When deciding on the best plantings for a yard, it’s important to strike a balance between form and function—which plants will give you the look you want, and which plants best fit the environment as far as water and light needs, growth patterns, etc. There’s no such thing as the “perfect” landscaping… Just the perfect landscaping for you! Choosing low maintenance shrubs can go a long way towards giving you the beautiful landscaping you want, without making extra work for yourself. 

These are some of our favorite low maintenance shrubs for North Georgia. Give us a call at 770-893-1254 to schedule a curbside pickup from our Jasper nursery, or learn more about our landscape design and installation services here. 

Low Maintenance Shrubs for North Georgia

While every site has its own specific factors to take into account, these are generally some of the best low maintenance shrub varieties for North Georgia. These shrubs can work in naturalistic woodland landscapes or more formal settings.

Tea Olive

Osmanthus fragrans, aka Fragrant Tea Olive, is an evergreen shrub with attractive, glossy, dark green leaves. The tiny white flowers it produces are strongly perfumed with a sweet, almost citrusy scent. Place them in the garden for added atmosphere, plant them as a privacy hedge, or use them as foundation plantings near windows, doors, or outdoor living spaces.

Boxwood

Boxwoods are a shrubbery staple for a reason! These hardy plants are relatively low maintenance and can be used in endless ways, from hedgerows to topiary. There are several varieties to choose from, some with shiny green leaves and others with interesting variegated patterns. 

Mountain Laurel

This shade-loving native evergreen shrub is a beautiful addition to North Georgia woodland gardens. Shiny, attractive green foliage and elegant clusters of pink or white bell shaped flowers make for one of the prettiest shrubs on our list. 

Yaupon Holly

Small, smooth, and shiny green leaves, long-lasting red berries, and waxy, white blooms make yaupon holly another “oldie but goodie” landscaping plant. There are several varieties to choose from, whether you’d like to grow yaupon holly as a shrub, tree, or espalier. You can even get weeping varieties for a particularly stunning additio.  

Anisetree or Yellow Anise

If you’re looking to introduce some color contrast into your landscaping, yellow anise is a showstopper! This shade-tolerant evergreen shrub requires moderate water. It can grow up to 12 feet tall, and with a variety of cultivars, you can choose from various shades of bright chartreuse to light green. Just be aware that while the plant may smell like the well-known seasoning aniseed, it is not the same—and it is not edible!  

Highland Doghobble

The whimsically-named highland doghobble, or leucothoe fontanesiana, tolerates full shade and acidic soil, making it a perfect choice for mountain and woodland gardens. It grows up to 6 feet tall and has an arching branch formation, as well as delicate, urn-shaped white flowers.

Mulch is a commonly used landscaping material that can enhance the beauty of your yard. But did you know that the benefits of mulch extend beyond just surface appearances? Keep reading to learn what mulch is, how it can help your landscaping, and the best types of mulch for North Georgia.  

Benefits of Mulch

Mulch reduces the growth of weeds.

Weeding is usually at the top of people’s lists for “Most Annoying Outdoor Chore,” but you can substantially slow down the growth of weeds by mulching your garden. Applying a layer of mulch (usually 3-4” deep) on top of exposed soil effectively smothers weed seeds, preventing them from getting enough light and air to germinate. Even if seeds do blow into your garden, the layer of mulch provides a barrier between the weed and the soil. Any weeds that manage to spring up should be easy to remove because their roots will extend very shallowly into the soil. 

Mulch conserves water.

Water is one of our most precious resources here in North Georgia, so we love helping our customers create smart landscapes that use water efficiently. Mulch is part of a water-smart landscape because it traps moisture in the soil, slowing evaporation. That means more water for your plants to drink, less waste, and a lower water bill. It also blocks the wind from drying out the soil faster. 

Mulch is cool.

We mean that literally! Mulch provides insulation for the soil, which is especially important during our hot Georgia summers. Reducing heat stress on your plants goes a long way towards keeping your summer landscaping looking great. 

What Type of Mulch Should You Use?

There are many materials that can be used as mulch, and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. The best mulch to use depends on the climate and environment where you live, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. 

Here in North Georgia, pine straw and pine bark are the most commonly used types of mulch. They are great options because they’re typically affordable, and they make your landscaping look very natural in the midst of Georgia’s pine forests. 

Composted wood chips are also popular and can be found in various colors to coordinate with your home. (Don’t use fresh woodchips, which will leach nitrogen from the soil and can harm your plants.)

There are also a few types of mulch that are not recommended for most applications in our area:

• Gravel/pebbles/rocks get too hot. Your plants are probably already working hard to survive the summer, so adding rocks that absorb the sun and retain heat is not a good idea.
• Peat moss is not appropriate mulch either. While it is very absorbent, once it dries it repels water, which can kill your plants. It’s also antimicrobial, which is not desirable if you’re trying to garden organically. 
• As we mentioned, fresh woodchips aren’t good for your garden. Instead, allow them to weather for 6 months to a year before using them.

If you’re buying mulch for your home or need help planning and installing your landscaping, give us a call at 770-893-1254! 

We obviously love plants here at Whispering Springs Nursery; after all, we not only grow and sell all sorts of annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs, but also provide North Georgia homeowners with landscape design and maintenance services. Creating lush, healthy forest landscapes is our passion, which is why we offer expert shrub and ornamental tree pruning among our other landscaping services. 

You may be wondering why trees and shrubs need to be pruned, especially in a more naturalistic setting like the North Georgia native woodland landscapes that we specialize in. It’s a good question! In natural forest settings, plants aren’t pruned and they manage just fine, right?

Well, they do—in their own way. If a tree is left to its own devices, it can end up growing in all sorts of interesting and unique ways depending on the surrounding environment, but that growth won’t always be attractive, healthy, or even safe. Certain growth patterns can leave the tree open to pests or disease. “Suckers” (the small shoots you may see growing from the base or roots of a tree) can steal water and nutrients from the main tree, leading to unhealthy or stunted growth. When that tree eventually falls and decays, it’s part of the circle of life in the forest… But that doesn’t mean that you want it happening in your front yard or right outside your window. 

Why Shrubs and Trees Need Regular Pruning

In a landscaping setting (even natural/native landscaping), the goal is to create a landscape that is not only beautiful, but also practical and safe. Pruning plants plays a big part in this for several reasons. 

Promoting Healthy Plant Growth

Pruning isn’t about forcing a tree or shrub into an unnatural shape, but rather guiding it as it grows into a strong, healthy, mature plant. By removing dead or dying branches, suckers, or any other “problem” growths, the tree is able to grow into its ideal shape. Pruning also prevents pest insect and animal infestations. 

Bringing Out the Beauty in Your Landscaping

Regular expert pruning of trees and shrubs can also make your landscaping more beautiful by promoting the growth of fruit and flowers. If you have ornamental trees or shrubs in your yard, like cherry, dogwood, redbud, crape myrtle, azalea, forsythia, or rose, both the method and timing of pruning are essential. Improper pruning can cause a range of unfortunate outcomes, from sparse flowering in the spring, to severe disfiguring that the plant may never recover from. 

Protecting People and Property

One of the most important functions of pruning is to protect your family, home, and vehicles from the dangers of fallen branches or trees. A storm can knock branches loose, sending them into your roof, through your car windshield, or onto kids’ play spaces. Sometimes a branch may not fall right away, only to get knocked loose by a brisk wind later when you’re least expecting it. Regular pruning greatly reduces this safety hazard. 

Ready to whip your landscaping plants into shape? Give us a call at 770-893-1254 to learn more about our pruning and landscaping services!

If you love to garden, sharing that passion with the kids in your life can make an already great hobby that much more rewarding. In some studies, gardening has been shown to relieve stress,  and there are many benefits to kids specifically, from teaching them about nature and biology to encouraging healthier eating habits. 

Whether you want to start a family gardening practice with your kids or just do some fun gardening projects with your grandkids, nieces, or nephews, we’ve got everything you need (and some things you didn’t know you needed!) here at Whispering Springs Nursery.

Gardening Ideas for Kids

Create a magical fairy garden.

Fairy gardens have been around for years, but recently they’ve made quite a comeback thanks to social media like Pinterest and Instagram. Ideas for fairy gardens abound on the internet, but the real beauty of them is that you can let your imagination run wild! 

If you’re wondering what a fairy garden is, it’s simply a miniature garden (often planted in a container) that allows for “landscaping” on a small scale—think of a garden scaled for a fairy to live in! Tiny doors, dollhouse-sized furniture, decorations, moss, and small-scale plants bring the environment to life, sparking the imagination and teaching kids about planting a garden all at once. With proper care, it can even be like a living dollhouse, setting the stage for hours of imaginative play with dolls or toys. Come and check out our fairy garden supplies or commission a custom fairy garden created by us. 

Grow your own food with a kitchen garden.

Speaking of container gardens, we have everything you need for your container garden projects, from unique planters and pots to a huge selection of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, deer-resistant plants, and even aquatic plants for your pond or fountain. One of the best container gardening projects for kids is planting a mini kitchen garden. Dwarf tomato plant varieties can easily be grown on a patio or porch, while herbs like basil, mint, and thyme are low-maintenance winners and can even be grown in a windowsill!

Support pollinators with a bee and butterfly garden.

Gardening has the potential to teach kids so much about the natural world, and they can even lend a helping hand to struggling pollinators like bees and butterflies. Visit our Jasper nursery to find colorful pollinator-friendly plants and create a garden that helps the environment in addition to looking beautiful. 

We’re always happy to help you select the best plants for your projects, from native plants that bees love to deer-resistant species that look great without serving as a deer buffet. Get the kids in your life started on a lifelong journey of gardening! We are open for curb-side pickup, so explore our site and give us a call at 770-893-1254.