Annuals and Perennials

Heard the terms “annuals” and “perennials” and wondering about plants for containers or flower beds this summer?  

Annual Flowers: Annuals are plants that zip through a complete life cycle, from seed to seed, in one growing season, and then they die. During this brief lifespan, they must produce abundant showy blossoms for an extended time (all summer). Popular annuals include marigolds and zinnias. In gardening, some plants called “annuals” are actually tender perennials that die when cold weather arrives, like petunias and begonias. Still other annuals re-seed (a.k.a. “self-sow”) in place, giving the illusion that successive generations are actually long-lived plants.

Annuals are easy to use in containers planted for summer decks and patios, and easy to replace with pansies next fall, for winter color.

Perennials/Herbaceous Perennials:  Perennials are ornamental plants that do not die after one season of growth, but continue blooming and growing larger for a number of years. The root system and crown (level with the soil line) of the plant lasts through the winter, and fresh shoots re-appear each spring, returning like old friends. The term perennial is generally reserved for plants with showy flowers, but ornamental grasses and foliage plants such as hostas are also perennial. Perennials bloom at the same time each year (hellebore in winter, thrift in spring, mums in fall) rather than blooming continuously. Favorite perennials that are both tough and easy to grow include black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, Siberian iris and ferns.  

The term herbaceous perennial refers to plants with soft, green stems that die back to the ground in winter. This excludes woody ornamentals like trees and shrubs, despite the fact that they live for many years.  

Although they are called ‘perennial’, this does not mean that plants live forever. In fact, some plants are recognized for a short lifespan lasting only 2-3 years and are called short-lived perennials. Examples include columbine, delphinium, rose campion and tulip. Adventuresome gardeners prone to trying new and untested perennials joke that “A perennial is a plant that, had it lived, would have bloomed for a number of years”. 

On the other hand, some plants such as peonies, verbena and daffodil are known as long-lived perennials and last for decades.

Ask Crabapple LandscapExperts what is best for your property and try a few of each this season.

Top 10 Benefits of Core Aeration to Lawns

There are many ways that Core Aeration benefits lawns. 

Watch a quick video demonstration of Core Aeration on the new CrabappleLandscape YouTube Channel. 

1. Core Aeration loosens up compacted lawns, improving resiliency and cushioning

2.  Increases soil pore space and oxygen needed for good growth of turf, improving air exchange between the soil and  atmosphere

3. Removes thatch, a physical barrier to nutrient uptake and water infiltration  

4.  Improves root growth, creating stronger turfgrass roots

5. Limits run-off or puddling of rain and irrigation water, with up to 25% water savings

6. Provides better fertilizer penetration, delivering it right to the rootzone 

7.  Increases effectiveness and distribution of lime and gypsum 

8. Stimulates new root development 

9.   Provides evenly spaced seeding holes for reseeding 

10. Enhances tolerance of the lawn to heat and drought stress

What is Core Aeration anyway?

Core aeration is the removal of small cylinders of soil called "cores" from compacted lawns to control thatch buildup, allowing the rain and fertilizer to soak in and the roots of the turf to breathe and expand. An aeration machine pops out ½ inch tubes of soil and deposits them on the lawn where they soon dissolve.

What is thatch?

Thatch is a build up layer of cut grass clippings, dead roots and miscellaneous debris that settles at the soil level  of the  individual grass plants that make up a lawn, and is most common with warm-weather creeping turf varieties such as Bermuda and Zoysia. 

When should I aerate? 

Crabapple LandscapExperts can evaluate your turf and recommend this procedure if needed:

1. If turf is only shallowly rooted

2. If the lawn is heavily used, causing thin areas

3. If the thatch layer is thicker than ½ inch   

4. If the soil is heavy clay

5. It is best not to aerate newly-seeded lawns

When is the best time to aerate warm season lawns?

Right now (March) and through June or July, when warm season grasses are coming out of winter dormancy and beginning a vigorous period of growth as the soils warm up. Lawns will recover quickly from aeration at this time.

What are the best practices for Core Aeration?

1. Soil is moist but not wet

2. The aeration machine is run in two different directions over the lawn for good coverage

3. Lawns can be aerated once a year, especially under heavy use

4. Soil cores are are best left on the lawn surface; they typically work back into the

      grass in 2-4 weeks

5. Lawns may be fertilized and seeded immediately following aeration with or  

      without further soil top dressing 

6. Crabapple LandscapExperts will mark sprinkler heads, shallow lines from

      sprinkler, underground utilities, cable, and septic lines before aerating to make sure

      they will not be damaged.

To get the lawns on your properties looking lush and green without shelling out a lot of money, the answer is core aeration. It only takes a day or two to complete and the results can be staggering! 

Don't miss any of the new  short landscaping demos and best practices on the CrabappleLandscape YouTube Channel. Subscribe now to be notified when a new video comes online!

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Pansies and Colorful Landscapes

People have an emotional response to color, and while this is recognized in fashion and interior design, color in the landscape also beneficially affects residents’ moods. An interesting post explores color meanings and perceptions around the world. 


For example, it's well known that pansies and violas are the perfect choice to add color to the winter lanscape, because they survive cold temperatures, laughing at sleet and snow. Now that Spring is here, clients that had color beds installed last fall are enjoying riotous color from mature pansy plants. 

Because pansies are greedy feeders, Crabapple LandscapExperts have fertilized the color beds to produce the maximum display. For example, the entrance flower bed at Fox Creek (managed by Tammy Weniger of Douglas Properties) demonstrates the bonus of color. LandscapExpert Crescensio Hernandez ensures this landscape is in top form 24/7. 

  

To add color to the properties you manage and then harvest bushels of complements from your residents, Crabapple LandscapExperts can recommend appropriate plants for each season of the year, taking into account the conditions on the specific property and the effect you want to achieve. We analyze conditions of sun or shade, wet or dry soils and season of the year and help you choose the best flowers for the situation. 

Colorful plants like the ones at left and below photographed at the InterContinental Hotel, Buckhead, can function to direct inhabitants through the property or to attract them to a specific  destination such as the main hotel entrance, the sales office, community meetinghouse or pool. 


Additionally, LandscapExperts can also create colorful containers for landscape emphasis.  

It’s not too late to contact your Rep at Crabapple LandscapExperts to discuss the costs and benefits of adding color to produce happier residents this summer. Pansies will be changed-out for heat-loving annual flowers for the summer in mid-April, so call 770.740.9739 to set up a review of how colorful flower beds can enhance your properties and earn welcome recognition. 

Photo credits: Fox Creek, Bond Morgan and InterContinental Hotel, Buckhead, Tim Loveday

Crabapple Trees Bloom Pink and White in Metro-Atlanta

You may not be surprised to learn that Crabapple LandscapExperts are partial to flowering Crabapples!

Puzzling over the clouds of beauty you are seeing throughout the greater Atlanta area right now? This springtime display is provided by blooming Pear trees, Cherries and flowering Crabapples. These are all members of the botanical Rose Family of plants, with five petals and a cluster of yellow stamens in the center. They generally begin blooming on bare branches before the leaves appear in early March. In particular, Crabapples usually have pink or rose buds that open to white and paler shades, creating beautiful pink and white billows of apple blossoms that last several weeks.

Few ornamental trees offer the variety of tree shapes, sizes, flower colors and ornamental fruit in autumn as flowering crabapples. With more than 35 species and 700+ named varieties of crabapples there’s a lot to choose from! Ask Crabapple LandscapExperts to guide you in choosing a flowering ornamental tree for your landscape. Asian crab apple specimens are usually preferred because their fruits are more colorful and last into the winter, providing food for over-wintering birds.

With that much variation, tree height can vary from 6 to 50 feet, however, the majority are small ornamental trees in the 15 to 25 foot range. Habits include vase-shaped, weeping, spreading, columnar or pyramidal, providing many opportunities for use in landscapes maintained by Crabapple LandscapExperts. Some cultivars are better suited to our hot, humid Georgia climate, and withstand disease and insect attack better than others. Extensive breeding programs have resulted in numerous tree selections that are resistant to these problems, providing carefree beauty.

Photo Credits: Tammy Parker

Un-Stake Trees & Remove Guy Wires to Avoid Damage & Help Trees Thrive

Most young trees planted six months to a year don't need to remain staked. Staking is like training wheels; they are best taken off quickly.

After planting in fall, trees are typically staked to ensure that they stay upright and straight while their root systems get established in the new location, and that they remain standing without support and don’t blow over during windstorms. This requires that the roots grow an inch or two into the surrounding soil.

How do Crabapple LandscapExperts determine if a tree needs to be staked?

If a tree has a small root ball, it is good to stake

If a tree has a large crown that may act like a sail, catching the wind and causing the tree to blow over, it is staked.

If a tree is in a windy area where it might blow over before its roots become established, it's worth staking.

If a tree is in a heavily used area, where people might lean on it or children will play on it, staking is worthwhile.

If a tree is located along a busy street or parking lot where it is likely that cars will bump it, or in an area where heavy equipment is used, it is best to stake.

But staking is not forever. Staking has probably killed as many trees as it has helped because half of them were never unstaked. Crabapple LandscapExperts check about once a month to make sure the guy wire isn't digging into the bark of any newly planted trees. If it seems too snug, they loosen it slightly.

When to Unstake? 

After several months, when the young tree is established in its permanent location, the stakes have served their function and need to go. If a tree can't stand on its own by then, there's a problem that staking can't fix. Wires can bite into the rapidly growing trunk and cut into the cambium layer, girdling or strangling the tree to death.

Support roots and flexible "reaction wood" of the newly established tree will allow the tree to reach its maximum potential in a landscape maintained by Crabapple LandscapExperts. 

Illustrations courtesy of Orange Garden Supply and Missouri Extension Service. 

Control Weeds in Lawns with Pre-Emergent Herbicide in Late Winter

To ensure lush green lawns without unsightly weeds, the key is to apply a pre-emergent weed killer. “Pre-emergent” means that a weed is stopped cold before it can sprout or emerge from the seed. “Herbicide” means weed-killer.

How is this possible? Certain lawn chemicals prevent seeds from germinating and/or prevent seedlings from growing to maturity. They control certain enzymes needed for germination.

Crabapple LandscapEXPERTS choose the right kind of pre-emergent by matching both the type of weed that needs to be controlled as well as the type of turfgrass in the lawn. Most pre-emergents contain synthetic chemical ingredients (benefin, isoxaben, pendimethalin, atrazine, dithiopyr, trifluralin and others), and the only organic pre-emergent available at this time is corn gluten meal.

Pre-emergent weed killers have little effect on full grown lawns, and especially on dormant Bermuda or Zoysia lawns. Crabapple LandscapEXPERTS select the best pre-emergents for Fescue lawns as well.

Pre-emergents must be matched to the type of weed that needs to be controlled.  Some pre-emergents kill grassy plants (like crabgrass, poa annua or goosegrass) while others control only broad-leaved plants (like dandelions or chickweed).

Rest assured that Crabapple LandscapEXPERTS provide safe and effective weed control by identifying the types of weeds at hand, the type of turf and by following the herbicide label application directions exactly.

Birdhouses, Nesting and Early Spring Cleaning

At a recent community club meeting, my friend explained she was buying an Owl Box to install in a tree near their home at 15-18 feet above the ground, just about at “deck level.” They had enjoyed screech owls raising a family in their backyard for several years running, and decided to encourage them to nest where it would be easier to follow their progress.

Plenty of people enjoy watching, feeding and learning about birds. Birding offers an easy opportunity to connect with feathered inhabitants of the natural world and to enjoy their songs, beauty and behavior. Use a simple field guide to find out what species are visiting the backyard. Wild birds need food, water and shelter, so to attract them to the backyard, supply these requirements. More than 60 million Americans of all ages put out bird feeders to attract birds, but an even more laid-back way to participate is to install a bird house.


Different styles of bird houses attract different types of birds, and each needs to be sited correctly. For example, robins like an open shelf under an eave and avoid closed-in boxes. Bluebirds nest in birdhouses about five feet above the ground and like a clear meadow area (think open lawn) where they can hunt for food and watch out for predators. Install a new bird house in late winter to give avian couples a chance to find it before spring. Hopefully a pair will move in and raise a family this spring.

Birds prefer to build fresh nests each spring. Once a year in late winter is the time to check and clean last year’s bird house before the nesting season.  Many birdhouses have a hinged wall for easier cleaning.

1.    Wear rubber gloves

2.    Open the hinged floor, wall or roof of the bird house wall and dump out the old nest

3.    Scrub out the inside with a 10 percent bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) using a brush to get into all the corners

4.    Dry out in the sun

5.    Reinstall

Good luck attracting some feathered friends! An interesting site I came across is Cornell’s Nest Watch  http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nest/home/index . This site includes a Nest Cam and shows hatching eggs.