How to Develop and Maintain a Seasonal Landscape
The types of plants you use in your landscape plan and the type of maintenance you perform will vary depending on the climate where you live and the current season. When you are developing your seasonal landscape, you want to make sure you include plants that will add interest to your landscaping or garden design throughout the year.
Many people overlook winter and fall and do not plan to have any attractive landscaping features during these times. Make sure you incorporate plants that will add beauty to your landscape during these times as well as in the spring and summer months.
There are many maintenance tasks that need to be carried out in order to properly care for your landscape. Depending on your climate and the type of plants you have, several of these tasks are better suited for the spring or fall. Landscaping ideas and designs created for cool climates benefit from fertilization in the fall while warm climate landscapes turn out best if fertilized during the spring. No matter where you live, use these seasonal maintenance tips to properly care for your landscaping all year round.
In the spring, you should seed any areas of your lawn that are looking bare. You should also fertilize shrubs and flowerbeds making sure that the area around them is moist. Be careful not to over-fertilize, however, as this can be vary damaging in itself. Finish pruning any trees and shrubs before they begin to flower and add new growth. Spring is also the time to apply pesticides, fungicides, and water newly planted trees and bushes. Make sure you stay on top of weeds during the spring as well as they too start to thrive during this season.
During the summer months, make sure you water your landscaping regularly and monitor your plants for any signs of insect or fungal damage. Many plants will also benefit from a second round of fertilizer during this time, though not all plants require this. Make sure you know which of your plants need fertilizer during the summer and which don’t. Flowers, such as roses and azaleas, tend to get the most from added fertilization. Keep your landscaping adequately watered during these hot months and be sure to keep weeds under control.
The fall is a good time to apply a broad-spectrum weed killer if they are posing a problem. You should also reseed any bare areas of lawn to help it cope with the upcoming winter months. Fall is also a good time to plant shrubs and trees. Remember to give them adequate water. In the fall, established landscaping does not need to be watered as frequently as newly planted landscaping unless it has been unusually dry. You should also stay on top of removing fallen leaves, as allowing them to pile up can damage your lawn and other plants.
Winter is the season of the least amount of landscaping maintenance, although there are still crucial things you should do during this time. A half-rate fertilizer application in the winter can help to protect many types of plants. Make sure that you have removed all the leaves that have fallen and keep the mulch levels in your flower beds up. As winter approaches spring, you can begin pruning trees and shrubs, but you should wait until the temperature is consistently 40 degrees or more. If you carefully maintain your landscaping all year round, you will be able to enjoy its beauty throughout the seasons.
