Stepping Stones

Plants With Winter Interest

With the winter weather upon us, plants, shrubs and trees are in their dormancy, so now is the ideal planting time. Our expert crews can help assure success when doing cold-weather installations, and we have access to a wide variety of landscape materials to enhance the curb appeal of your home.

Choose plants with winter interest, such as Hellebores, also called Lenten Roses. These hardy plants with star-shaped leaves produce blossoms that range from pure white to pink to burgundy. They’re deer-resistant and multiply year after year. They love shade and will reward you with lush greenery and color when just about everything else is dormant.

Camellias – both the Sasanqua and the Japonica varieties – bloom during the winter. With their waxy dark green leaves, these plants not only provide an evergreen foundation among your landscape, they also are filled with white, pink, red or variegated blossoms that occur in single, semi-double and double blooms. Sasanqua Camellias have a spreading growth habit that can easily be espaliered or left free-form. Japonicas have a more upright shape with denser branches. Camellias have long been associated with the South and every landscape should have several. Pick the blossoms and float them in shallow bowls of water for a bit of indoor color.

Crepe Murder: A Serious Offense

Let New Leaf prune your crepe myrtles to avoid “crepe murder.” The severe – and improper -- pruning many homeowners do in February is detrimental to the plants, can hinder abundant flowering in the summer and fall color and may encourage disease.

Whether your crepe myrtles are shaped into tree forms with gentle cascades of branches or left to grow as shrubs, proper pruning is essential. Don’t be caught committing “crepe murder.” Our expert crews know just the right way to preserve your plants, maximize blooms and improve fall color.

A Time for Giving

The team at New Leaf Landscape Services continues to give back to the community. The work at Sonrise Camp is ongoing in partnership with the Metropolitan Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association’s north Georgia chapter.

Additionally, New Leaf has adopted North Hall High School and is currently completing the re-landscaping of the front of the school. Henry Evans, operations manager at New Leaf, is heading up this project with North Hall Principal Joe Gheesling.

For Your Convenience New Leaf has added a place on our website for customers to request services or complete work orders. This is just another way we make it easy for you to communicate with us. Check it out at www.newleafls.com.