November is a great time of the year in The South as we begin to welcome winter and we have such great displays of fall tree color and beautiful new annual fall color beds coming to life. Fescue turf lawns are beginning to look fantastic and warm-season lawns are beginning their dormancy.
"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." Elizabeth Lawrence, (1904-1985) 1st woman graduate in Landscape Architecture from NC State University. American Garden Writer and her historic home and garden located in Charlotte, NC.
Horticultural Services Teams are applying preemergent to all warm-season lawns to prevent winter and early spring weeds and most importantly poa annua and trivialis. This is a critical application and the only application to prevent poa in warm season turf. Timing is of the essence with this treatment. Fescue lawns are receiving granular fertilizer as well as a round of selective treatments for any weeds that are present. We continue to touch up some lawns with fescue seed as needed. Deep root fall tree injections are a good idea for trees that may be suffering or trees that need some extra growth. These injections are really critical with the wet season we had this year. This year's season combined with the drier season we had last year caused stress to our trees in Atlanta. These swings in weather truly stress trees out and the injections can help in a big way. Boxwoods need root injections as well this time of the year to ensure proper root growth in the clayey soils to establish stronger root systems. We have seen some fungal activity flaring up again on fescue lawns. Our Managers and Crews are on the lookout each week as we service lawns.
Seasonal Color Teams are continuing to plant new fall color beds. Tulips are a great accent bulb that can be added to the beds in December. This should be a great year for Tulips. We highly recommend you add tulips to your seasonal color beds for a huge burst in the spring.
Maintenance Teams are collecting leaves and sometimes naturalizing leaves on properties. This is the first wave this month for leaf removal and will continue in December. Leaves appear to be slow in dropping this season due to the warmer temperatures in October. We suspect a heavy drop the last week of November. Rain is very important in November as our humidity drops and plants and trees can dry out quickly from winds and low humidity. New plants, trees and flowers will benefit from additional watering. Crews are also trimming the new shoot growth and thinning some shrubs lightly as we prepare for winter. Hostas and other perennials are being cut back as their foliage browns and will continue into December.
Fall is the time BEST time to design and plant your garden. Fall - Winter is when trees and shrubs metabolism's slow down and focus their energy on root development. Most all trees are available to plant at this time as well. Watering by irrigation is not typically necessary at this time due to cooler temperatures and more rainfall.
A great addition to any garden are Daffodil bulb plantings. Daffodils are a great way to add color to the landscape and they bloom year after year and are not disturbed by deer, chipmunks or squirrels. Please talk with your manager if you would like a Daffodil display installed anywhere in your garden. Our teams have planted millions of Daffodils over the years. Nothing ushers in spring like a daffodil display.
Thank so much to all our valued clients who have trusted us with the development and maintenance of their exterior landscapes.
Thanks to all our valued clients who have trusted us with their business.
Warmest regards,
Peter Copses
Vice President
As winners of over 300 awards, Gibbs Landscape Company offers a proven track record of creative, quality landscape design and maintenance. Our team of highly trained, qualified Landscape Architects and horticulturalists can design and maintain a landscape that will add value to your property for years to come. You deserve the best in landscape design/build and maintenance…you deserve Gibbs Landscape Company.
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