Winter Watering Can Help Your Landscape Plants Thrive

Tonight, the low temperature will hover in the upper teens. On the surface, that doesn't seem to pose a detrimental threat to most of our plants we have growing in the Central Alabama, USDA zone 7B. Concerns, however, arise from the fact that this approaching cold front is not preceded by a rain event. A couple of weeks ago our area had temps in the low teens to upper single digits, but, as typically is the case, there was a significant rainfall that occurred just before the front moved in. I'm of the opinion that our plants may have been in better shape heading into that colder weather than we are for this one simply because we haven't had rainfall in our area for a week or more. In short, plants that have had the benefit of rainfall or watering will hold up better against the cold than plants that are dry. The roots, stems and leaves of dry plants are more likely to suffer from the dessication that bitter cold can create than those that are hydrated. It's worth the time and effort....ummm, and the discomfort, to be sure your plants are not dry going into a extreme cold event. Believe me, I know, as I was hand watering this evening in freezing weather with 40 mph wind gusts. Certainly, most plants in our area won't perish with temps only dipping into the high teens, but there are some specific categories of plants that would benefit: 1. Plantings that have been in the ground less than a year. 2. Plants with a zone hardiness rating at or below what your zone is for your specific area. 3. Herbaceous plants such as pansies, evergreen ferns, etc.

Hodge Podge Stone Bench

Have you got a few cinder blocks or old bricks out back behind the shed? Been collecting some stones from the side of the road? Willing to do a little wheeling and dealing with your local nurseryman for the small pile of 10 or 15 pieces of flagstone? Maybe pick up 3 or 4 bags of mortar mix after you next stop at Home Depot or Lowe's? Hey, you've just put together a neat little sidewalk bench!

plants in photo: (left) ivy in container, (right) rosemary

Outdoor Fireplace Using Veneer Cast Stone

This recent project found me near Irondale, Alabama. The homeowners decided they wanted an outdoor fireplace for their backyard. They had already installed the masonry insert, themselves (and did a great job) when they called me. My part of the project was to install the stone over the insert. The “stone” was actually manufactured veneer cast stone (best I can tell,,,a light weight concrete aggregate poured into molds and dyed). I'll have to admit, the product can be easy to work with (not always the case when dealing with angles that aren't 90 degrees) and it looks pretty much like actual stone unless you do a close inspection or notice that there are some repeated pieces. I think I'm still partial to real stone, but for a first time using this, I'll have to say it turned out better than I imagined. Other notable aspects of the fireplace is the television mount on the chimney (the homeowner is going to move the mount a couple of inches; after that is done, a tan stucco will be applied around the mount. Also some sort of iron art or perhaps a wreath will be used to hide the mount when the television isn't mounted). The hearth is a big ol' piece of limestone (snapped, not cut!) and the mantle was milled by my good friend, Herb, using local cedar.

Not only humans can find creative ways to stay warm!

These two furry critters reside at a favorite local nursery and they managed to discover that the hot house there uses a double layer of plastic. It looks tight, but these two possums didn't seem to mind it or the activity taking place twenty or thirty feet below. Not only did they benefit from the radiant heat generated from the green house covering, but they also enhanced the warmness with some cute and cuddly snuggling.

PHOTO: Two possums staying warm during chilly Alabama weather (they could be racoons, it was hard to tell from that distance)

Extreme landscaping in Homewood, Alabama

Extreme, in the sense that the job was to tame the slope and gain access to a flat area at the top of the slope. In short, the area was de-weeded, hand graded, and a combination of softscape and hardscape incorporated into the design.

Act like an adult !!!

About 15 or 20 years ago, I knew some local Alabama growers who had taken cuttings from the adult foliage of English ivy vine and grew them into small shrubs. I remember thinking that those little 10 inch tall one gallon plants were quite nice, but I really didn't know what form they would take or how quickly they would grow. There was also a concern that some of the foliage would revert back to the juvenille form and take on the characteristics of a typical English ivy vine.

It's really cool, for me, when I run into one of my earlier plant installations. Such was the case when I was doing a job across the street from my one and only planting of Adult Ivy Shrub.
I was amazed that the plants had survived in this non-irrigated yard for all of those years. And not only survived, but thrived!

The leaves of adult ivy don't have the distinct lobes that typical Ivy has. If you ever see an English ivy fine climbing a tall tree, take time to look up high. It is there that you will see the adult leaves. On close inspection you'll find each leaf to have a ruffled edge and a distinct and attractive pattern of venation. It is also from adult ivy leaves where flowering and fruiting occur. The flowers are of no ornamental significance, but the fruit are quite nice. From what I could tell, these three plants (they had grown into plants about 4'-4.5'tall by 4.5'-5' wide) had not been pruned.


Is there a more appropriate name for these shrubs than Adult Foliage English Ivy Plant? There may be, but my initial research did not turn up any mention of using Adult English Ivy (Hedera helix) foliage in shrub form.

You've Got Mail ! - Brown Stone Mail Box

One way to add to your curb appeal is to make an improvement to one of the first things a visitor sees when they happen upon your humble abode. The mail box!
This is a stone mail box I built a couple of months ago, South of Birmingham, AL. Aside from ditching the rotting wooden post that was the structure for the faded, black box, I also moved the location of the mail box to be more convenient for the homeowners. And, while yes, most of the new metal box is hidden behind stone, the homeowners and I agreed that an upgrade there was in order. The new box is larger than the old one and has a nice copper finish to it that was a nice compliment to the stone. Finally, the day after the finishing touches were done, I hid in some nearby bushes and watched as the postman delivered the mail. Yes! The mail was delivered successfuly and I was able to move on, with confidence, to the next job.