Landscape Design – Spring Rehab and Inspiration
The long awaited spring brings with it landscaping chores. This is the time to rehab your lawn and garden from the ravages of the winter season. Not only good for rehab and maintenance, spring is the perfect time to add a new, inspired element to your landscape design.
Spring Landscape Maintenance
A great place to start spring landscape maintenance is pruning. Cut back your perennials. Some will need to be cut back to the base and others will need a bit of growth left behind. Be sure to check before pruning.
Shrubs and trees will need some light trimming as well. Any dead, damaged or diseased branches should be removed.
Rid landscape beds of any weeds that may have survived the winter and rake up any debris that may have accumulated. This material is great to add to a compost pile if you have one!
Edge all of your beds to clearly define landscape and lawn. Edging will give your landscape a neatly trimmed and polished look. It will also prevent the lawn from encroaching on the mulch.
Just like a bear coming out of hibernation, lawn and plants are in need of nourishment. Surround your plants with 1 to 2 inches of compost before adding mulch. Apply fertilizer to your lawn. This will help them to thrive trough the spring and summer.
Take an extra step and apply weed killer. While it won’t prevent their growth completely, it will create a barrier to help keep weeds to a minimum.
Mulch provides many benefits. It aids in moisture retention in the soil and helps to regulate the ground temperature. Just like edging, mulch will help define your landscape. In addition, it will also discourage the growth of weeds.
Whether you are transplanting or adding new plants or shrubs to your landscape, spring is the optimum time to do so. The season’s mild temperatures will allow plants to adjust to their new environment with minimal stress.
Enhance Your Landscape Design
Now that you’ve rectified any damage done by winter and properly prepared your lawn and landscape for warmer weather, what next? Is there something you’ve always wanted to integrate into your landscape?
No matter what you have in mind or if you’re not sure what you’re looking to add to your existing landscape, start looking for inspiration. The obvious source is home and garden magazines or websites.
You could also look to neighboring landscapes for inspiration. Or wander through local home and garden centers to spark your imagination. You may find something you didn’t even know you wanted.
Maybe you just want to just add small accents, like new plants, shrubs or a tree. Or are you thinking bigger? Instead of just a beautiful, well-groomed landscape, maybe it’s time to create an outdoor living space. If so, how far do you want to take it?
You might want a hardscape patio constructed from pavers arranged in an intricate pattern. You can furnish your new space with comfortable outdoor furniture, expanding your living space. A pergola could be added to provide an area of shade.
Are you thinking of a space for entertaining, like an outdoor kitchen? Or was recreation more of what you had in mind, like an inground pool? Maybe a spa or water feature for relaxation.
Pathways can be created connecting the inside to the outside. Landscape lighting can be added to take your outdoor living space effortlessly from day to evening. The possibilities are endless.
Maintaining your landscape can be a DIY project. Some people like getting outside and working in the yard. Others would rather let someone else take care of it. A professional landscape designer can handle maintenance as well as tackling the larger projects.
Built upon the principles of exceptional service, unequaled design and skilled craftsmanship, David Ash Jr., Landscape Contractors creates elegant, sophisticated outdoor environments for residents and businesses in and around Long Beach Island, NJ. Consult with David and his expert team and share your idea. Then sit back, relax and expect nothing short than your vision.
