Green Side Up! of Wilmington, Inc.

We found these guys on Indica azaleas yesterday while working on a
property near Bradley Creek. Azalea Caterpillars are more of a nuisance
than anything. If gone unnoticed the can defoliate the shrub in a few
days. However, that is all they will do. The best method of control is to
remove them when you see them. We removed the branches they were feeding on
and disposed of them off site. These caterpillars will not harm humans, so
touching them is OK. They can be controlled by spraying B.t. (Bacillus
thuringiensis ), a microbial insecticide that is specific for caterpillars
or liquid sevin. The Azalea Caterpillars show up in the fall of the year
(August and September) and will mature into a light brown colored moth.
Remember to regularly walk your property and inspect you plants both big
and small. Catching most problems early will make controlling them easier.
Having a full service property maintenance provider that can handle that
task for you always helps too.
Give us a call today to put together a maintenance program for you. Feel
free to contact us on line or by phone with any questions or comments you
may have regarding this or any other landscape related issues.

Today we spent the day helping clients prepare their homes and boats for the arrival of Irene. We learned new knots and how to hold on to a ladder with your teeth!

Today
hurricane Irene builds steam and begins to make a turn to the
northwest where she will skirt our coast on a path toward the northeastern
part of the US. Take time today to prepare for the damage to your landscape
that may occur. Mental damage that is. As Irene most likely will pass us
off shore, we will still likely get hurricane force winds and heavy rain.
Large trees and bulky shrubs have the greatest potential for damage.
Remember to leave the big stuff to the professionals. We have several tree
sevice companies in our area that you can contact. Be patient as they will
be very busy after storms and will get to you as soon as possible. Many
times after severe weather "tree guys" will come out of the woodwork.
Anyone with a chainsaw can cut up a tree, but only an insurred professional
tree service is coverd when a treee limb moves unexpectedly and falls into
your livingroom.
You can take this time to locate your hand prunners and your favorite pair
of loppers. Clean them throughly, put a new sharp edge on them and
lubricate with a non-petrolieum based lubricant. Following these
recomendations will not only benifit your plants but you as well. A sharpe
edge will cut cleaner and easier. Only remove the broken or damaged limbs
at this time. Mother Nature has her own way of repairing damage and there
will be time for reshaping later after a flush of new growth occurs in the
spring. Pruning is an art form and not everyone knows how to handle the
brush if you get my drift. Just because someone has "landscaper" on their
business card should not give them free reign on your shrubs. Your
landscape will increase in value over time if maintained properly. A few
hours with a pair of gas powered shears in the wrong hands will take money
out of your pocket, in multiple ways. So, simply put, hire a true
professional if you have any doubts about your ability, level of need or
desire to take on any task.
Batten down the hatches and we will talk to you on the other side!

Feel free to contact us on line or by phone with any questions or comments
you may have regarding this or any other landscape related issues.

Now this is a new approach in the never ending battle against Fire Ants. Give this a try next time you encounter a mound and let us know how it worked out for you!

For those not familiar with Walter Reeves, he is from the University of Georgia agriculture department specializing in home gardening. His television show gardening in Georgia is on each Saturday.

Fire ants are picky eaters, and any type poison that is effective takes seven feeding steps before the queen receives it. Plus, if the bait is stored in close proximity to any petroleum or fertilizer products they won't touch it. Contact poisons that are on the market just cause the colony to move away. A well developed colony can be as deep as 30 feet and spread out some 20 to 50 feet from the mound center. This has been documented by studies done in the early 60's when they were first sighted in South Alabama.

An environmentally friendly cure for fire ants has been announced by Walter Reeves on his Georgia Gardener radio program. Testimonial that it REALLY WORKS are coming in.

Simply pour two cups of CLUB SODA (carbonated water) directly in the center of a fire ant mound. The carbon dioxide in the water is heavier than air and displaces the oxygen which suffocates the queen and the other ants. The whole colony will be dead within about two days.

Here's the good side: club soda leaves no poisonous residue, does not contaminate the ground water, and does not indiscriminately kill other insects. Not harmful to your pets,soaks into the ground. Each mound must be treated individually and a one liter bottle of club soda
will kill 2 to 3 mounds.

PineHall Paver walk-way

These are of a simple paver walk addition to a Ligon Flynn home on Columbia
Ave. The home is all brick with existing brick steps and walkways and a
gravel drive. This addition allows for a transition area from the gravel
drive to the front door allowing stray stones to be deposited before the
steps or front door. As always Snap-edge pave restraint and polymeric joint
stabilizing sand were utilized. Remember, We are ICPI certified and all
hardscape projects come with a lifetime warranty.

use texture to provide interest
Try to make use of texture when planning your design. Use a variety of shapes and surfaces to make your space more interesting. Use a mix of leaf sizes to provide contrast—big round ones combined with light and delicate ones.

uses for ornamental grasses
In a natural landscape design, ornamental grasses, with their soft texture and subdued tones offer a great backdrop for bright perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs. They are very effective when planted in groups of three or more so that they form clumps large enough to make an impact.