While it may only be the beginning of the year if one of your 2020 resolutions is to take your current landscape design (or perhaps the lack thereof) to the next level, then now is the time to begin. No, you might not be ready to go to the nursery and purchase the plants and shrubbery, but there are several activities you can take in preparing your landscape for spring. Better yet, contact a consultant from Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces. We can assess your current landscape and craft a design that suits your needs, wants and utilizes your space to its full potential.

However, if you are wanting to do some preliminary work and get some ideas of what you think might be great improvements to your yard, then there are actions you can take. Let’s get started.

Preparing Your Landscape for Spring

Taking time for preparing your landscape for spring is what separates the average landscape from the exceptional ones. And, of course, you want yours to be exceptional. Here’s how.

Begin with Cleanup

Fall and winter weather can cause branches to fall, debris to accumulate, and an assortment of items to be deposited in your yard. Grab a pair of thick gloves and remove any of these elements.

Find the Edges

For that perfectly manicured spring landscape, edging is a must! Use an edger to delineate where your grass begins and the gardens and natural areas begin. Edging also keeps grass from taking over your flowerbeds and non-paved walkways and gives your landscape a manicured appearance.

Raking- Not Just for Fall!

It’s probable that you missed some leaves at your last fall raking job, and even more likely that leaves blew into your yard during winter. Grab a rake and get rid of those dead leaves, as well as any pinecones, acorns, twigs, etc. that have accumulated – especially in those areas of your yard where things pile up!

Pruning

When preparing your landscape for spring, don’t overlook the importance of pruning! While you don’t need to do this as early as January, sometime in late February take an afternoon to check out the shrubbery and trees. Look for excessively long branches or shoots and trim them back. The pruning will help them be healthier when spring officially arrives.

Mulching

To give your soil an extra boost of nutrients after the cold months, apply mulch. However, be sure to remove the old mulch- another reason to rake! Then add new mulch at the base of shrubbery. It is recommended that you wait to see where flowers begin to peek through so that you don’t cover them in mulch and inhibit their growth.

Add Fertilizer

For a healthy verdant lawn, fertilizer is a must. Ideally, you should apply fertilizer either before or after a light rain. This will help allow the nutrients to better seep into your lawn. For prime results, choose a fertilizer that says 20-5-10, standing for 20% nitrogen, 5% phosphate and 10% potassium. To minimize how often you need to apply fertilizer, choose a slow-release one.

Once these activities have been done, you are ready to begin planting your assorted gardens, trees, and shrubbery.

Of course, if you feel your yard is already for the next level of landscaping and want to do more with your landscape, give the Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces team a call. We understand what it is involved in crafting a beautiful Georgia landscape and help you take your yard from basic to beautiful. Contact us today.

Tips to Prepare Your Landscape for Spring