You know you’ve seen those heavy blooming shrubs while cruising around Tallahassee or throughout Leon County but didn’t know its name.

That woody plant with white or pinkish-white bell-shaped blooms we call racemes growing from their arched stolon stems. That’s the Dog Hobble shrub.

There’s nothing more soothing and calming than that oasis-feeling you get from garden fountains.  These sprays are comforting, and beautiful elements found in landscape garden designs. Any time you’ve seen a world-class garden, online or in photos, most often it has a fountain in its background.

Whether it is in Rome, Versailles, Dubai, or Cascades Park, the world over, everyone understands the beauty, relaxation, and meditation fountains bring to any garden, yours included. Nothing achieves that more than a body of water in motion.

Do you remember the first time seeing those large tropical green leaves, that looked incredibly massive? They were shield-like in size and shape, and unbelievably enormous, with fleshy green leaves, and ironically named Elephant’s Ear. The Alocasia spp., (the Elephant’s Ear’s scientific name; pronounced: al-lo-KAY-zee-uh species), from the family of Araceae, is not native to North America.

Though it is not from our country, this aggressive and invasive fast-spreading perennial; herbaceous has made its home in Florida. From North Florida to the tip of Key West, the Elephant’s Ear is a year-round planted herbaceous. You can expect this upright plant to grow almost 10-feet tall and about 10-feet across.

Another common question we get asked by homeowners is how often they should water their plants and trees. Many who inquire are hoping our answer will be universal; however, when it comes to how often to water and the amounts needed, each plant and tree species have specific requirements.

In today’s column, we’ll take a quick look at the different watering factors to consider, along with checking soil conditions, times to water, and general watering guidelines. Being that annuals, perennials, and newly planted trees, and shrubs are common here in Tallahassee and Leon County, we’ll briefly cover general watering instructions too.

Yes! It’s that one phone call every landscaping company dreads getting from their customer. They’ve seen how quickly this pest can quietly invade a yard without getting noticed, especially if they are the company that recently installed the beautiful St. Augustine, Zoysia or Bahai lawn at their client’s home.

All it takes is less than a month. The Tropical Sod Webworm takes up residence. It gets into the grass, then down to the roots, and tears it apart from non-stop eating of the turf. And, it looks like this season these pests have arrived sooner than expected.

As a Tallahassee or Leon County homeowner, you’ve invested considerable amounts of money over the years into different home projects, with the hope of increasing your property’s value if and when you decide to sell it. And quite often our Dickerson Landscaping team gets asked this question regularly.

However, to be completely transparent, it all depends. Aside from recession, unemployment, crime, and foreclosures that can happen in any area, landscaping improvements to a home or property will increase interest in the parcel. As for its value, that will always fall under ten particular areas that we’ll cover in today’s column.

Throughout Tallahassee and Leon County, you have probably seen scores of Snapdragon flowers, especially when driving down one of our gorgeous canopy roads like Centerville, North Meridian or Old St. Augustine.

Or maybe you were given a stunning flower arrangement filled with beautiful multi-colored blooms with names like Madame Butterfly, Royal Bride, or Lucky Lips. Well, more than likely, you were in the presence of a Snapdragon array.

You’ve recently purchased a Tallahassee home, and you’re all moved in, or maybe you’ve been at that residence for many years. All you know the time to address your home’s exterior landscape is now. What you see looks okay…but…what you envisioned your property to look like really needs a landscaper’s golden touch to take it from ho-hum to WOW!

So, how do you choose a landscaper to fix your yard and bring your vision to life? In today’s column, we’ll cover how to select a landscaper, your budget, your specs, and a whole lot more.

Are you like most, wanting to save yourself time in the garden when it comes to picking up fallen leaves? Well, you are not alone and why more Tallahassee and Leon County homeowners and property managers rely on garden leaf blowers. It is less time-consuming, and back-breaking compared to pulling out that garden rake to gather up all those fallen leaves.

If this is your first time buying a leaf blower, they are pretty straightforward. You have a high-speed fan encased in a cover. On the side of the fan, tubes are connected and will pump out air at high speeds. Some landscape leaf blowers are handheld, and others come with shoulder straps.

The edging around your Tallahassee, Florida garden, if designed just right, could magnify the garden’s image the same way a unique frame does for a picture. A photo is exciting to look at, but display it in a gorgeous, handcrafted frame, and it brings it to life, so it is with your garden’s edging.

Your garden is essential, and your edging around your landscape plays a significant role in keeping it looking beautiful. Today’s Dickerson Landscaping and Lawn Care column offers some creative ideas to frame your garden.