You’ve waited a long time for it, but Spring is finally here! And while it may be premature to break out the shorts and flip-flops, it’s never too soon to start getting your yard in shape for all that summertime fun.

Start With A Good Cleanup
It’s not the most glamorous beginning, but your lawn is probably littered with branches, twigs, leaves, and all the assorted debris that is left behind by a long cold winter. A good cleanup goes a long way to freshening up the look of your property, but more importantly, these items can damage your mower and prevent grass from absorbing fertilizer.

Clean up debris that could damage your motor

Cut Back Ornamental Grasses
When to cut back your ornamental grasses is really a personal preference, but since most perennials remain attractive through the winter, early spring is often recommended. Also, the seed heads on the grasses can provide food for wildlife through the winter.
The best approach is to start by bundling the grasses with twine or biodegradable paper tape. Be sure to wear gloves as some varieties of grass have sharp blades. Once the grasses are tightly bundled, cut them near the ground with garden shears or power hedge trimmers. Then the bundles can easily be composted or taken to the curb to be picked up with your municipal waste.

It’s perfectly fine to wait until spring to cut back your ornamental grasses

Freshen Your Mulch
Mulching is a gardener’s best friend for two reasons. First, it controls moisture absorption by absorbing water from heavy rains and releasing it slowly. And second, it helps control weeds by keeping them covered and weighted down. Use a rake to “fluff” your old mulch to prevent matting and then apply a new layer of fresh mulch each spring.
The total mulch layer should be about two inches thick. It is always a good idea to wait until your plants have sprouted before applying fresh mulch so that you don’t accidentally cover them and prevent proper growth. Here are some mulch dos and don’ts.

Mulch instantly adds rich colour and a manicured look to your landscape beds

Time For A Trim
Early spring is the best time to prune your trees and bushes. Dormant pruning, as this is called, is good for your trees’ health as it revitalizes them and removes dangerous limbs. If you leave this essential task until later, you can end up removing too much of the new growth. Proper pruning of your trees and bushes keeps their size and shape under control over the long term which is important for maintaining curb appeal.

Early spring is the best time to prune trees and bushes

Overseeding Your Grass
Over seeding is a method of seeding over top an existing lawn to increase the production rate of new grass, and to stop weeds from taking over. Timing is essential when it comes to adding more seed to your lawn. You must account for the type of grass, location and weather. This handy guide will help with your lawn.

Timing is essential for overseeding your lawn

Treat Your Lawn To Fertilizer
Spring is a great time to fertilize your lawn to provide nutrients that encourage strong, healthy growth. Ideally, you should apply fertilizer just before or shortly after a light rain. You can also add grass seed at this time to encourage your grass to grow and discourage weeds.

Start your lawn care and landscaping now for stunning results

Shop Local
There are many benefits to going to your local garden centre or nursery for everything you need. Your local garden centre offers good advice, thoughtful plant choices for your area, plus they work with local growers and carry local plants.
Here’s a list of local garden centres in our communities:
Aurora Garden Centres
Durham Region Garden Centres 
Midhurst & Area Garden Centres

Local nurseries, like Springwater Garden Centre, work with local growers

As the weather turns warmer and the world begins to turn green, you’ll be glad you took the time to do some basic preparation and maintenance to keep your yard looking lush and beautiful throughout the spring and summer months.