Spring is upon us and yards across Philadelphia are beginning to recover from the winter’s snow and ice, which means it’s time to start assessing our homes’ exteriors. Follow this checklist to ensure your outdoor projects are manageable this spring:
- Repairs: The winter can be cruel on stone features in your yard. Fill the cracks in your stone wall that the freezing temperatures may have caused and even out your stepping stones that may have shifted from shoveling snow. Also, don’t forget your gutters that have been weighted down by ice and snow. Check for damage and clean them out so when the rain doesn’t overflow onto the plants beneath them.
- Clean: Get a head start on spring cleaning! Birdhouses, pots, bird baths and other water features in your yard will definitely be in need of some attention. Get out that scrub brush and give all the birds that flew south something to come back to. Also consider cleaning up the messes that nature has left behind. Remove dead wood and suckers from trees and shrubs so they are more presentable and can grow properly come spring.
- Plant: As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can begin planting! Philadelphia landscaping can be tricky, so be sure to do your research before you get started. Some spring blooming bulbs that are best planted at the end of winter in our area are the Grape Hyacinth, Princess Irene Tulips, Scillas, Daffodils and Fritillary. By planting later in the winter, your bulbs will bloom just in time for spring and provide you with a beautiful landscape for the new season.
- Trimming: Late winter is the best time to cut back ornamental grasses and prune vines. Grasses should be cut to at least 6 inches and can be done with pruners, loppers or shears. For large sized grasses, electric or gas-powered hedge trimmers are best. Vine pruning is incredibly important for your late winter gardening routine. Once leaves begin to grow on trees and shrubs, you may not be able to see all overgrown vines. If not trimmed and removed, these vines can potentially choke and kill nearby plants.
Keeping your outdoor space thriving and beautiful can be hard any time of year, but by getting a head start on your landscaping work in the winter, you can spend your spring lounging in your newly blooming garden instead of worrying about the well-being of your trees and plants.
For help with your landscaping project, contact Townscapes Inc at 215-676-8039.
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