Caring For Your Landscape
After making a significant investment in designing and installing your new landscape, the next logical step is creating a plan to care for it so your investment is one that lasts long into the future. What will that landscape care plan look like? It’s different for every homeowner: Some are DIY types who love spending every moment of free time in the yard, dirt on their hands. (We love those types!) Then there are homeowners who want a beautiful home but don’t necessarily want to work to keep it beautiful themselves. (We love them, too.) And, of course, there’s everything in between. To figure out what type of homeowner you are, there are definitely some questions you should ask yourself about maintenance before you even start planning your new landscape:
- Are you looking for a low-maintenance landscape or one that requires significant care?
- How manicured will you want your turf and plantings to look?
- How much time are you willing to spend on maintenance?
- Are you prepared for the care required to transition your landscape between seasons?
- Will you be able to do it all yourself — or will you need to hire some help? Once you’ve answered those questions, take a look at some of the different types of landscape and design care you might need to consider.
Lawn Care
Lawn care begins with selecting the right type of turf grass for your climate and environment, watering it properly and mowing it to the appropriate height for the season. Comprehensive turf care also means applying fertilizer and pest control when needed, and taking preventive steps to manage disease and other turf conditions. If you run into problems like thatch or brown spots, you may need to consider aeration and over seeding to keep your lawn growing well and looking lush.
Tree and Shrub Care
Taking care of your trees and shrubs involves not only watering them regularly, but also monitoring them for pests and diseases — and treating them when necessary, of course. Seasonal pruning is also important, not just for aesthetics but for your plants’ overall health. If your trees and shrubs are losing color, dropping leaves or shedding bark, you may have a problem. A professional can often diagnose the issue with a single glance; others may require a soil sample or more thorough investigation.
Maintaining Your Hardscapes
Many landscaping materials used in landscapes today are more durable and weather resistant than ever, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require regular maintenance to keep them in beautiful condition. Depending on the type of material you choose, your cardsharper maintenance will vary.
- Decks: These wooden (or wood-like) structures are usually made with treated woods or composites that resist swelling and cracking, but you may need to scrub, sand or re-stain a deck periodically to keep it looking new.
- Patios: Time can be hard on a patio, whether you’ve chosen natural stone, brick pavers or another material to pave it. Erosion and shifting, weeds that grow between pavers, mold and mildew, and fading and discoloration from the sun are among the problems you might run into. Regular sealing can keep all these issues at bay.
There are a lot of steps in the landscape planning process. Preparing for and executing your landscape’s design, installation and maintenance are huge undertakings, but you’ll come away with a landscape you can enjoy for years to come — and an addition to your home that could offer a considerable boost to your property value, too. There may be several aspects of planning your landscape that you can handle on your own. But if you need a professional to help guide you through any part of this often lengthy process, consider giving the landscaping professionals at Noble Garden Design a call. Our experienced designer John Noble and crews can help you at any point in your landscape’s design, installation or maintenance. We’ll work with your tastes — and within your budget — to create and care for the landscape that’s 100 percent tailored to you and your family’s needs.
Garden Design 