“We enjoy partnering with other landscape professionals to assist them in achieving their overall plans,” says owner, Chris Wilkerson. “Each job is unique and that’s what makes it an interesting challenge.” Using their 90” tree spade, they can install and relocate up to 12” caliper trees. For smaller trees, they bring in their 54” tree spade which allows them to dig trees as small as 3” caliper. By focusing on tree moving, they provide their clients with a valuable and unique service.

From golf courses, to commercial developments, to private residences and institutions, Tree Movers, Inc. has the opportunity to bring in mature trees that are in scale with projects or work with larger trees that are already onsite and simply needed to be moved. With many satisfied clients and the ability to partner with others in the landscape process, Tree Movers, Inc. is looking forward to the next ten years.

Tree Movers, Inc. Chris Wilkerson, Owner

7630 Panther Lake Road, Willow Springs, NC 27592

(919) 552-8008 Tree Movers, Inc

By: Helen Yoest

The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

7630 Panther Lake Road, Willow Springs, NC 27592
(919) 552-8008 www.treemoversinc.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Hackney Parker (hackney@seasidemulch.com)
Lee Craft  (lee@seasidemulch.com)

Seaside Mulch
201 N. Green Meadows Dr.
Wilmington, NC 28405
910-791-2100/1-800-641-0881

Seaside Much

Wilmington, NC- October 21, 2011- Seaside Mulch, the Cape Fear Region’s premier mulch & soil producer and supplier for over 15 years, is proud to announce NuLeaf ® is now a certified compost by the U.S. Composting Council Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) Program.

NuLeaf®, is manufactured in New Hanover County and consists of composted local recycled vegetative debris. Seaside Mulch is completing the recycling cycle by saving tons of vegetative waste from the landfill to create NuLeaf®, an earth-friendly compost.  NuLeaf® is rich in organic nitrogen and ideal for organic gardening and farming. Nuleaf® has all the benefits of compost without the biosolids and salts found in manure-based composts. NuLeaf® is an environmentally friendly and economic option for top-dressing existing turf, including lawns, athletic fields, and golf courses. Nuleaf® is a great soil amendment when seeding or sodding. NuLeaf® provides vital minerals and nutrients for flower and vegetable gardens and helps to establish strong roots when planting new trees and shrubs. NuLeaf® is ideal for erosion control, as it does not have run off issues found in manure-based composts and granular fertilizers.

The U.S. Composting Council’s STA Program is a compost testing, labeling and information disclosure program which ensures the health and safety of compost products. The program was created in 2000 and is the consensus testing program among the leading compost research scientists in the United States.  Compost producers must meet all local, state and federal regulations to be eligible to participate in the STA program.  The science behind the STA Program includes a suite of physical, chemical and biological tests. STA compost products are analyzed for nutrient content, soluble salts, moisture content, particle size, pathogens and trace metals.  These tests help both compost producer and consumer determine if the compost they are considering is suitable for their specific use.  All testing of the STA composts is performed by a group of independent, certified labs. The tests results are available to the consumer so that the consumer is certain of what they are purchasing and that the product is healthy and safe for the environment.  To remain in the STA program, Seaside Mulch has NuLeaf® tested quarterly to ensure its quality and compliance with the STA standards.

Seaside Mulch opened in the spring of 1996 and began selling bulk mulches in Wilmington, North Carolina. Today Seaside Mulch has locations in North and South Carolina and produces all of its own mulches, soils and composts. Seaside Mulch produces the highest quality products and sets the standard for others in the mulch & soil industry. For more information visit Seaside Mulch at 201 N. Green Meadows Dr., Wilmington, NC or call 910-791-2100.

By: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

Zones: 9 – 10

Size: 18 – 24 inches tall and wide

Conditions: morning sun, afternoon shade; moist but well-drained soil; landscape or container plant

Since I’ve moved into an apartment and have been somewhat confined to container gardening, I’ve found my selection criteria for a plant has changed. It has to be colorful, easily managed in a moveable container, and provide a long season of interest. Nephrolepis exaltata Rita’s Gold™ meets all three of my standards.

When it comes to color, Rita’s Gold™ shines. The fronds have a chartreuse color that is vibrant AND, more importantly, the color doesn’t fade. In my container display, I echo the color throughout the planting with Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ and Canna ‘Pretoria’. Or, if you prefer an example using opposite sides of the color wheel, I’ve complimented it in the past with the blueberry-smoothie-colored leaves of Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’.

It’s easily manageable in a container. I have mine planted singly in a terra cotta pot, but you could just as easily plant it in a fibrous hanging basket, in a mixed container, or in the ground. Just make sure that the roots don’t dry out too much. It doesn’t like sitting in water, but it does like to be in moist soil. 

And, it provides a long season of interest. Mine is over a year old now since I bought it back in June of 2010. I overwintered the plant in my living room, and it proved to be a nice accent plant. It received only a few hours of light and twice a week watering. A few of the lower leaves browned, but they were easily removed with scissors. My experience in the past taught me warm temperatures are crucial. Back in Tennessee, I tried to overwinter it in an unheated garage, but that method resulted in sickly plants the following spring.

From my discussion above, you may quickly see why gold is part of the name. But, who’s Rita? She is Rita Randolph, an excellent plantswoman and the owner of Randolph’s Greenhouses in Jackson, Tennessee who introduced the fern in 2006. It’s still making its way through the trade, but keep your eyes open for it. Whether you’re an apartment dweller or have a large garden, it’s certain to be a golden choice for

Edited by: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

you.

Zones: 9 – 10

Size: 18 – 24 inches tall and wide

Conditions: morning sun, afternoon shade; moist but well-drained soil; landscape or container plant

Since I’ve moved into an apartment and have been somewhat confined to container gardening, I’ve found my selection criteria for a plant has changed. It has to be colorful, easily managed in a moveable container, and provide a long season of interest. Nephrolepis exaltata Rita’s Gold™ meets all three of my standards.

When it comes to color, Rita’s Gold™ shines. The fronds have a chartreuse color that is vibrant AND, more importantly, the color doesn’t fade. In my container display, I echo the color throughout the planting with Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ and Canna ‘Pretoria’. Or, if you prefer an example using opposite sides of the color wheel, I’ve complimented it in the past with the blueberry-smoothie-colored leaves of Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’.

It’s easily manageable in a container. I have mine planted singly in a terra cotta pot, but you could just as easily plant it in a fibrous hanging basket, in a mixed container, or in the ground. Just make sure that the roots don’t dry out too much. It doesn’t like sitting in water, but it does like to be in moist soil. 

And, it provides a long season of interest. Mine is over a year old now since I bought it back in June of 2010. I overwintered the plant in my living room, and it proved to be a nice accent plant. It received only a few hours of light and twice a week watering. A few of the lower leaves browned, but they were easily removed with scissors. My experience in the past taught me warm temperatures are crucial. Back in Tennessee, I tried to overwinter it in an unheated garage, but that method resulted in sickly plants the following spring.

From my discussion above, you may quickly see why gold is part of the name. But, who’s Rita? She is Rita Randolph, an excellent plantswoman and the owner of Randolph’s Greenhouses in Jackson, Tennessee who introduced the fern in 2006. It’s still making its way through the trade, but keep your eyes open for it. Whether you’re an apartment dweller or have a large garden, it’s certain to be a golden choice for you.

Words and photo: Jared Barnes

Edited by: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

An arbor serves as a portal into a garden room; a transition point to tell a visitor it’s time to pause, giving you a change in perspective.  Training vines to cover the arbor, brings garden life to another dimension — reason enough to want to find the perfect spot in your garden to add an arbor.

Arbor Style

Arbors have the ability to set mood.  Romantic, rustic, formal, Asian, European, or cottage, an arbor knows no architectural boundaries.  The connection between house and garden is extended when the style of the home matches the arbor.  Repeating interesting architectural details found on the house, such as a porch railing pattern, gable pitch, color, or even a pattern found in the window mullions, will help add continuity between the house and the garden.

Kinds of Arbors

Arbors come in all shapes and sizes to match any desired effect.  A skinny arbor, just deep enough to adequately stabilize it and the plants it supports, are commonly used and found.

An arbor deep enough for seating can become a child’s play area with other children or a teddy bear’s picnic.  Arbor seats can also be a special place for a mommy’s quiet repose.

Very deep arbor designs can serve as a vine covered eating area for Al Fresco dining; just saying the words, conjures up a welcomed endeavor to eat outside.  Bring out your best china and crystal to toast with friends to glory only outdoor dining can bring.

Wood, metal, and even old tree branches can be fashioned into an arbor.  However, ready built arbors are plentiful.  They can be found at flea markets, antique stores, garden centers, and home improvement stores.  First, survey your property to find the most suitable place to add an arbor.

Where to Site an Arbor

Any garden, large or small, has space for at least one arbor; maybe more.  Look to your property to see where you can divide areas of the yard to make more of your space.  This is a concept known as multiplication by division — expanding the space by dividing the area into smaller sections. Magically, the garden seems larger with the ability to sequester into a new site.   Add low fence sections or a hedge buffer will create the walls; adding an arbor, creates the door to and from the garden room.

Arbors also direct foot traffic through the garden.  Standing tall, enticing you to come within.  Passing through the arbor transforms not only the space, but the mood of the gardener.  The feeling of adventure is often noted.

To see where you can add an arbor to your garden, go on a walking tour of your property.  Look from as many vantage points as possible.  From the back looking towards the house, to the corners of the property, or even in the middle of the open spaces in the back or side yards. Adding paths and walls with your arbor, creates transition points or separate rooms.

Most arbors are 8 to 10 feet tall.  This gives sufficient clearance to walk under, even when flowering vines drip with nectar and scent.  This height also makes it manageable to prune vines, when this task must be done.

Vining plants can be used alone, such as training an American Wisteria over the arbor or pairing a combination of plants, like the classic arrangement of the clematis and the rose.

Top your arbor with twinkling lights, providing lumination for you and the garden fairies, alike, making a welcome journey, even in the evening garden.

Adding an arbor adds layers to your garden, bringing your garden to new heights.

By: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

Zones: 4 – 9

Size:   4 feet tall by 18 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil.

Bronze fennel is grown in my herb garden for one reason: as a host plant for the Eastern black swallowtail butterfly. The plant itself is very lusty looking. Bronze color adds interest in an herb garden that can be heavy on green.

The feathery foliage looks good all summer, as long as it is not allowed to go to seed. To avoid this, feel free to cut it back during the summer, or just let the larvae do it for you.

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ — Bronze Fennel is invasive in some areas.

By: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

Since the day we first met, in what seems like another life ago and certainly another garden ago, I loved you. I knew one day you would be mine.

Now after more than 10 years of you coming and going, you’re starting to, well, smother me just a little. I need a little space and so do some of my friends. Just recently, I wanted touch base with Callicarpa dichotoma and she was no where to be found. The same was true with Crinum ‘Ellen Bosanquet.’ Its one thing with C. dichotoma because she prefers to visit in the fall, but you know Ellen likes to visit with me in the summer.

We had a lot of good times together. I hope our love affair will continue for many more years. I’ve so enjoy your friends and they are always welcome here, especially the hummingbirds. I’m particularly grateful you don’t keep company with any bad animals like the voles, deer, and rabbits. The fact that you bloom where you’re planted just did it for me. And still does. Don’t misunderstand me, you will always be apart of my life. I cannot live without you, but for right now, I just need some space.

Please don’t take this hard. Just give me some time; by early summer of next year, I will welcome you back with open arms.

Yours, Ty Dee

By: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

As the evening light wanes,  I step out the back door of my suburban home, entering my wildlife habitat.  If I was seeking some alone time, I’ve come to the wrong place.

Many familiar friends are waiting for me. Butterflies are flying above the heads of a resident box turtle, a few frogs, and a pair of anoles.  Dragonflies are avoiding the praying mantis; the yellow garden spider weaves a web to welcome guests, and mosquitoes are arriving for the bat buffet.

Many birds are taking flight; others are chirping and bees are buzzing. Can you hear the buzz?   As I look around my wildlife habitat, I realize that each are here by invitation.  It really is true, if you build it, they will come.

Creating a wildlife habitat is simple to do and richly rewarding.  Your wildlife garden can be a container garden, a corner carved out in a traditional landscape, or an entire suburban lot.   As we continue to find ways to reduce lawn areas, making a sunny spot for a wildlife habitat is the perfect solution.

Simply provide food, water, cover, and places to raise their young and you will create a wildlife habitat.

FOOD

To attract wildlife, provide the kinds of food wildlife need – either naturally or with supplements. Also consider their various food needs at different stages of the wildlife’s lifecycle.  For example, the larvae stage of the butterfly feeds on specific host plants depending the type of butterfly, yet adults will sip the nectar of most flowers with an umbel shape, making a landing pad for easy feeding.

The more variety of food sources provided, the greater variety of wildlife you’ll attract.  Various seeds, nuts, cones, berries, fruits, nectar, sap, and pollen are all good food sources.

The use of regionally native plants is also recommended, providing 10 to 50 times more food to the wildlife’s likings.  Food can also be supplemented with feeders to hold seed, suet, and nectar.

WATER

A clean, reliable water source is a key part to creating a wildlife habitat.  Water is needed for drinking and bathing. Locating the water source within an easy view also makes it entertaining for the homeowner.  Providing water can be as simple as adding a birdbath.  Add multiple locations, at varying heights, to attract a greater variety of wildlife.  It is important to provide water year round, even in the winter and, of course, during times of drought.

COVER

Wildlife needs cover for protection against the elements and predators.  Having a place to escape the threat of pending danger attracts more to the garden.   A variety of plant life ranging in size, height, and density with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vines, and ornamental grasses, will increase your chances of attracting more kinds of wildlife.

PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG

The cover provided also gives your wildlife a safe place for reproduction and nurturing wildlife young.  In a backyard, dense shrubbery and nesting boxes provide safe areas for birds to nest.  Different animals have different needs, including certain wildlife requiring water to raise their young, such as salamanders, frogs, and dragonflies.

Sustainable gardening practices will also benefit your wildlife habitat, such as controlling non-native and invasive species, eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides, use of mulch and reducing, lawn size.

Take comfort in providing for the wildlife.  With good sustainable gardening practices, you are also creating a safe haven for your own habitat, as well.

Invite the wildlife to your garden; it’s all the buzz!

Sidebar

In 1973 the National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s leading conservation organization protecting wildlife and their habitats, began a Certified Wildlife Habitat program for your backyard — a wonderful resource, whether you choose to certify your backyard or to use this information as a tool to make your garden more wildlife friendly. To learn more about certifying your backyard, visit the NWF at www.nwf.org or 1-800-822-9919.

Helen’s Top Twelve Wildlife Friendly Flower Picks

1. Asclepias tuberosa; Milkweed
2. Achillea millefolium; Yarrow
3. Echinacea purpurea; Purple Coneflower
4. Eupatorium dubium ‘Little Joe’; Dwarf Joe-Pye Weed
5. Liatris spicata; Blazing Star
6. Phlox paniculata ‘David’; Garden Phlox
7. Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’; Black-eyed Susans
8. Silphium perfoliatum; Cup plant
9. Salvia ‘Black and Blue’; Black and Blue Salvia
10. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’; Autumn Joy Sedum
11. Verbena bonarienis; Brazilian Verbena
12. Zinnia

It’s worth noting, most of the new double flowering cultivars, while beautiful in the garden, are of little use as a nectar and pollen source to bees and other insects as many of these new cultivars are bred with the pollen bearing anthers replaced by extra petals.

By: Helen Yoest
The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

Zones: 2a – 10b

Size:   3 – 5  feet tall by 1 – 3 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; well drained, drought tolerant

Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower is a hearty native I’ve never taken for granted.

Topping my list for a native wildlife friendly perennial is Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower,  providing a powerful purple in the garden, as well.  Orangy-brown spiny centers with drooping lavender petals, makes this perennial widely known and desirable for use in the home garden.

Attracting birds and butterflies, this nectar rich, self seeder (if there are any left after the birds brunch), has showy flowers and seed heads, attracting wildlife.   Watching birds alight, particularly the yellow finches, when the seeds ripen, is always a beautiful sight. The weight of the tiny birds, causing the Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower, to swing and sway, provides a glimpse of a  finch’s sense of humor.

Through hybridizing efforts, you can also find Echinacea purpurea in many other colors, such as yellow, orange, red, pink, and white.

A delight in any garden style, Echinacea purpurea, will welcome the wildlife to your garden.  Do you grow Echinacea purpurea?

By: Helen Yoest

The TarHeelGardening blog is published and edited by Helen Yoest. For more information on Tarheel Gardening, please visit our website at Tarheel Gardening - your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association

Tornado Relief Fund

Dear NCNLA Members and Friends,
As of May 11, thanks to your generosity and compassion, we have raised over $26,500 in monetary donations to help our colleagues whose businesses and homes were devastated by the April 16 Tornadoes. NCNLA has distributed $20,500 back to members in need, and will continue to do so over the next few months.

IF YOU NEED HELP:
IF YOU ARE AN NCNLA MEMBER IN NEED RIGHT NOW, or know an NCNLA member in need, CONTACT THE NCNLA OFFICE IMMEDIATELY! 919-816-9119.

IF YOU CAN HELP:
LABOR: If you can help with cleanup, please contact the NCNLA office – 919-816-9119 – and we will put you in touch with the people in need.

Watson's Nursery

MATERIALS: Nurseries are in need of ground cover fabric. Please contact the NCNLA office – 919-816-9119 or clewis@ncnla.com – and we will help coordinate delivery of donations.

DONATIONS: Please send monetary donations to help with equipment rentals, personal needs, etc. to the NCNLA office. Please make checks out to NCNLA and mail them to the NCNLA office. Credit cards are also accepted – email number, expiration date, CVV code, and amount to be donated to clewis@ncnla.com. We will send you a receipt and a report of where the money is allocated to as it is distributed.

Feel free to contact the office – 919-816-9119 or clewis@ncnla.com – if you have any questions.

Lee and Sons

ADDITIONAL STATE HELP NCDA&CS Agriculture Tornado Assistance Program (AgTAP) Hotline: 1-866-506-6222

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in these communities who are being impacted by the devastating weather event.

Sincerely,
Your NCNLA Staff and Board of Directors