Don’t wait! Start landscaping early this year

The process of landscaping is just that, a process. Rome was not built in a day and neither is any gorgeous property that makes people stop and stare. So, sadly, you can’t think about what changes you want for your yard this year in the spring and then snap your fingers and make them happen. You must begin the process before plantlife returns to budding and sprouting if you want to be successful.

Start planning in the winter

In late winter, you should already have a good sense of what you want to do for the year. You can accomplish this with a detailed plan about which projects need to happen at which time. If you start making a plan “sometime in the spring,” by the time you’re done, elements of the plan that need to occur early will no longer be possible. 

To make this plan, meet with a landscape designer or your landscaping company to get professional advice on how your vision can best become a reality over the next months. They’ll be able to tell you which elements you’ll need to jump on right when spring starts, and which can wait a few weeks. 

Fertilize grass early in spring

No matter the design you want for your yard, if you have grass, you are going to want it to be lush and green, which takes fertilizer. So, the first fertilizing of the year should be early in the spring. Some even do their spring fertilizing in late February. This doesn’t leave much time to ignore your lawn until things warm up. You’ll need to have all the fertilizer purchased and ready to go for right when the snow melts and the lawn starts to come back to life. 

Plant trees and shrubs early

For deciduous trees, early spring is generally the best time to plant. For this reason, waiting until later in the season can make it more difficult for the tree to establish their root system. With conifers or evergreens, they can also be planted in the spring, but with some, it may be better to wait until fall so they can avoid a blazing summer. It all depends on if the tree is more susceptible to being harmed by extreme heat or extreme cold. Check the hardiness zone of the plant to make sure it is appropriate for the Bloomington, Indiana, area. Check out our tree identification guide for more info

Vegetable gardens

Not everyone has a vegetable garden as part of their landscape plan, but if you do, you’ll not want to start too late. There are a whole host of key veggies that are planted in the spring: including potatoes, lettuce, carrots, peas, broccoli and onions. Missing the window to plant these will ensure you have a sad harvest months later. 

Flower gardens

The same goes for if you have a flower garden. Some of your plants may be perennials, which hang around for a few years before needing to be replanted, but others are annuals, which need to be replanted every year. Make sure you know which of the flowers in your plan are annuals and need to be planted in the spring, then give yourself time to get them planted. Also, make sure you know which perennials are nearing the end of their life cycle and may need to be replanted in spring as well.  

Beat the spring rush

Every profession has its “rush” season. And for landscapers, it’s spring. Everybody with a yard starts to think about their plans in spring. So starting to plan early by reaching out to landscaping companies in the winter, you’re often able to get better deals and more time from the professionals. 

If you live in the Bloomington, Indiana, area, you can reach Anthony’s landscaping any season of the year by calling (812) 345-5694. Let us help you get started early this year on making your lawn the envy of the neighborhood.