LOUISA TRIGG CANADY LANDSCAPE

Over a period of 15 years, I had attempted to maintain sufficient ground cover in the very front portion of my yard, adjacent to the asphalt roadway, to keep its appearance "acceptable" ... nothing fancy, just something (other than weeds) to keep it looking green and as if some thought had been put into it. The very first landscaper (who did the original installation) put in (along with an irrigation system) a single variety of low-lying juniper plant (not blue rug). These lasted for about 7 years before they started to die out. I replaced the dying or dead plants with new plants of the exact same variety, which would invariably die out again after 1.5 - 3 years. This cycle was repeated over about 5 years, with the same results always occuring some 2-3 years after new plants were put in place. Not knowing what to do, I contacted a landscaper listed here on Angie's List, to get some advice. He suggested a different plant to use for ground cover (dwarf gardenia), which I agreed to and which he installed, but several years after installation, it became evident that they were going to meet the same fate as the junipers. To be fair, he also installed a variety of perennial flowering shrubs in an area closer to the house, and after some 6 years or so, they are, for the most part, doing well. But it was after the dwarf gardenias (next to the street) began to die off , that I looked again for a landscaper who could hopefully size up the problem (with repeated die-offs) and suggest a solution. That was when I found Louisa's name and information regarding her services. I don't remember if I came across it here (on Angie's List) or by doing a web search. Either way, she was one of very few (maybe the only one ... I can't remember for sure) working landscapers that I could find in this area whose credentials actually included a degree in the botanical sciences (B.S. degree in Horticulture and Landscape Design, from NC State). I felt that consulting with someone with a certifiable education in plant life / diseases, was my best chance to resolve the ongoing problem I had been having for 15 years of repeated die-out of the ground cover in that one particular area of my property. She immediately sized up the problem (a fungus in the soil, because of the the persistently wet and low-to-no sunlight in that spot), and indicated that pretty much any woody plant (juniper, gardenia, etc.) would fall victim to the soil and sunlight conditions there. She suggested using autumn fern - perhaps not your typical ground cover, but one that could thrive in the wet soil and minimal direct sunlight conditions. We agreed to have her install some 20 - 25 plants. That was 2 years ago, and except for one or two, they are all thriving. I added a few more myself after the first year, to fill up some spaces between the existing plants, and by the next spring (this past spring), they too were thriving, and I have little doubt they will continue to do so. (In my previous life, I lived in New York, and spent a great deal of time in dense forests in the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains ... if there was one type of plant that is easily recognizable and which was almost always present in the middle of those damp ground conditions that saw very little direct sunlight in the mountains, it was ... a fern!!! I should have known!) The installation work which she provided was not difficult nor complicated in any way - very basic put-your-plant-in-the-ground-and-provide-good-soil-and-water. Rather, it was her knowledge of what was causing the repeated die-offs of the first several rounds of ground cover (the junipers and gardenias), and what to use as a substitute that would tolerate the wet soil and lack of sunlight, which I found invaluable. Thank you, Louisa!

I couldn't be more pleased with the level of care and professionalism provided. The pond had previously been serviced by another landscape company that was not qualified to handle the job, but said they could. Louisa is a design specialist, so she took the existing surroundings into consideration and made many valuable observations for future projects. I was so impressed with her work that she will be doing my entire yard this fall. Canady Landscaping is all over Wilmington even at my favorite restaurant Indochine!!! Susan Snow Bass