5 Spring Landscaping Tips to Improve Your Yard

Spring is one of the most active times to be outside playing in the dirt for both kids and adults alike. Coming off the winter months of being indoors, we are ready to see lush green grass, beautiful flowers all around, and blooming trees. In order to get the full effect and make your yard look amazing, it’s time to use some of that pent-up energy, get outside, and start preparing for a beautiful summer ahead!

1. Do a thorough yard inspection.

One of the very first things you should do as a homeowner once the weather starts to warm up is take a walk around your property and inspect it. How did it fare over the winter? Check to see if you have any trees or plants that are obviously dead. Make a note of areas that may need to be cleaned out (think dead grass or weeds that didn’t get tossed last fall).

Do you have any areas that need to be fixed on your fence, porch, raised flower beds, trellises, etc.? Taking time to fix those now will benefit you in the long run. Not only will it improve the look of your home, but you will also beat the heat of summer.

2. Test your soil.

Your soil is your foundation for all landscaping, so when it’s not healthy or out of balance, you may struggle to have your dream lawn. To get your plants and flowers to thrive, you need to test your soil to make sure it has the right make-up. You can either call in the professionals to help with this process, or you can even buy DIY kits to get an idea of the health of your soil. You may find out that the reason your plants aren’t growing is that you need to add some nutrients or organic materials to help balance it out. Or, you could simply find out what types of fertilizer you should or should not be using.

You won’t know until you check, so be sure to get it checked out.

3. Choose your trees and plants wisely.

Be sure to choose your plants, keeping all seasons in mind. While we tend to get really excited to get beautiful new blooms and colors in our yard (and that’s perfectly fine!), we also sometimes forget about the end of summer, fall, and winter months. So, just think about all months when making your landscaping and gardening plan. Think about those plants that bloom in fall or evergreens that stay full all winter long. This will help your yard and home look nice all year round, not just in the few months of spring.

When choosing which trees to adorn your yard with, try to choose those that will add value to your property. Trees add both aesthetics and value to a home, so it’s best to choose those that are long-lived, hardy, and pretty.

Regardless of if you are picking our plants or trees, though, choose healthy ones. Unless you are a master green thumb, you will want to invest your time and money in plants that stand a chance, not some that you may work so hard to save, but they end up dying anyway due to poor conditions when first purchased. Remember…just because an item in the greenhouse is on sale doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good buy in the world of horticulture!

4. Understand the sunlight needs.

Plants have to have sunlight to survive, but how much? This can get confusing to some homeowners at times (especially when you add a lot of new ones at one time). Be sure to use those tags that come with the plants you purchase. They have so much information on them to help set you and your new plants up for success.

There are four general sunlight rules for the plants you purchase:

• Full sun: Plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun per day
• Part sun: Plants need between 3 and 6 hours of direct sun per day
• Part shade: Plants need between 3 and 6 hours of sun per day, but they need protection from the intense sun midday
• Full shade – Plants need less than 3 hours of direct sun per day

5. Beware of frost.

We live in an area where the weather can (and often does) change daily. Be prepared to water like “normal” one day, and then the next, don’t be alarmed if you need to take precautions for potential frost.

To help ward off damage from frost, try covering up your plants. You can do so with old towels, sheets, or even frost blankets you can purchase. Try to avoid using plastic, though, as doing so could have adverse effects.

Looking for other ways to help get your home in better shape this spring? Check out this post, Your Guide to Spring Home Maintenance, to learn more.