Spring is the best time to do maintenance and cleanup work on your garden and home landscape. After a long winter indoors, you’re probably ready and willing to spend time outdoors in the sun doing a few basic garden chores. Here is a guide for spring cleaning your garden to help it recover from winter and prepare for a (hopefully) long and glorious summer.

CLEAN THE PLANTING BEDS

Clean the Planting Beds It’s more than likely you’ll need to do a little cleanup work in your garden beds and lawn, removing any fallen limbs, branches or debris that arrived during the winter months. Be sure to rake up any piles of matted leaves; they can go in your compost pile. Check your bed edging and fix any pieces or sections that are out of place. If mulch has washed out of any flowerbeds onto your lawn or patio, rake it back into place.

TOPDRESS MULCH AND STONE

Dress up your garden by topping off beds with an inch or two of fresh mulch. You may not need to do this every year, but if it’s been more than a couple of years, your garden is probably overdue. Spread mulch carefully, making sure not to cover up branches or foliage.

You can do the same for gravel drives and walks. A thin layer of fresh aggregate on top will keep them looking clean and new. It’s an inexpensive way to update your landscape while lessening the amount of dirt that gets tracked into your house.

FEED YOUR LAWN

Feed Your LawnWith a little effort, you can get your lawn off to a great start this year. Topdress with a thin layer of compost or screened topsoil, overseed any bare areas and aerate the soil. Aeration is an effective way to help revive lawns that may be waterlogged or suffering from compacted soil. Aerating every year will get nutrients down to roots while improving drainage and soil structure.

PREPARE YOUR PLANTS

The plants in your garden need some attention after a few months of winter weather. Inspect for broken branches and prune any damaged limbs. A light fertilization will encourage new growth, and surely the last deep freeze is behind us by now. If you have perennials, spring is a good time to divide them. You can swap extra plants with a gardening friend or use the extras to plant a new bed. If ornamental grasses are part of your garden, cut back the old foliage to four to six inches height. Do this before the new growth starts.

GET YOUR TOOLS READY

Get Your Tools ReadyWith a long season of work ahead of them, your garden tools need to be in good working condition. Sharpen and lightly oil pruners and blades. Brush a sealer onto exposed wood handles. Equipment with an engine may need a tune-up, new spark plugs and an oil change. A little maintenance on your tools will help them last longer and prevent mid-summer mishaps.

Spring is when you will have the most enthusiasm for garden chores. Take advantage of that time and use the above list to plan a couple of Saturday afternoons worth of work. You will have a feeling of accomplishment with your garden looking clean and fresh, ready for a new season of growth and summer fun.

There’s no better time than now to book your early season landscaping services. Give us a call and start relaxing in your beautiful outdoor space.