by: Nancy Bauer
Have you looked at your yard lately?
Today, we require more of our landscapes than ever before. Back in the day, they were more like a window dressing around a building. They had a token tree or two, a few evergreen shrubs, maybe some perennials for color out front and a small flower bed for marigolds. But today’s landscape is not your grandmother’s yard!
Now we expect more than just one pop of color, like more shade to cut the AC bill in the summer and a livable area with outdoor ambiance where we cook, eat and entertain. We want more curb appeal and increased property value. Low maintenance and lower water costs are also on the list.
And beyond all those desires, we also ask our landscapes to clean the air, deal with the heat islands in cities, purify water as it moves through the soil, mitigate storm water, grow healthy veggies, attract pollinators and repel the deer that want to chew up our petunias.
That’s a tall order for a yard that once just sat still, looked kind of nice and had to be mowed once a week.
So what’s on your wish list for this year’s gardening season? Beginning this weekend, the productive hours of daylight will seem longer bringing more opportunity to survey the yard and explore new possibilities.
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:
- ID the worst eyesore in the yard and put it at the top of the to-do list.
- Decide what you want to see when you’re sitting on the patio. Is it more color, another tree or just a bigger, nicer patio?
- Could you change just one thing that would require less maintenance? For example, is there a shrub you hate to prune because it has thorns? How about replacing it with a colorful and lower maintenance plant?
- Is it too dark in the areas where you would like to expand outdoor living? Would it be more usable if there were outdoor lights?
- Can you find a place for the fire feature that is now on your outdoor living wish list?
- Also, walk across the street and look at your house with the perspective the neighbors have. This is how they see your yard every day. Rate the curb appeal. If it reminds you of grandma’s place, think about a facelift.
- As with other projects, make the list, prioritize it and put the tasks to get there on the calendar.
Before the growing season actually arrives is when we need to evaluate and make our plan. With it in hand, there will be more purpose in trips to the garden center and the satisfaction of getting the yard of your dreams underway.
April Landscape Tips
- Prepare to activate the sprinkler system. When your system is running make sure to walk around your property to ensure proper coverage is attained. Look for leaks, broken sprinkler heads, and improperly directed heads.
- Although fertilizer should be used sparingly, lawns need supplemental nutrients to promote new leaf and root growth, and control weeds. Bluegrass and fescue lawns benefit from a twice– yearly dose of quick and slow-release nitrogen. It’s best to follow up by watering ½ inch.
- Over seeding may be beneficial for areas in your lawn that are thin or suffer with damaged or bare spots. A perennial rye and bluegrass seed mix is recommended. Seeding can be performed in spring or fall. It may require both.
- Cut back perennials (except evergreen perennials that stay green all year long) with sharp pruners / scissors, remove dead plant material all the way to the ground.
- Prepare the soil for gardens.
Dogs Spots
Straw colored grass or dead spots with dark green borders are common in lawns of dog owners. The concentrated salts in the urine of dogs, particularly female dogs, cause these problems. Water is the only thing that can reverse the effects of dog urine on grass. Do not apply baking soda, dish washing detergent, or products claiming to dissolve or leach the salts. They will be ineffective and compound the problem. Sometimes the damaged areas cannot be revived, making reseeding necessary. The damaged spots should be heavily watered with a hose for a few days before reseeding or re sodding.