Helpful Tips for Outdoor Spaces

Here on the New Hampshire seacoast spring fever is one little April shower rainbow away from becoming a full blown epidemic. Weather aside, take a walk out your front door and get comfortable, don't worry about mosquitoes, aren't active yet. Let your feet touch the soft ground. Can you smell that earthy scent wafting about. Have you seen the Robins lately? The Red breasted Robin is aggressively searching out grubs and worms and meanwhile keeping an eye out for that special lady robin. Wild pussy willows are in full bloom. Little purple crocus flowers dot garden beds. Down near the ponds 'Peepers' are warming up for their nightly recitals. Tiger lilies are beginning their slow ascension from green nubby curiosity to full blown long stemmed orange and green powerhouse. Lilacs fever just a couple weeks away. This is with out a doubt my favorite time of the year.

It also means its time to shake the winter out of your yard. I'm a landscape contractor amongst other pursuits, and I frequently am asked what's involved with spring clean up. Allow me to offer you a little punch list.

Clean out the beds.

That's Raking out all the leaves branches twigs and anything that just shouldn't be there.

Prune off your winter damage.

Prune now avoid rot later.

Fertilize the perennials and shrubbery.

I use a 12-12-12 slow release according to instructions around the outside branch dripline making a fertilizer donut

Pull those weeds.

Better now than later.

Divide your Perennials.

A heavy sharp blade and a firm yet delicate grip is all you need, replant to create expansive beds.

Remove dead vegetation.Flower stalks, dead leaves, anything gray and brittle ought to go.

Edge the beds.

It makes your lines crisp and mulching easier and more uniform.

Remulch.With prices being what they are 1 to 2 inches is fine for established beds. Be sure not to allow mulch to pile up around a tree or shrub's bark. It invites disease and fungus.

Hand Rake the lawn.

Good to use a steel spring rake to pull up a little thatch.

Reseed the bare spots.

Every spot you see bare earth, weeds see as a place to call home. It is possible to over do 5 or 6 seeds in the area of a half dollar are plenty.

Fertilize according to manufacturer's instruction.

You get what you pay for.

Use a grub treatment.

Sometimes its necessary to keep your lawn from being infested. A couple white grubs here shouldn't be too much cause for concern. Be environmentally responsible and don't over do it. Once grubs become mature no amount of treatment in the world will stop'em. Treat when they're young and emerging from eggs.

Every day that passes now, the grass gets a little taller.

Good Luck and happy gardening.