A lovely yard doesn't necessarily have to cost a lot. Many yards feature landscaping beds that border the home, line a path, or provide a visual interest point in the lawn. Renovating these beds for spring can be a vast improvement to the beauty of your landscaping.
1. Give Everything a Good Trim
Trimming back and pruning any perennial plants in the beds is a must. For a shrub planting, late winter before the buds on the shrubs open is the best time to prune to remove deadwood and to help shape the shrubs. Late winter and early spring are also good times to trim back old flower stalks and dead leaves from the previous growing season in order to make room for the newly emerging foliage. Remove debris and other dead plant material at the time of pruning.
2. Add or Repair the Edging
The best landscaping beds have clearly defined edges that neatly separate the flower bed from the surrounding lawn. Adding inexpensive rubber or vinyl edging strips provides an instant facelift for beds that didn't have edging. Spring is also a good time to replace any old, damaged edging or to repair any edging that was disturbed over winter. If you have a bit extra to invest in your landscaping, you can update the old edging to bricks or poured concrete edging curbs.
3. Refresh the Old Mulch Layer
Mulch is a must in most landscaping beds. Not only does it help smother weeds, thus making maintenance easier, but it also prevents the soil from drying out too quickly. A rough, chunky wood mulch may even dissuade neighborhood cats and wildlife from using the beds as a toilet. The best part about a fresh mulch layer in spring, though, is how nice it makes your beds look. The mulch provides an attractive finished look, which is helpful in spring with plants haven't yet filled out enough to cover all that bare soil.
4. Tuck In Some Spring Color
Don't depend on just the perennial plants for color in spring. Many perennials don't really get leafy and green or start flowering until late spring or early summer. Brightly colored spring annuals are an inexpensive way to add color earlier while you are awaiting the perennial display. Pansies, impatiens, and dianthus are just a few choices to add instant color without blowing the budget.
Contact a landscaping service if you would like some help with renovating your garden beds for spring.