Beneficial Insects

Mother Natures pest control. Beneficial insects are becoming quite popular when it comes to defending our plants against insects. You can find most of them online and are the best defense in keeping insect populations to a minimum.






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Pruning

These pictures illustrate different methods of pruning. Always prune so that the plants can continue their natural shape. Minimal pruning such as what some call pocket pruning where you thin the growth by reaching down into the plant. This opens up the plant allowing more sunlight to reach the plant making them more dense.












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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Rain Gardens

Consider installing a rain garden to capture stormwater run-off on your property. There are a multitude of very attractive plants that thrive in rain gardens to suit just about any taste. Rain gardens can also be a habitat for wildlife. Just about all of us have at least one area in our yards that could potentially cater to a rain garden. The pictures below better illustrate this process. If you have any questions just ask.













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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Butterfly on butterfly bush. Raleigh


Night lighting on waterfall. Raleigh


Nice night lighting shot of boulder/perennial. Raleigh


One of the best pictures I have of my lab Collins. Raleigh


Bald Cypress Sans Souci Windsor


Sans Souci-Windsor


One of my favorite trees in Windsor-Johnsons Mill


Johnsons Mill


Mt. Gould


Salmon Creek at Dads House


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Landscape Photography

Japanese Maple that I planted originally on Water St in Windsor in memory of Elaine Cherry (Davis/Hoggard) but was moved to my house in Raleigh after my Dad moved to Salmon Creek.


Butterfly on Echinacea in my garden. Raleigh, NC


Fence in adjacent to the King-Bazemore House. Windsor, NC



Bald Cypress on Salmon Creek



French-Broad River


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Location:North Carolina

Commercial Landscape Management

This is a large account in Research Triangle Park that I used to manage. Definitely one of my favorites.











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Location:RTP, NC United States

Sasanqua Camellia (Scale)

Scale has got to be one of the most difficult to control insects that I have ever encountered. I have never been able to make one or two applications and been able to just walk away.

I also must take into consideration that I am using an organic insect treatment and though these products are extremely safe they tend to move rather slow not to mention it's more like a 6 or 7 application process. I am just now noticing that the population is declining however I have been fighting these guys for months.

Both my Sasanqua Camellia and Heritage River Birch always seem to have scale. The River Birch will get mealy bugs too towards the end of the Summer into the Fall


Sasanqua Camellia








Heritage River Birch






The product that I am using contains .10% Sesame Oil, 1.84% Edible Fish Oil, .6% Lecithin and the remaining 98% is water.

Again, this is an organic product that moves very slow. It kills on contact and doesn't have much of a residual therefore the insects MUST come in contact with the insecticide.

If the infected plant(s) are more than 25-30% covered with scale I would use something stronger like Tal-Star, Merit or Conserve. These are non-organic and also kill beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs, etc. so if you have to go this route then READ THE LABEL and mix accordingly. Again, use this product very sparingly because of the environmental/safety risks. There is a certain threshold that you must learn to accept and manage.

Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Grandmothers Painting

Forgot to attach a picture
before......


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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Pansies & Tulips

Always a great combo!




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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Grandmothers Painting

This is a favorite of mine that MeMa painted in 1976 a year or so before I was born. I always showed an interest in it and sure enough she made sure that it was known that it would go to me one day and now it proudly hangs in my living room.


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Location:House

Bertie County Landmarks

Samuel Cox House


Hope Plantation (House)


King-Bazemore House


Hope Plantation (House)


King-Bazemore House


Freeman Hotel


Episcopal Church-Avoca Farm/Salmon Creek







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Location:Litchford Rd,Raleigh,United States

Quote

It is our perspectives that make us unique.

Location:Litchford Rd,Raleigh,United States

Ongoing Projects

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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Deadheading Pansies

Always a good idea to pinch or deadhead your annuals however when doing so, always remove the faded flower from the base of the plant so that you're not left with a stub that ends up turning brown and slumping over. Picture shows this maintenance flaw in detail.......


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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Triangle Forecast

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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Tulips

The tulips have opened up a lot since earlier this morning.


The shot below was taken around 8:00 am the same day as above picture was taken.


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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States

Japanese Maple

Location:Effingham Circle Raleigh, NC United States

Spring is in the air

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Location:Effingham Cir,Raleigh,United States