We’ve had a long winter, with tantalizing glimpses of spring. But it really is spring and our yards need some attention! Spring is such an amazing season; flowers, trees, bushes, and grass begin to grow & green up. But so do the weeds, and there is debris in all the crevices in our yards & flowerbeds. At Compass Homes, your premier boutique home builders, we build amazing homes, and we definitely pay attention to the landscaping! Now is the time to get out & clean up your yard. What things should you be doing?
The Great Clean Up!
- Debris – It’s time to get the left over leaves, twigs, and branches out of the flowerbeds and from around the outside of your home.
- Trim & Remove – If you have any annual plants that you forgot to remove, pull them out now. If you have perennials like ornamental grasses, mums, and other flowers, trim them back before there is new growth visible. Be sure that you know if the perennials can be cut back, as some, like hydrangeas, grow off old stock. Shape up the bushes & remove dead tree branches.
- Fertilize & Seed – Get the 1st of the grass fertilizers down by the end of April. This is usually crabgrass prevention and fertilizer for the grass. It isn’t hard to apply this yourself, which can save you money. Look for bare spots and put new seed down, if you didn’t reseed in the fall.
- Flower Beds – Pull weeds from the beds and loosen up the soil. Use a rake or shovel and gently loosen it from around your plants. It’d be a good time to add compost to the beds, which will get them ready for new plants. If your perennials are still covered by mulch, go ahead and pull it back to allow the plants to grow.
- Divide & conquer – Do you have grasses or other perennials like hostas that are taking over? Now is the time to split and move them.
- Mulch or not? The rule of thumb is to wait to mulch until the ground has warmed up, but you can loosen old mulch, turn it, and get rid of mulch that has lost its color. Remember that when you do lay new mulch, to not put it right next to the base of trees, bushes, or flowers.
- Power Wash – How do your paths and patio look? Are there leaf stains, moss or algae? Has gravel escaped from borders? Now’s the time to get that cleaned up and raked back into place.
- Make a Plan – If you are going to make changes, now’s the time to plan. Make a sketch of your beds and determine what you want to plant. As soon as the threat of frost is gone, head out and plant!
Have you mowed your grass yet? At Compass Homes, we’re excited to be building new homes in Upper Arlington and helping our clients plan their landscaping needs. Get out there and get your yard ready for spring and summer. We can’t wait!