Read More Guest View
Wow, March is nearly here and we are a few short weeks from Springs' official arrival. Now is a perfect time to prepare the garden and outdoor rooms for the warm months ahead.
Here are a few tips to get you outside and motivated.
Pressure wash all hard-scapes such as concrete patios, decks, steps and stone areas.
Prune before the sap begins to run. Remove all dead branches on Japanese and Vine Maples, Rhododendrons and all shrubs. Remove dead material from your perennials. Removing dead material will help plants conserve their energy for growth while showing off their beautiful structure
Weeding your gardens now will prevent those little buggers from going to seed and setting up future weed growth. Also, you will begin to see open areas you may want to fill in with annuals for spring color.
If you have not done so already, work organic fertilizers into the soil around all of your plants, shrubs and trees. Organic fertilizers break down slowly feeding the plants over time. Sky Nursery currently has a fabulous selection.
Next apply 2-3 inches of good organic compost around all plants, trees and shrubbery. The compost will help add nutrients to the soil, support microbes which in turn feed plants, help hold in moisture during dry spells and enrich the soils organic composition. To save money have mulch delivered from a local nursery or Pacific Topsoils.
For gorgeous green lawns, thatch with a gas powered thatch remover. Rake up all the thatch and compost or recycle. Next aerate your lawn to open up the soil and root zones. This will allow the grass roots to absorb more water and nutrients. Next, feed the lawn areas an organic lawn fertilizer. Any mulch you have left can be applied to your lawns to improve soil quality. Lay the mulch thinly and water it in. When it is warmer @ 60-65 degrees, lay a high quality seed down and keep moist for two weeks.
Other options to add to the overall health of your landscape this spring include a professionally sprayed application of compost tea. An alternative to chemical sprays, this Tea made from brewing compost in small batches and used within 24 hours has wonderful benefits for the entire landscape. Lastly, introduce red worms available from Seattle Tilth. These little guys will do well and reproduce rapidly with your veggie garden scraps in a small container in the yard, introduce a few at a time to your gardens, and their castings will continually fertilize the soil
The gardens are now weeded, the trees and shrubs look beautifully pruned, the lawn will be gorgeous from the care. All we need now is to add some colour and texture to your finished garden in the form of annuals and perennials. WOW!!! You have now completed your spring garden preparations ahead of the warm weather growth surge. Your plants and lawn will thrive from all the attention and you will have more time to sit back and enjoy your Outdoor Room.
If you have a home or garden question you would like addressed in this section, please write me at info@CHSconcierge.com
Cheryl Salvati is the owner of Coastal Home Services in Richmond Beach
Here are a few tips to get you outside and motivated.
Pressure wash all hard-scapes such as concrete patios, decks, steps and stone areas.
Prune before the sap begins to run. Remove all dead branches on Japanese and Vine Maples, Rhododendrons and all shrubs. Remove dead material from your perennials. Removing dead material will help plants conserve their energy for growth while showing off their beautiful structure
Weeding your gardens now will prevent those little buggers from going to seed and setting up future weed growth. Also, you will begin to see open areas you may want to fill in with annuals for spring color.
If you have not done so already, work organic fertilizers into the soil around all of your plants, shrubs and trees. Organic fertilizers break down slowly feeding the plants over time. Sky Nursery currently has a fabulous selection.
Next apply 2-3 inches of good organic compost around all plants, trees and shrubbery. The compost will help add nutrients to the soil, support microbes which in turn feed plants, help hold in moisture during dry spells and enrich the soils organic composition. To save money have mulch delivered from a local nursery or Pacific Topsoils.
For gorgeous green lawns, thatch with a gas powered thatch remover. Rake up all the thatch and compost or recycle. Next aerate your lawn to open up the soil and root zones. This will allow the grass roots to absorb more water and nutrients. Next, feed the lawn areas an organic lawn fertilizer. Any mulch you have left can be applied to your lawns to improve soil quality. Lay the mulch thinly and water it in. When it is warmer @ 60-65 degrees, lay a high quality seed down and keep moist for two weeks.
Other options to add to the overall health of your landscape this spring include a professionally sprayed application of compost tea. An alternative to chemical sprays, this Tea made from brewing compost in small batches and used within 24 hours has wonderful benefits for the entire landscape. Lastly, introduce red worms available from Seattle Tilth. These little guys will do well and reproduce rapidly with your veggie garden scraps in a small container in the yard, introduce a few at a time to your gardens, and their castings will continually fertilize the soil
The gardens are now weeded, the trees and shrubs look beautifully pruned, the lawn will be gorgeous from the care. All we need now is to add some colour and texture to your finished garden in the form of annuals and perennials. WOW!!! You have now completed your spring garden preparations ahead of the warm weather growth surge. Your plants and lawn will thrive from all the attention and you will have more time to sit back and enjoy your Outdoor Room.
If you have a home or garden question you would like addressed in this section, please write me at info@CHSconcierge.com
Cheryl Salvati is the owner of Coastal Home Services in Richmond Beach
Posts
Cheryl, great suggestions but I just don't have the time! Would you be willing to come over and give me a hand?
ReplyDeleteSusan from Bothell
425-491-7348