Your father always put a ton of time, care, and effort into his landscaping. From the tip of the driveway to the edge of the fence, he would spread TLC around like fertilizer. His yard was the best in the neighborhood which meant it was the main venue for barbecues. He talked about his landscaping like it was his child, sometimes you thought he showed more pride for his yard than he did you.
You have inherited his home and with it, his precious landscaping. You love yard work but you don’t have as much time to spend taking care of your yard as your dad once did. The amount of maintenance needed has slowly grown over the months and you can never keep up.
There are simple things you can do to give your landscaping a fresh new look. Maintaining your yard doesn’t have to be hard, but if you have let your landscaping go for a few months, it can be a lot of work to catch up. If you have absolutely no time for yard work, but want to impress your dad the next time he visits, Carlson Landscaping can help!
But if you think you can handle the amount of yard work needed to get your landscaping looking as good as new, follow these tips as a guide.
Step 1: Clean Up
First things first, you need to get rid of the mess. Whether that is leaves piled up underneath your plants, in the corners of your fences, or even in your window well, they need to be picked up if you even want your yard looking better.
Hopefully, you know the importance of raking your leaves in the fall, allowing for your lawn to breathe and get the nutrition needed. But nobody, not even your dad, rake up every leaf every fall. That means you will have some around your plants, under your porch, piled in every nook and cranny of your yard.
Cleaning these up can give your yard an instant makeover. You will be amazed at how open and gorgeous your yard will look just by picking up these leaves. Your plants will look less like something from a scary movie, you yard will look happier, healthier, and instantly better. Throw those old moldy leaves into a garbage bag and move on to the next step of your extreme landscaping maintenance plan.
Step 2: Weed Out the Weeds
While some take on the look of precious little wild flowers, weeds can be an eyesore in your yard. Poking up through the rocks, disguising themselves in your flowerbeds, and even having the guts to show up in your grass, these pesky weeds must go. Weeding is not a fun task, nor is it a quick one. Some weeds force their roots so deep into the ground that you may need the help of a weeding trowel.
Some of the most common weeds in the Pennsylvania area that you may spot in your yard include:
- Brome
- Barnyardgrass
- Bull Thistle, Russian Thistle, and Sow Thistle
- Dandelions
- Cheatgrass
- Crabgrass
- White Clover
- Lambsquarters
- Henbit
Weeds are not something we recognize the name to, but just by looking at them we can generally tell what is a weed and what is not. But then there are the trickster weeds, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the flowering weeds that may just happen to be those beautiful wildflowers popping up in our yards. It is probably best just to pull everything we know we didn’t plant.
There are many reasons why removing weeds from gardens and landscaping is important, rather than just for aesthetic purposes. If you have a gorgeous garden full of brightly colored flowers, tomato, strawberry, and other vegetable plants, weeds could be stealing all of their food and water, making it harder for them to survive and thrive.
Weeds should also be removed from your landscaping because:
- They block out sunlight
- They crowd out crop space
- They can carry crop diseases
- They only get worse
To see a full list of reasons why you should remove those pesky weeds from your landscaping, learn more from Reformation Acres. And now on to the next step for a beautiful and flawless yard!
Step 3: Trim Those Limbs
Why your trees and shrubs may look fine, they can look better. If you stare at them long enough you will begin to notice some of the branches poking out a little further than others, which may not look completely horrible at first glance, but taking a pair of shears or a lopper to these subtly long branches can really sharpen up the place.
Cut back the branches on your shrubs and give them a little more distinct shape. Remove low hanging tree limbs to open up the space underneath the trees. This will make your yard look more tidy and spacious. This is a simple task that can really make your landscaping look less hectic and cluttered.
Step 4: Add Some Color
Fresh flowers are a great way to give your landscaping a fresh kick of color. Even if you already have a flowerbed full of gorgeous tulips, roses, and daisies, adding flower pots, window boxes, or a few perennials around your trees can liven up your yard. Flowering plants can add a lot of color to your predominantly green and brown landscaping.
Add some flowers around your walkways, lining your driveway, or add unique and upcycled flower planters throughout your yard to bring a different look to your yard, you can find a ton of fun ideas from Empress of Dirt. Although these may be a little too out there for your father’s taste in landscaping, they can add intrigue and and something different to your yard.
While these seem like simple enough tasks to get your landscaping looking beautiful and new, they are time consuming and can be hard work. If you have the time and energy to take care of these yard work tasks on your own, then have at it! Your dad will be proud to know that you gave your yard and landscaping the TLC that he did. But let we said, this maintenance, after a period of being neglected, consumes a lot of time and energy.
If you would like some help on your landscaping maintenance, we can always help. At Carlson Landscaping, we offer all the services you need to get your yard back in tip top condition. From lawn mowing to annual clean ups, we can help. Just contact us today and we can get started on your landscaping needs just in time for your dad’s visit.