Summertime means mowing time. But are you treating your lawn the most effective way? Here are some tips you can follow to ensure your lawn is being cared for properly.
Mow at the Correct Height
You should adjust the height of your mower to leave the grass a bit taller. Taller grass will reduce water evaporation, and it can help the roots grow deeper. This can prevent weed seeds from germinating and spreading. Each grass type has different height variances in which you should follow.
Water Efficiently
To keep your grass healthy, you should ensure your grass is watered frequently. During rainy weeks, you won’t need to start up the irrigation. Make sure to check in with the local water authority to plan your irrigation schedule.
Clean Up After Pets
You may notice dead spots on your lawn if you have a dog. This could be from your dog’s waste. Make sure to clean up your pet’s waste and dispose of it properly, as it can flush the area and harm the soil.
Don’t Park On the Grass
Driving on the grass is not a good idea, even if it isn’t your car. If you own any other vehicle, you should limit driving and parking on the grass. This can damage turf crowns.
Make Sure To Clean Litter
Picking up litter will help avoid damaging the grass. Make sure to clean up after any activities that take place on your lawn, as toys and lawn chairs can also create dangerous obstacles when mowing.
Weeds can be extremely problematic for your garden. Not only do they hinder the appearance, but they can also prevent your garden from flourishing and growing. Getting rid of weeds can also be a difficult task, especially if you want to avoid harming your other plants. Here are some natural weed removal remedies that you should follow.
Use a Gardening Tarp
Tarps are an excellent and natural way to prevent weeds from accumulating in your garden. If you want to have a clean area to work in, a tarp is the best option. Make sure the tarp is waterproof and that there is no way light can make its way through the tarp. This will prevent weeds from growing, as they are plants that need water and light to survive.
Laying a tarp where you want to garden can kill current weeds within weeks. This means you don’t have to worry about harming your other plants. In areas where you’ve already planted your garden, cut holes in the tarp and pull your plants through. This way, your plants will get the light they need.
Vinegar Can Be An Effective Weed-Killer
Vinegar can be a great natural way to prevent weed growth in your garden, especially if your plants have waxy leaves. Vinegar will roll off the leaves and into the dearth. This can be destructive plants with immature roots, so it is best used in a garden that already has large plants growing.
Boiling Water
Boiling water can be a great way to remove weeds, but it can be potentially dangerous to your plants. Try your best to avoid pouring over the plants you want to keep. Boiling water is also an effective way to kill weeds that grow in between rocks and stone.
In denser, urban neighborhoods, yards are usually on the smaller size. Because of this, some people don’t bother with upkeep, as there is this notion that traditional landscaping techniques don’t apply. Lawn equipment tends to be on the bulkier side, so it is harder to store and maneuver. Also, shade from neighboring trees and houses can make growing and gardening seem like an impossible feat.
While there are obstacles you have to overcome, developing a landscape routine can work for small yards. Here are a few tips you can follow to help transform your cramped space into an oasis you can enjoy.
Get The Right Lawn Materials
To effectively care for your lawn, you need to understand what you are working with. Some smaller residential homes will benefit from artificial turf, especially if you are wanting a low-maintenance lawn. If you do want to use real grass, you need to know which grass will thrive. For cool humid zones (the Northern Midwest), bluegrass, ryegrass, bentgrass, and fescues will be most optimal.
Get The Right Tools
If you plan on using real grass, you will need a compact lawnmower. A gas-powered lawn mower will likely be too big for storing, so your options could be a push mower, electric mower, or even a robotic mower. Other tools you should consider are typical gardening tools, such as shears, rakes, seed spreads, and possible leaf blowers.
Start a Small Scale Garden
Personalizing a small garden that fits your tiny yard will yield bountiful results. You can hang plants, tiered plants, or align pots to your back wall. Since your space will be small, you might not be able to plant in the ground.
You don’t always need to have an abundance of space to begin a landscaping project. Consider hiring a professional landscaping company if you’re considering
It’s the middle of winter, and temperatures are plummeting below zero. This is common for a Minnesota winter, after all. However, as a homeowner, you probably wonder how the animals and plants can survive this unbearable cold? Many animals hibernate underground or fly south during the winter because their food sources are scarce. Vegetation, such as leaves and flowers, don’t exist. But how is it that these plants can spring up next season, despite the unlivable conditions?
Trees And Shrubs Become Dormant
As the cold sets and the sun shines less, plants will begin to “harden. The water is pumped out of their plant cells and into the roots or sap. It is a sugar solution that acts as an antifreeze for the plant. For example, oak and maple trees shed their leaves every fall to reduce water loss. Evergreen trees have their needles to protect from water loss. Plants are also able to modify their life cycles with the changing seasons and can readapt to temperature changes.
Some Plants Are Incredibly Durable
While they shed their leaves, trees and shrubs do not die. Herbaceous plants that live for two or more years also act similarly to trees and shrubs, these plants are known as perennials. For the rest of winter, these plants store their energy in their roots. Wildflowers live off the food they store and sprout once the weather begins to warm up.
Some Plants Rely On Their Seeds
Not all plants work in the same way as trees and shrubs do. Some plants can only survive during their growing season, dying around fall time. While the plant may die, they make many seeds that will sprout in time for Spring. These are annual plants. The roots of these plants die, but their seeds will endure. Many seeds rely on the cold weather for germination, but you may need to purchase new seeds if the temperature is too extreme in your area.
Just like animals and humans, plants have developed ways to adapt to the cold weather. From small flowers to towering trees, plants are magnificent in their ability to withstand some of the harshest conditions.
While the weather isn’t quite ready for a garden, that doesn’t mean you can’t begin to plan one for the next season. If you’re interested in having a unique landscape or garden, consider an edible garden. Edible gardens are ones that have plants and trees which offer fruits and vegetables. Not only will you have a supermarket in your backyard, but an edible garden can add a significant amount of charm and beauty to any yard. Here are some of the more popular plants you can add to a Minnesota garden.
Leafy Greens
Some of the most nutritional plants are spinach, kale, and lettuce. Also known as microgreens, these hearty plants can grow through most of the year until winter. They are relatively easy to care for, and in fact, will be one of the first plants to grow back in the spring.
Fruit-Bearing Trees
Since Minnesota leans towards a colder climate, there are not many trees that can survive here. While you aren’t going to be able to grow citrus trees or many drupes, cold-hardy fruit trees will work just as well. The most commonly grown fruit tree in Minnesota is the columnar apple tree. They are beautiful trees and are simple to grow and maintain. They also don’t usually grow higher than 10 feet, so it makes for an easier landscaping addition.
Peas
One of the earliest to produce in the springtime, flowering peas are a great crop to grow in any garden in Minnesota. They are incredibly healthy and tasty, and they also make for a beautiful plant. Snow peas are incredibly bountiful, which means you can store up plants during the yielding seasons to eat and freeze.
Shrubs and Bushes
There are many native fruit-bearing bushes in Minnesota. Some of the most common ones are Blackcap raspberry (Rubus species), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), and Elderberry (Sambucus Canadensis). Edible bushes are not only beautifully ornamental plants, but they are easy to implement in any landscaping design. There are also many benefits of using Minnesota native plants as well!
If you’re wanting to incorporate a garden into any landscape, you should consider an edible garden. Consulting with professional landscapers is the best way to achieve your dream yard.
The colder months are typically considered the “off” season for residential and commercial landscaping. But did you know that this is the best time for a hardscaping project?
Hardscaping is a bit different than landscaping. While landscaping involved the implementation of living elements to the yard (trees, shrubs, flowers, etc), hardscaping is the opposite. Hardscaping features typically include stone and brick walls, retaining walls, patios, pathways, and so much more. Hardscaping is a key component to the overall landscape design, as it helps define natural features and organizes them. If you have been dreaming of a landscape renovation, consider these reasons why the winter is the best time to do a hardscaping project.
There Is Less Possibility of Damaging Nature
No matter how thoughtfully and carefully planned and executed, hardscaping will cause some damage to living elements on your lawn. Plants, grass, shrubs, trees–all of these can be affected by any hardscaping implementation. During the colder months, however, many of these plants are dormant and will not be as susceptible to damage. It is also easier to maneuver equipment and install when there are less grass and foliage the landscapers are working with.
It Can Save You Time and Money
Since this season is usually quieter for landscapers, you can get competitive rates. And because there is less collateral damage, the installation time can be much quicker than other times of the year. Because of this, you may end up saving a decent amount of money!
Your Yard Will Be Impressive Just In Time For Spring/Summer
Everyone loves hosting events and gatherings in their backyard in the warmer months. So to have a stunning yard just in time for the season is a great feeling for any homeowner. II you have the hardscape done before the snow, your landscape will be just as beautiful despite the lack of lush green. Hardscape projects bring clean lines to your property, which will make it visually appealing no matter what time of year it is.
Halloween is officially over, and for many, that means one thing: Christmas! Whether you begin decorating right on November 1, or wait until December, there are always great holiday landscaping tips. Here are the best Christmas decorating ideas that utilize natural elements.
Using Natural Elements in Your Christmas Landscaping
The most common way to decorate your yard for Christmas is by hanging lights on your home and trees. If you are a Christmas lover, then you more than likely have other yard decorations. And while classic decoration styles are always a great start, you should incorporate nature into your holiday designs.
Shrubs and trees can play a critical role in creating a festive scene that will set your house apart from others in the neighborhood. Add some decor to all of your hearty-winter plants. Most people think of evergreen plants as the only “real” symbolic Christmassy plants, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your deciduous trees and other shrubs that are leafless. Their branches and trunks can all make for a great base for fantastic light displays.
What to Plant in Window Boxes
The most common plants that are found in window boxes are annuals. While you won’t be planting annuals anytime soon in the coming frigid months, that doesn’t make your window boxes worthless. For Christmas decorating, and even through winter, you should plant some evergreen boughs, and to make it even more festive, add some ornaments and ribbons!
Go Crazy With Garland
One of the most iconic Christmas decorations is the evergreen garland. It is an incredibly versatile and simple way to add some color and festivity to a snowy yard. They can be wrapped around columns, doors, and pretty much any part of your home’s exterior. Even if you decide to go light with garland, you can still add an incredible amount of visual interest to your home and yard.
Getting creative with how you do your Christmas landscaping can go a long way. Following these tips are a great way to begin your Christmas decorating and have a show-stopping landscape!
We all know some fall planning can help prep for the spring season. For many, fall is seen as the cleanup season: manage your soils, prepare sod, clean bed, etc. But what some don’t realize is that you can still have a thriving garden even in the cold Autumn weather. Planting spring bulbs and pulling out summer blooms will help tremendously with next year’s bounty, but there are excellent options you can add right now to your garden.
Prepping your garden for fall and winter doesn’t mean it has to be barren. While it will help protect your plants for the coming colder months, doing maintenance will allow you to introduce beautiful fall colors to your landscape.
Fall Garden Ideas
This season’s garden should feature some of the most autumnal colors. The best plants to add are kale, asters, cyclamen, chrysanthemums, and pansies. You can plant trees or shrubs too during this time, as they will retain enough moisture for the dormant period of winter. This can help reduce the risk of transplant shock.
Vegetable Gardening Isn’t Dead
Many first-time gardeners assume fall and winter mean their garden is to be off-limits. After prepping and cleaning for winter, they don’t think there’s anything they can do. But that is not true at all. There are a good amount of plants that can grow up until the first frost. To keep the plants healthy and happy, use row covers cold frames and mulch. There might even be late-season sales on some plants. Some veggies you can grow are kale, broccoli, and cabbage. If your climate is on the mild side, you may even keep growing lettuce, hard-necked garlic, and root crops like carrots and radishes.
Once fall comes to an end, you can remove the vegetable plants and any weeds and debris. A great cover for your garden can be done using the leaves falling in your yard! Rake them up and mow over them to create an excellent cover, rich in carbon and nitrogen.
For a gardener, the end of a season can be sad. But there is always something you should be doing with your garden throughout the year. Follow these great winter gardening tips for when Fall is over, to ensure you have a highly productive spring season!
It doesn’t take a whole lot of work to improve your curb appeal, especially during the fall. Many fall landscaping ideas are easy to implement. You can create a beautiful yet simple outdoor landscape with the colors of fall. Fall landscaping works with any budget. Whether you want to do a simple project or go all out, the sky’s the limit when it comes to this festive season. Here’s how you can boost your curb appeal through some simple design and landscaping choices.
Fall landscaping
Fall landscaping is surprisingly easy to execute. You don’t have to mow your lawn as often, and you can cut back a bit on the maintenance. Instead, these tasks are replaced by raking. It is still important to cut your grass, as a well-manicured lawn can boost your home’s value by almost 15%.
Entryway design
One of the most festive times of year calls for a perfectly decorated entryway! Fall-themed decorations are easy and cheap to come by, so fill your porch with hay, corn stalks, and of course, pumpkins! You can match the colorful array with an appropriately themed doormat. Updating lighting fixtures are also a great way to improve your curb appeal and can go a long way.
Exterior upkeep
Despite the cooling temperatures, there is still work that can be done to your exterior. The brisk mornings and evenings make it less strenuous to do, especially after enduring the blistering heat from the recent summer days. Check your gutters, repair and chipped siding or paint, and evaluate any damage done to your roof. You should also make sure the lightbulbs in your lighting are all in working condition.
Get creative with lighting
One of the best ways to accentuate and highlight the landscaping of your home and yard is to find unique ways to use lighting. Garden fixtures, pathway lighting, and the lighting on your home all serve a purpose in making your home stand out. The biggest piece is to not overdo your lighting. The main goal when it comes to lighting for landscaping is to use softer and subtler hues. Angle the lights towards trees and shrubs to incorporate more natural light during the darker hours. This helps boost your curb appeal.
A change in seasons is always welcomed, especially after a long and hot summer. There are many landscaping ideas you can use to welcome this fall. Of course, if you’re looking for a large landscaping project, you should always consult a professional landscaping service to ensure you have the most beautiful and practical yard.