upgrades."
Copyright © by Move, Inc.

Top 10 shade perenials

My sister who lives in Florida asked us for some advice the other day. She has a very shady backyard (lucky her) and needs something to brighten up her space. She likes perennials (comes back each year) and lot's of color. I suggested some hostas and then started searching the net. I found a good article for her, and thought some of you might find it helpful as well. Hope your having a great summer. Thanks for stopping by, Cristy Hoskins




Top 10 Shade Garden Perennials
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By Marie Iannotti, About.com
See More About:
shade gardening
perennial plants
garden design
choosing plants
pest control
Shade gardeners often lament that there are limited plant choices for the shade garden. Untrue. Many plants that are known as sun lovers, like daylilies, actually enjoy the relief of partial shade, especially in hot areas. While Hostas now come in a wonderful array of colors and textures, you can add color to your shade garden with the following plants that aren’t strictly shade plants, but which make wonderful shade garden plants. When choosing plants for shade, you have to expand the box.
1. Aconitum fischeri - Monkshood
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Monkshood likes full sun, but is fine in partial shade. The blooms, which resemble monks’ hoods, hang along spiky stalks and can last for up to 2 months. Very pest and disease resistant. Zones 2 - 9
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2. Aquilegia - Columbine
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Butterflies and hummingbirds can't resist the delicate, nectar filled blossoms of columbine. The bi-colored bell-shaped flowers come in a wide variety of colors, although you'll often find them for sale mixed. They are prone to leaf minor, but you can always cut the foliage back after it blooms. Zones 3 - 9
3. Astilbe - False Spirea
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Astilbes are one of those near perfect flowers. The fern-like foliage stays attractive all season. The flower plumes, in shades of whites, pinks, purples and reds, bloom once but last the whole season as they fade. Except for dividing astilbes to make more, they require no effort. A similar great plant to consider is Aruncus or Goat's Beard. Zones 4 - 9
4. Belamcanda chinensis - Blackberry Lily
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Bleamcanda has the sword-shaped leaves of its cousin, the iris, but its flowers are distinctive. Small, flattened, star-shaped flowers often in orange but available in a range of colors, with or without spots bloom for a day each, over a period of several weeks in summer and fade to rounded seed pods. Zones 5 - 9
5. Cimicifuga racemosa- Bugbane, Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Black Cohosh can easily reach 6 - 8' in a season and adds great height and texture to the shade garden. The dense, deeply cut foliage gives rise to even taller stalks of bottle-brush white flowers in late summer or fall. Zones 3 - 9
6. Dicentra - Bleeding Heart
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Delicate bleeding hearts are work horses in the garden and they welcome the relief of shade. The common variety D. Spectabilis can be ephemeral in hot areas. The fringed varieties will repeat bloom throughout the summer. D. cucullaria, Dutchman's breeches, is another spring charmer with white blossoms resembling pantaloons. Zones 2 - 9
7. Epimedium - Barrenwort
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Epimedium is often dismissed as a slow growing ground cover, but they desesrve more respect. The spring blooming flowers come out in clusters and the foliage, which starts out almost lime green, changes to a rich red in fall. They’ll tolerate full sun to full shade and even the dry shade under trees. Zones 5 - 9
8. Primula - Primrose
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Primulas are one of the first flowers to bloom. Even their name tells you they are a spring flower. Primulas can handle some sun in the spring, but once things warm up, they’ll require at least partial shade. They also have a preference for moist, but well-drained soil. Colors are usually vibrant, sometimes bi-colored. Zones 3 - 9
9. Thalictrum aquilegifolium - Meadow Rue
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Meadow Rue has columbine like foliage, with fuzzy white, pink or purple clusters of summer blossoms. Thalictrum takes care of itself and doesn’t like fuss or being moved, but they thrive in partial shade. They reach heights of 3 - 5 feet. Zones 3 - 9
10. Spring Blooming Woodland Flowers
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss) - A close cousin of forget-me-nots. Zones 3 - 9
Mertensia (Bluebells) - Ephemerals that dazzle then disappear. Zones 3 - 9
Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon's seal) - Especially the variegated version with white edging. Zones 3 - 9
Pulmonaria saccharata (Lungwort) - An early bloomer with white-spotted foliage. Zones 3 - 9
Trillium grandiflorum (Wake Robin) - An early charmer with parts of 3. Zones 3 - 9

Drip Irrigation

Here is a great description of a Drip Irrigation system. It's from the Lowes Home Inprovement Store website. We get a lot of calls about this so I thought you may find it helpful if you're considering adding an irrigation system to your lawn this summer. Give us a call here at the office if you'd like to schedule a free estimate. Groundscapes of NC Inc. 919-367-8520.


Introduction


What is commonly known as drip irrigation is actually a combination of several types of low-pressure, low-volume water delivery systems. The correct term for these systems is microirrigation. Each microirrigation system is distinguished by a different style of emitter (the part that discharges the water). These microirrigation systems originated with commercial growers and farmers. With the ever-increasing desire and necessity of water conservation, drip irrigation is a great idea for the home gardener.
Some of these systems deliver water literally one drop at a time. Far from water torture, this type of system is the best way to maximize your water resources and get the most from your plants. By keeping the plant's roots moist (but not to the point of saturation) you actually use less water than with conventional watering techniques. Other systems can be configured to mist and provide humidity.
Made from flexible vinyl or polyethylene pipe, drip systems are commonly installed in the subsoil in commercial agricultural applications. At home, you can "hide" the system with a layer of mulch. Leaving it on top of the ground is fine, especially if you are troubled by mice or voles (they sometimes seem to think of the tubing as a snack). As smaller plants mature and spread, the water supply lines are less visible. To help prevent clogging, make sure that any part that emits water remains above ground.

Why a Drip System?

The list of the benefits of using drip irrigation over hand watering applys both to plants and gardeners.
A drip system:
Saves water — you could experience up to a 50% reduction when using a properly installed and maintained drip irrigation system.
Connects directly to the hose bib and doesn't require cutting water supply lines.
Avoids randomly watering your plants (and the weeds).
Targets the exact area where you want the water (for example, the roots) and allows you to deliver it at the exact time you wish (using a timer).
Installs easily, plus the system components are relatively inexpensive. Kits are available or you can purchase individual components to customize and expand your system.
Delivers water without creating an overly moist environment that promotes fungal diseases.
Adapts easily to changes in landscape. Systems can be used for containers, raised beds, vegetable rows or balconies. Drip irrigation can circle a tree or shrub at the dripline.
Reduces erosion on slopes (remember to place the emitter upslope, above the plant).
Improves water-holding capacity in sandy soils.
Good idea: Drip irrigation systems conserve water.

Carolina Preserve Thank you!

The staff here at Groundscapes of NC Inc. would like to thank all of our wonderful customers out in Carolina Preserve in Cary. Each and every one of them has been a joy to work with and we thank them for their business and their referrals. We hope all of them are having a great summer! Sincerely, Michael Hoskins, Greg Theirren, Cristy Hoskins and the staff of Groundscapes of NC Inc.

Knock Out Roses

I used to be intimidated by planting and caring for roses. I love everything about them-the smell, the different varieties and the wide range of colors. The only thing I didn't like was the maintenance. Michael convinced me that the "Knock Out" rose bush was the one for me. I was skeptical, but he was right.

They're fantastic.

Easy to grow, no spraying for bugs, no deadheading, disease resistant and it blooms all summer long. In the winter it keeps it dark green leaves. We now have about 7 in our front yard. I love seeing them when I pull up into my driveway. The only problem we had was the deer liked them to. To eat, that is. That was last year, but this year for whatever reason, they don't seem to want to graze on them. In any case, if you don't have a problem with deer in your neighborhood, then keep reading. Turns out, Michael and Greg have been recommending these beauties to their customers for years.

If you'd like to check them out for yourself-here is a good link. www.theknockoutrose.com

And of course, if you'd like us to purchase and install this pretty bush into your landscape, please give us a call. We'd be happy to help you. Call us anytime at the office. 919-367-8520

Beauty in Carolina Preserve

What a pretty example of a retaining wall, patio and a raised planting area. This is such a creative use of a small space. The flowers can be changed out seasonally and the tree fills out in the spring and throughout the summer to provide shade and privacy.

This will be a peaceful retreat for the owner for years to come.