Backyard Oasis

Spring is just around the corner for many of us and this is the perfect time to prepare your yard for spring.

photo credit: robynejay

What makes spring a perfect time for sprucing up the backyard, gardens and shrubs or trees? That spring feeling of energy and new growth and the fact that with your backyard area coming back alive it’s easier to see debris and evaluate your plants.

Start by raking your leaves and any dead grass. Add this to a compost bin so that you can create your own healthy compost for gardens. Small sticks can also be added, particularly if you can chop them up.

Trim any shrubs or trees and pull off the dead heads from any flowers or plants. While doing this take a good look at the property. You will see if you need to trim around any
Flowerbeds or gardens. Make sure they aren’t being overrun by grass.

Give the yard a fresh look by cleaning mulch in the yard. Remove the top layer or mulch, pull any weeds and put down a fresh coat or your favorite mulching material. I use pine needles, tree chips or leaves, depending on what area of the yard I am working on.

Mow the lawn if it is tall in some areas, but don’t cut it as short as you normally would in the summer. The first mowing is always my favorite. The smell of fresh cut grass and the bright green color makes the spring season special.

Clean up after any pets if you have them.

Till any gardens, move, redo or remove any garden area that you didn’t like. This is also the perfect time to prepare pots for new plants and flowers. Some plants may have to be potted indoors so they start out healthy before moving outside.

Patch any bare spots in the yard with grass seed. You may want to add slow release fertilizer and/or weed stopper to your yard. If there are big brown spots, consider doing a ground test and adding some nitrogen. Brown spots may also be a pet problem too.

Plant some spring flowers and add any window boxes. Window boxes can hold spring bulbs or early spring flowers.

Bulbs are the most versatile of spring flowers and will do as well in pots as the ground. I grow mine in pots now to protect them from small animals and so that I can bring them in or mover them around the patio or porch areas.

Clean and spruce up your porches, patio or entertainment areas. Bring out the lawn furniture and fire pit if you have one, and enjoy spring and the promise of summer that follows.