Choose Your Greenprint

Succulents purify the air and improve humidity levels, which make them a great option for house plants. Once you’ve started your succulent collection, you can easily increase it by propagating new plants from the leaves of old ones. Follow the simple steps below to increase your garden or grow plants to share with friends!

Greenprint courtesy of NCNLA member, New Garden Landscaping & Nursery.

As small as they are, mosquitos can prevent you from enjoying the most beautiful day outside. Follow the simple steps below to plant a container garden or in-ground flower bed with plants that can deter these pesky bugs and reclaim your backyard.

Greenprint courtesy of NCNLA member, Fairview Garden Center.

Whether you plant them or pot them, hydrangeas are a beautiful flower for any yard. Once you choose the color and variety of your hydrangeas and plant them, you will need to do some light pruning to keep it looking fabulous. Need to know when and how much? We have the answers for you.

Greenprint courtesy of NCNLA member, Mitchell’s Nursery.

Hanging gardens are filled with a variety of blooming flowers and plants that are very appealing to the eye and to the environment. Creating a hanging garden is an inexpensive and easy way to liven up the outside of your home. Follow these simple steps to grow beautiful flowers for you and your neighbors to enjoy!

Greenprint courtesy of NCNLA member, Fairview Garden Center.

Composting improves soil by supplying essential nutrients, suppressing plant disease, and adding necessary micro-organisms to enhance plant growth. All you need to do is gather certain waste materials from around your home that can be reused to benefit the environment. Follow the simple steps below to implement your own compost site.

Greenprint courtesy of NCNLA member, Fairview Garden Center.

It is very easy to attract birds to your home landscape if you follow a few basic principles.
Birds need more than food:

Shelter: areas for protection, nesting, and resting
Create a landscape with multi-layers: tall trees, medium trees, large shrubs, smaller shrubs, perennials, and ground covers (see photos)

Water: bird baths, fountains, ponds, etc.
Water is actually more important than food for birds, without a water source, birds won’t seek your food

Food: plants that produce nectar, fruit and seeds that birds like to eat
Feeders are OK, but birds love to forage from the plants you grow

It is very easy to attract Hummingbirds birds to your home landscape if you follow a few basic principles.

Humming birds migrate North to North Carolina in April, and leave in late September. The males arrive first looking for territory that will have plenty of food. This impresses the females who come shortly thereafter. Hummingbirds eat insects, pollen and a lot of nectar. They are especially attracted to plants that produce red tubular flowers high in nectar (see list).Hummingbirds also need medium and large trees to rest and nest in.

With home landscapes getting smaller and many homeowners now living in condos and high rises, there is a new trend of growing small trees and shrubs in containers. This is a very easy practice that requires little space and only a small amount of maintenance time on a weekly basis. There are countless trees and shrubs that grow very nicely in containers.

Time of Year: Anytime that plants are available from your favorite Garden Center

Deer are a major pest in suburban gardens. Deer graze on a multitude of plants that we grow in our home landscapes. Using deer repellent products can be laborious and expensive. There are a number of ways to reduce deer damage on our plants. Remember, if deer are hungry enough, they may eat just about any plant.

Succulents are plants that have thick leaves full of water, unique shapes, and come from arid regions of the world. They make great container gardens for outdoor full sun locations such as patios, decks or balconies.

Looking for a creative way to keep your home warm during the cold winter months and enhance your curb appeal? Try using foundation plants to insulate your living space!

Every home landscape needs some attention in the late winter to prepare it for Spring planting and the next growing season. The following activities should be performed in late Winter/early Spring (Mid-Feb. – Mid-March).

Rain gardens are unique landscape components that help to reduce erosion, mitigate storm water runoff and filter and purify pollutants in runoff water. A rain garden contains plants that can tolerate standing water for a short period of time as well as periods of dryness (drought). The garden should fully drain within about 2 days of rain event.

Have you been avoiding buying a real Christmas tree because you think it’s too difficult to take care of? Follow these simple steps and celebrate your holiday season with a beautiful evergreen tree.

When outdoor temperatures drop into the low 50’s regularly, that means it’s time to bring your plants inside! All you’ll need is a couple of tools and a few minutes in order to successfully complete the job.

Looking for a way to create a little privacy from your neighbors? Or maybe you’re just looking for a creative fix to decorate that white picket fence around the backyard? Whether using flowers, shrubs or evergreen plants, planting a privacy screen is an easy, functional way to add beauty and color to your backyard.

Dressing up your walkway is the perfect way to add a colorful pop to your front yard. Whether you’re working with a large pathway or an apartment breezeway, this beginner-level project is a great way to add your favorite perennial flowers and welcome visitors to your home.

It’s wintertime, and your houseplants’ survival depends on you. Relocating your houseplant during the colder months is an easy process and can be completed quickly. In just 20 minutes, you can bring the beauty of the outdoors inside to be enjoyed by your family and guests.

As fall approaches, planting a young tree in your yard can be a quick and easy way to add some future foliage to your landscape! Preparation and proper tools are key to this project, which can be completed within 1-2 hours. Check out the project Greenprint and video for a step-by-step guide!

Whether you’re hoping to create a privacy line in your backyard, elevating your curb appeal or adding emphasis to a landscaping feature, planting a few shrubs can go a long way. This beginner-level project will give you an evergreen addition to your lawn in an afternoon!

Whether it’s a bouquet for a loved one, a dining table centerpiece or a few flowers on your desk, flowers grown in your own cut flower garden can provide enhancement to any indoor space! By planting a cut flower garden in your yard, you can take your favorite annual and perennial flowers directly from your own yard to enjoy in your home.

Have you ever wanted to take your landscaping vertical? Planting a living wall is a great way to add some “living art” to your yard, while taking advantage of the benefits of landscaping! Whether you’re looking for a pop of color, some curb appeal or a way to add some foliage to your home, a living wall is an easy, fun and unique project for any space.

A pollinator garden in your yard contributes to a healthy and sustainable future for generations of both pollinators and people – and it’s easy to do! With a small space and a few plants, you can attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

Creating a mailbox garden is a simple way to add some curb appeal to your home. Whether you use colorful perennials or evergreen plants, you can create a beautiful “welcome” for your visitors.

Did you receive a plant as a gift and want to repot it into something more sustainable, beautiful or functional? Repotting — or potting — a houseplant can be done easily, no matter what space you’re working in. Adding a houseplant to your home can make an apartment, townhome or house feel warmer and more colorful.

Don’t have a large outdoor space to work with? Maybe you have a few window boxes, or want to put a contained plant on your front porch? Gardening in containers is the perfect solution for smaller spaces, and can be adapted to fit your environment.