Winter Blooms That We Recommend For Our Landscaping Lake Charles Clients

If you want to add some winter bloom to your lawn, we can help you. We provide services for landscaping Lake Charles and we’re here for you throughout the year. Call us on 337-313-3002 for more information.


Winter is cold and dreary. However, as we offer other services for landscaping in Lake Charles, our clients ask about the best winter blooms. They want their lawns to look beautiful and break the dreary monotony of winter.


There are many winter blooms that do well in climate zone 9a. The temperatures in zone 9a can go as low as 18°F and even still this is good enough to grow some lovely blooms.

Plants that can do well in your landscaping in Lake Charles this winter

Although not all plants handle cold weather well, here are some options that will not only thrive but also flower nicely and brighten up your garden.

Hellebores

These are hardy cold weather plants that will do very well in your garden. Hellebores or Lenten Rose grow well in zones 4 to 9 winters. They are available in many varieties, some of them growing to up to 2 feet and some that are quite short. Their winter blooms are vibrant and many people wish they could grow them all year round. However, they just do well in cold weather.


Hellebores resist frost very well. They will last right through the last months of winter when the temperature is really low and the light minimal.


The most common species are Red Racer, Velvet Lips, Pine Knot Strain Double Pink, Raspberry Mousse and Onyx Odyssey to name but just a few of them.


Planting tip: Do not plant your Hellebores too deep because can prevent proper flower production.

Winter Jasmine

As a native plant of China, you can expect this beautiful plant to be quite resilient during winter. The buttery yellow color of the winter Jasmine flower is a breath of fresh air in January. When our clients for lawn and landscape management Lake Charles ask us to recommend a good cold weather bloom, Winter Jasmine is usually one of our first choices. The reason for this recommendation is that it requires minimal to zero care.


While Winter Jasmine is not exactly a climbing plant, it does go over walls. It can also attach itself to other plants. Therefore, if you have a not-so-good-looking patch of wall, you can plant the Winter Jasmine there. It will climb up and look stunning with its yellow, 5-petal January flowers.


Planting tip: Plant your Winter Jasmine in well-drained soil. The soil quality is not too important but do add some compost.

Leatherleaf Mahonia

Just like the Winter Jasmine, the Leatherleaf Mahonia shrub is a native of China. The plant has beautiful clusters of yellow flowers that spread upwards. It mostly flowers in late winter or early spring. Therefore, it adds a nice touch of yellow to your garden during the dreary winter months.


Leatherleaf Mahonia is a low-maintenance plant. However, it requires enough space because it can grow to a height of 8 feet. This evergreen plant will keep its leaves throughout the year. For its flowery bloom, it does well in zones 7 to 9. In summer when the flowers turn to fruits, they will attract many birds, so be ready for some chirping and singing in the garden.


Planting Tip: Plant your Leatherleaf Mahonia in acidic, well-drained soil and in the shade.

Witch Hazel

The Witch Hazel shrub will not only fill your garden with a beautiful yellow bloom during the winter, but it will also bring a nice scent with it. Being in the business of offering landscape management Lake Charles for years, we would recommend this plant for southwest Louisiana winters.


Witch Hazel is a large plant and it can reach a height and width of between 10 and 20 feet. Therefore, it requires enough space. You may prune the bushes to maintain them at a smaller size. Our landscaping teams in Lake Charles and Sulphur also offer pruning services. Our team can restrain the upward and sidewards growth of this shrub to just the right size.


There are different types of Witch Hazel. There is the American Witch Hazel, Japanese Witch Hazel, Ozark Witch Hazel and Chinese Witch Hazel. We particularly recommend the Chinese Witch Hazel that blooms in January.


Planting Tip: You may plant Witch Hazel in acidic or alkaline soil but make sure it is well blended and smooth. Water the shrub regularly until its roots catch on.

Kaffir Lily

The stunning Kaffir Lily flowers from September to February and that is why we recommend it to our clients for winter bloom. Kaffir Lily is not a large plant, growing to about two feet tall. It performs well in moist soil, so you might have to arrange for watering if you experience dry winters.


Planting Tip: You should plant your Kaffir Lily 2.5 inches deep. Space them at intervals of 6 inches and plant them in clusters of 4 or 5 for the best effect.

Fashion Azalea

For three full blooms every year – fall, winter and spring, this is a worthy plant to have in your garden. It does well in winter and it is recommended for growing in zones 7 to 10. It will add a nice salmon-colored bloom to your garden in winter.


This is a carefree plant, and it will thrive well without requiring much maintenance. At full maturity, the Fashion Azalea shrubs grow to 5 feet high and wide. Therefore, for your landscaping in Lake Charles and Sulphur, we advise trying the Fashion Azalea because of its ability to give continuous bloom over fall, winter and spring.


Planting tip: Plant your Fashion Azalea in well-drained soil and then apply acidic fertilizer once they bloom.


Contact us:
Author        : TenderCareLawnService
Address     : 1497 W Houston River Rd,Sulphur, LA 70663
Telephone  : 337-313-3002

Fall Leaf Cleanup Tips From Your Favorite Lake Charles Lawn Service Provider

Southwest Louisiana looks lovely in the fall. If you live in any of the Lake Charles neighborhoods, you know this is absolutely true. However, when the days start getting cooler, it is time to hang up your summer gear and unhang the rake. It is time to plan your fall foliage cleanup. As a professional Lake Charles lawn service provider, we give the following advice for a hitch-free fall leaf cleanup.

Planning fall leaf cleanup like a pro

Leaf cleanup in fall isn’t hard if you prepare well for it. A wise woman or man ensures that their tools are ready for the job even though prep may take some time. This enables them to finish the job quickly and efficiently.

What tools does our premium Lake Charles lawn service recommend?

To get your fall leaf cleanup started on the right note, our team for lawn maintenance in Lake Charles, LA advises you to have one or two of the following tools:

Leaf blower

This tool is quite effective, especially when the foliage is thick. Blowing will do more work in less time as opposed to raking or mowing the leaves. To cover a bigger area, use a battery-operated leaf blower since movement will not be restricted by the size of the cord.

A large tarp

This one goes hand-in-hand with the leaf blower. Before you start blowing the leaves, spread the tarp on one side of the lawn. You can then blow the leaves towards that direction. When you are done, you can carry the leaves in the tarp to the place where you want them.

Mulching Mower

A mulching mower breaks the leaves into little pieces. You can read more about that in the upcoming section.

A Yard Vacuum

This one is good for sucking up even the smallest leaves in hard-to-reach spots. Best thing is that you do not need to empty often! The vacuum minces the leaves, so you can work a long time before you need to empty it.

To rake or not to rake leaves in fall? That is the question

Our Lake Charles lawn service team says that raking a big lawns may take more hard work than you’re willing to put in and somehow some leaves always seem to escape.

As seen above, there is a good way to avoid raking leaves in the fall. However, your choice of the tool to use is determined by what you intend to do with it.

One of the most common disposal methods for the leaves cleaned up in fall is decomposition. If that is what you intend to do with the leaves, the best option is to use a mulching mower. It will chop them into small pieces that will decompose easily.

When you chop the leaves for decomposition, you leave them right there on the lawn, let them decay there. The microbes that enhance the speed of decomposition provide a good nitrogen source.

When you have mowed the leaves, you can tell how fast the leaves will decompose depending on how much grass you can see through the leaves. More grass means the leaves have been mowed into tiny pieces, which will decompose faster.

PLEASE NOTE: Not all leaves are going to decompose fast. For example, thick tough leaves do not decompose easily. They might need to be gathered and added to the compost. They can also make good mulching.

When to do leaf cleanup for fall

One of the questions that our Lake Charles lawn service clients ask is when they should start their leaf cleanup for fall.

As soon as October goes by, it is time for you to start your fall cleanup planning. This is also the time to give your grass one last mowing for the season.

For some plants, even the hot and dry October weather causes some leaf loss. It is best to start raking the leaves as soon as they start to fall. The frequency of the exercise will be determined by the amount of foliage piling up.

Do not let the leaves pile up on the grass. You do not want your grass to suffocate under the weight of the leaves. If you have thick, velvety leaves, rake them in before they collect too densely.

How often should I do leaf clean up?

As we offer services for lawn maintenance Lake Charles LA, our clients ask how often they should do fall leaf raking.

Well, there is really no definite time or frequency to it. Just use your judgment because lawns are different.

As the trees start losing their leaves, you can arrange for a once-a-week cleanup. As they lose more, you may find that the leaf coverage becomes too thick. It might suffocate the grass underneath. In that case, you can increase the cleanup frequency to once every three days. The frequency can be adjusted depending on the type of trees you have (some leaves get heavy when wet and can in turn affect your grass), the rate of the leaf fall, and the size of your yard.

If it rains, skip the leaf cleanup. Wet raking is messy and it leaves your lawn looking shabby. Wait for the return of fair weather.

What to do with your leaves

You can add the leaves that you rake or blow into your compost pile. However, this may not always be a solution if you do not need all of them. If you have excess leaves, what can you do with them?
At TCLS, our Sulphur and Lake Charles lawn service teams advise our clients on their options beyond adding the leaves to the compost pile:

• Mow the leaves into small pieces and leave them on the lawn as your mulch
• Ask your neighbors or local farmers whether they need leaves for their compost piles
• Contact the municipal authorities and see whether they can get the leaves for recycling or other use

Why hire a Lake Charles Lawn Service for fall leaf cleanup

If you don’t have the time or the tools to manage your leaf cleanup, hire a provider for lawn maintenance in Lake Charles or Sulphur LA. A professional service uses the most efficient method and already has the necessary equipment and expertise to get the job done. At TCLS, we work with you to determine the preferred method of leaf cleanup. If you opt for disposal, we bag the mulch and take it away. We will then blow your window wells and flower beds to leave them clean.

Contact us:

Author        : TenderCareLawnService
Address     : 1497 W Houston River Rd,Sulphur, LA 70663
Telephone  : 337-313-3002