Spring is associated with a lot: renewal, rejuvenation, rebirth, resurrection, and regrowth.
Indeed after winter, this is necessary. Winter months can be very harsh on vegetation and typically leave most yards looking a bit worse for wear.
This makes spring a perfect time to restore your yard's lost glory and enjoy some greenery and color over spring and summer.
Spring Landscaping For Your Yard
Here are some things you can do to help you enjoy a vibrant yard in the coming months.
Repairs & Spring Cleanup
Depending on how much winterization you had to your yard and how effective it was, you might need to carry out some repairs before anything else.
Winterization speaks to the steps taken right before winter, and they help to preserve your yard or much of it so that you have a starting pointing come spring.
The first step to knowing where to start is assessing where you are. Take a look around your yard and take stock of what you have first.
One of the basic things you must do around this time is to rake away any debris from your grass and lawns. This will allow your yard and lawn to breathe again as you figure out the next steps.
Aerate
Winter debris and foot traffic can contribute to your lawn being too compacted.
When this happens, nutrients and sunshine have a harder time reaching plant roots to nourish them. This affects plant growth.
Aerating lawns is recommended as a way to prevent this. You can do this with an aerator or call in your landscaping company to aerate your yard.
Fertilizer
Not much goes on in winter regarding nourishing the soil. This then makes it the perfect time to fertilize as you wait to regrow your yard plants and grass.
Mulch
This is another somewhat effective gardening process for the spring, and it protects your yard throughout summer as well.
Mulch will protect your vegetation if there is an unexpected freeze during spring. It will also offer insulation on hot spring days, helping your plans maintain moisture and thrive.
Garden Planning
One other concern is when to plant new plants and transplant the plants you had been nurturing indoors.
Many gardeners prefer to but transplants for their yards rather than seeds. This offers both flexibility and convenience as you are not entirely starting the planting process from scratch.
The second option is to plant seeds and place them indoors and provide the optimal conditions required for them to thrive.
However, whichever method you choose, knowing when to transplant is just as important as selecting the plants to transplant.
Annual Flowers
These are great as transplanting them is easy, even for beginners. Annual petunias, marigolds and impatiens, and other small plants are eager to grow once the weather warms up again.
The best time to transplant this is after the last frost date in your area. Do this early in the day before the sun is up and scorching.
Plant annual flowers with some space all around and water them gently to withstand the sun. While this only lasts a season, you get to enjoy their beauty almost as soon as they are transplanted. It also gives your yard a whole new look than what you have had during winter.
Vegetables
Lettuce and greens are not affected by light frost and can therefore be transplanted in early spring when days are still fairly chilly.
Still, do the transplanting in the morning or on a cloudy day. This ensures your plants are protected from direct sunlight and that they make a quick transition from the seedling pots to the garden.
The rule of thumb is to wait until you can be in the garden comfortable in a short-sleeved shirt. Then you can transplant. This goes for peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Water your soil well before the actual transplanting as well.
Why Transplanting?
The biggest pro for transplanting is that it allows you a great looking yard and garden almost immediately. Because spring doesn't last forever, it helps to be able to enjoy every little bit of it.
Spring Cleanup & Gardening Services
Should you need a hand with spring landscape, Wave Outdoors Landscape & Design offers cleanup, maintenance and installation services to clients in the greater Chicago area.