Spring is the time to clean up your garden bed and prepare for new plants and vegetables. It’s also a great time to start plans for some new landscaping or hardscaping designs. But where do you get started?
Clean out your garden
Clear out dead plants and leaves to provide optimal growing conditions for your spring bulbs. Removing this extra debris will also decrease the chances of small rodents making a home in your garden and limit the potential for fungal growth.
Add mulch.
Mulch provides nutrients to the soil, helps suppress weeds and regulate soil temperature. You can choose either organic or inorganic mulch. Organic mulch consists of materials such as bark, grass clippings and compost that will decompose naturally over time. Whereas Inorganic mulch does not decompose and does not need to be replaced often. Some options of inorganic mulch include rocks, plastic sheets and pulverized rubber. When applying mulch be cautious to avoid burying stems and tree trunks. Two to three inches is usually beneficial to garden areas on level ground.
Dethatch your lawn
This process refers to the removal of dead turfgrass know as thatch. Thatch forms a barrier preventing water and nutrients from seeping into the roots of the grass. A lawn that is not excessively plagued with thatch can be maintained with the use of a thatching rake that features a head with thick, sharp blades.
Prune trees and shrubs
Trees and plants that have winter damage can be pruned to encourage new growth. Also, trim back overgrown perennials and trees to keep your garden looking neat and tidy.