Good seasonal landscaping is crucial when it comes to delivering an outside space which looks fantastic. But it’s not an easy task. Your landscaping strategy needs to be an on-going one and one which evolves with seasons. And, once you know how to achieve this, you’ll be able to get the best from your outside space all year round.
Winter Landscaping Tips
Winter is the harshest season that your outside space will face, so make sure you follow these best seasonal landscaping practices:
- Cut Your Lawns Back: The rate at which grass grows in winter will drop to virtually zero. But this doesn’t mean you can forget about it. You need to prepare your lawn for winter by cutting it to a length of around two inches.
- Use Mulch: Plants, trees and shrubs are all susceptible to the elements of winter, namely soil erosion and water loss. And this is why it’s essential to apply mulch. Two inches of mulch applied around the base of your plant life will reduce these issues.
- Protect Against Snow and Ice: Tree branches are susceptible to heavy snow loads, so it makes sense to tie branches together to offer enhanced support. It’s also worth removing any branches which do not look healthy enough to survive prolonged cold spells.
Landscaping in Spring
Spring is where things start to get busy in outdoor spaces and gardens, so it’s important that you keep on top of the following seasonal landscaping:
- Weed Prevention: It’s fair to say that the biggest enemy of outside spaces are weeds. So, at the start of spring, make sure that you apply pre-emergent weed killers to stop the earliest stages of growth.
- Inspect Your Trees and Plants: After the testing conditions of winter it’s a good idea to evaluate the state of your plant life. Make sure you inspect and, where necessary, prune your trees, plants and shrubs to ensure optimum health.
- Remove Debris and Tidy Edges: Old leaves and debris will build up in your plant beds over winter, so these need raking away when spring comes. Once this is completed you should take an edging tool and tidy up the edges of your plant beds
Summer Landscaping
Outside spaces are at their busiest during the summer and you can maximise your enjoyment of them by following these seasonal landscaping tips:
- Don’t Mow too Short: It’s tempting to mow your lawn as short as possible to reduce the number of times you get the lawnmower out. But the truth is that you need to mow regularly and correctly to maintain the health of your lawn.
- Water Correctly: The long hot days of summer mean that your grass and plants need more water. However, overwatering is bad for them. Instead, try to water less frequently, but with larger amounts of water. And always water during the coolest parts of the day.
- Consider Drought Tolerant Plants: Installing plants that come from traditionally hot climates will not only bring bright colours to your garden, but they are also low maintenance and require little water.
Landscaping in Autumn
Your outside spaces may appear to be slowing down in terms of growth in autumn, but there is still plenty of maintenance to complete your seasonal landscaping:
- Tidy Away Equipment: Outside equipment such as tables and parasols need to be stored away before the weather takes a turn for the worse. Do this at the very start of autumn to preserve the condition of your equipment.
- Carry Out a Final Water: Before the temperatures start to fall, it’s important to complete one final water of all your trees and plants. This will provide plenty of protection against the harsh conditions ahead.
Knowing where and how to focus your energy in each season will ensure you get the best results year round. For support and guidance on seasonal landscaping please don’t hesitate to get in touch and speak to our expert team.