Wake Landscapes Blog

Reputable Landscaping Companies Vs. Fly-By-Night Landscapers:  6 Red Flags to Watch For

Landscaping is an easy business to jump into and a great way to earn extra money on the side.   Throw a lawn mower in the back of your pickup truck, and you’re ready.  With so many potential “landscapers” to choose from, how do you select a legitimate company and avoid the fly-by-night landscapers? 

A fly-by-night landscaper is someone who wants to make money quickly, without caring about the quality or honesty of the servce they offer.  Here are some characteristics which distinguish a reputable landscaping company from a fly-by-night landscaper:

1.  The “Company” that is Cheap

If the company you’re looking into is charging below average rates, they are most likely fly-by-night.  While a reputable landscape company is required to pay for certain costs such as taxes, insurance and workman’s...

10 Fast Growing Privacy Shrubs for NC

Privacy shrubs are perfect for creating a natural privacy fence between neighbors and street traffic. They also create a sound barrier to reduce noise, and act as a windbreak to protect against harsh winds. Here are our top 10 Fast Growing Privacy Shrubs for NC:

1. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) - broadleaf evergreen evergreen shrub with glossy olive green color creates clusters of bluish gray berries that persist through the winter.  Fragrant shrub, attracts songbirds.

Mature height – 10-15 ft

Mature spread – 6-8 ft

2. Carolina Midnight Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense ‘Carolina Midnight’) – lush, purple foliage is the darkest of all loropetalums and retains color all seasons.  Broadleaf evergreen shrub with fuchsia fringe flowers in spring and deep purple foliage all season.  Deer resistant and drought tolerant.

Mature height – 5-8 ft

Mature spread – 6-7...

3 Ways to Enhance Your Landscape: Pruning, Edging and Mulch

A well landscaped yard goes beyond just healthy grass.  There are 3 steps we take to make a yard stand out: pruning, edging and mulch:

Pruning: To start, we would recommend pruning and trimming any shrubs, to a desired shape and size.  Winter is the best time to do any rejuvenation pruning if you would like to reduce the overall size of the shrubs including roses, boxwoods, holly’s and many others.  Trees, such as crepe myrtles can be trimmed with corrective pruning, by removing any dead, hanging or crossing branches.  Ornamental grasses, including liriope can also be cut back late winter.  By trimming your trees and shrubs during the winter, it will ensure they grow and fill in correctly during the springtime.

Edging: Once all the shrubs have been trimmed and debris has been cleaned up, it is a great time to edge and redefine any landscape beds.  You may also create or extend ...