Native Plant of the Month: Oakleaf Hydrangea

     The Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia, is a lovely native, semi-deciduous shrub. With the white spike flower (called a panicle), exfoliating bark, and those huge dark green leaves it’s an asset to any shady garden. With a mature height of 5-8 feet and a similar spread it is an ideal backdrop for shady perennials or for groupings and mass plantings. The leaves turn yellow to purple in the fall and the bloom clusters remain, though they turn brown, for a very interesting fall color display.

     The size and color of the flower vary depending on the cultivar, from bright white to creamy white to pink! The size of the shrub also varies, from ‘PeeWee’ that stays under 3’ to the 8’ species.

     Oakleaf hydrangeas like part sun to shade and prefer moist, sell-drained soil with a pH of 5.0-6.5. They have virtually no pest or disease problems and are a steady performer in the garden.

Jessica Watters, GCLP           Horticulture Technician, Chattahoochee Technical College

Pesky Pest: the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid

     The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae, is a small aphid-like insect that is infesting and seriously harming the Eastern (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina (T. caroliniana) hemlocks in the eastern US. It was accidentally introduced into the US in 1924 and the first reported case of infestation was in 1951 in Virginia. The HWA is native to Eastern Asia where it has natural predators that keep the population in check; it is also believed that the Asian species of hemlocks have resistance to the pests.
     The HWA damages the hemlocks when it feeds. It has a piercing-sucking mouthpart, which it uses to suck the sap out of tender new branches. These wounds that they leave are openings for disease, and on top of that, it’s thought that the HWA injects some sort of toxin that causes further damage! As thousands of adelgids can congregate on one tree, these are mortal wounds. As a result, infested and infected hemlocks will look a silvery gray-green instead of the lush dark green that you’re used to seeing, and succumb in 7-20 years after initial infestation- faster the further south they are.

     The situation is dire: there are currently 11 states from Georgia to Vermont that have HWA populations. 50% of the range of the hemlock is compromised. The HWA has moved into Georgia as far south as Ellijay. If you have hemlocks, keep an eye on them to catch an infestation early – once on the tree, the HWA is not very mobile, so infected branches can be removed to save the rest of the tree. Notify your county extension office that you have a possible HWA infestation, take them a sample branch if you can to confirm your suspicions.
     There is no 100% effective treatment for the HWA. On a small tree horticultural oil, insecticidal soap and other insecticides can be used, but obviously as the trees grow to enormous proportions it is not feasible to spray an entire tree, also most pesticides cannot be sprayed within close proximity to water... which in the mountains is very limiting. There has been some luck with a pathogenic fungus that specifically targets the HWA, as well as some predatory insects: a beetle and another winged insect with a name that I cannot pronounce.
     Scientists have been crossing the American species with the HWA-resistant Asian species and have had some success maintaining the look of our hemlock while hanging on to the resistance. Hopefully this will prove to be a viable variety that can be available soon in nurseries or for reforestation of the northeast, where the hemlock is the 3rd most populous tree. Quarantines have also been established: no hemlock from a compromised area can be shipped outside that area.
     The outlook is grim for the Canadian and Carolina hemlocks in the Eastern US. Hopefully there will be a breakthrough in time to save this beautiful tree.

Jessica Watters, GCLP           Horticulture Technician, Chattahoochee Technical College

Things Your Landscaper Wishes You Knew:

Here are some intersting tidbits that the average homeowner doesn't realize about us landscapers...

• Chances are, I love your dog and I’m more than happy to spend a couple minutes scratching his ears when I get there. But I hate pooper-scooping as much as you do. If you want me to do that, it’s going to cost extra, unless you’re my all-time favorite client.
• The nicer you are to me on a regular basis the better deal you get. If we like you, we’re going to do our best for you and go out of our way to make sure you’re a happy customer. You want that Christmas tree hauled off? No problem. If you’re a terdball to me? Sure, we’ll take it. Next week. And charge you a disposal fee. You want that extra visit to blow your patio off before a party? If you’re nice: I’ll be there. If you’re a jerk: I’ll try to squeeze you in… oh, and next week we’re leaving 20 minutes early.
• Best ways to earn points towards being the favorite client that gets impeccable service at the best price: 1. don’t treat me like ‘the help’. 2. offer me a cold beverage on a hot day or a hot beverage on a cold day. Or let me use that bathroom off the garage. Don’t: walk by like you don’t see me, laugh and say you wish YOU could work outside, (yeah? Oh, cause you think I’ve got an easy job? Spend a day in my boots and tell me if you still think so), and don’t give me orders that conflict with what your spouse says. I’m either listening to the one who signs the check, or the one who’s the nicest… depends on my mood.
• Don’t just blow off the girls. Chances are we have a better eye for detail than the dudes who make up most of the landscape industry. And we’re better listeners to your concerns.
• You get what you pay for. In this industry there’s always a dude in a rusty pickup truck that will charge you less than I will. He’s also probably not insured, doesn’t have proper licenses, and he probably got laid off in another industry and thought “hey, I have a lawnmower, I can do this.” What that means is he’s going to do a crappy job because he doesn’t know what he’s doing. It also means that I’m going to charge extra when you call me back because I’m going to have to fix everything that he messed up. Oh sure he can cut your grass, but he probably doesn’t even know what kind of grass it is. So how can he make sure it’s as green and lush as I kept if he doesn’t know what it needs?
• We don’t like spiders either.
• We especially don’t like bees, so give us a heads up if you’ve noticed a hive since the last time we were there.
• If you pick up the kids’ toys in the yard, we’ll have more time for getting work done. If I have to spend 20 minutes piling toys on the patio so I can mow the grass, that’s 20 minutes I didn’t spend on weeds. But hey, you paid for the time; you decide how I spend it…
• If you have a dog that doesn’t like strangers or has a bad attitude, please keep him inside during our scheduled visit time. We don’t want to have to knock on the door every week to have you round him up. If you aren’t home and he’s in the back yard I’m not going back there. Mowing your grass isn’t worth being mauled by a dog, thanks anyway. Oh, and please check to make sure we’re gone before you let him out. There’s nothing like being trapped in a back yard with an aggressive dog….
• There are trade organizations, like MALTA in Atlanta, that I could be a member of. In theory: the more of these that I belong to the better my reputation and the more I’m held accountable by my peers. So I should be a safer bet than someone who doesn’t choose to interact with the industry in this way. But there are exceptions to every rule: I may also try to keep my overhead lower by avoiding membership dues to things like this.

Knowing these facts can help you build a more productive working relationship with the people who tend your landscape.  Think that it's not important?  Do you know that good landscaping can increase the value of your home by 15%?  You spent a lot of money for that landsaping whether it was there when you bought the place or not. Don't you want to know what those folks are doing to protect that investment?  I know if I had people walking around my house, working in my yard once a week, I'd want good communication and no ill will between us. But maybe that's just me...

Jessica Watters, GCLP                      Horticulture Technician, Chattahoochee Technical College

Things Your Landscaper Won't Tell You:

• I’ve peed in your yard... multiple times. Unless you’ve said “the basement/garage door is open, feel free to come in and use that bathroom in the corner there” we’ve gone number 1, and if necessity dictates, number 2 in your yard. Because depending on the company I work for I may not be allowed to make any unscheduled stops- and my truck has GPS tracking. Gotta do what you gotta “do”…
• If you’re rude to me, you get worse service. Why would I do my best for you when you don’t appreciate it?
• If I’m not insured and I get hurt on your property…. Guess who’s footing the bill. Hint: not me!
• If I’m applying any chemicals (even Round Up) in your yard someone in the company has to have a Pesticide Applicator’s License and the company has to have a Commercial Applicator’s license. Am I going to get in trouble if I’m not properly licensed? Only if you ask to see my license, which is supposed to be in my wallet, and then tell on me if I can’t produce it. This is an attempt by the Department of Agriculture to prevent people from applying chemicals improperly. The test to get licensed is pretty difficult, but you want someone who knows his stuff well enough to pass- these chemicals are no joke.
• If you aren’t home, I may eat my lunch on your lovely patio, by your lovely pool. I may even put my feet in the water. If I have a poor work ethic, I may be on the clock while I do that.
• I probably don’t know how to prune properly. There’s a lot of technique to pruning, and it usually doesn’t involve any equipment with a motor on it. Landscapers who know how to prune will have a pair of pruners in a holster on their hip, and they won’t be shearing all of your shrubs every two weeks. If you want this kind of detail work and don’t see those red handles sticking out of a leather holster, find another company. (You will pay more for this knowledge though.)
• The company I work for may be based on quantity not quality. I may have as many as 15-18 customers to visit in a day. That means I’m running behind my mower while the other dude starts blowing and we’re out of there as fast as possible and on to the next job. What about your weeds, you ask? Weeds? We didn’t see any weeds… You’re going to have to pay a little more to get a company who’ll spend the time to do the detail work needed to give you a great landscape: weeds, pruning, maintaining your flower beds, etc.
• Just because I’m a landscaper, doesn’t mean I can do landscape design. Ask to see my portfolio with references if you’re thinking about upgrading your property. If I don’t have one, look elsewhere.

Coming soon: "Things Your Landscaper Wishes You Knew"

Jessica Watters, GCLP                       Horticulture Technician, Chattahoochee Technical College