Have your thoughts turned to thoughts of spring? Thoughts of lush grass, colorful flowers, well-trimmed bushes, and trees? Tools for digging, raking, aerating, mulching, and other tasks to maintain a flower bed? After digging, raking, aerating, mulching, and other tasks?
Wait, What?
Let’s face it. As lovely as it is to make things grow, it takes work. Making pretty things grow takes more work. If you are a do-it-yourself type, it takes tools, pots, bricks, and stuff, all expensive and must be lifted and placed. By hand. Raised beds? Better for your back, but, again, expensive, especially if you aren’t the handyman type that can build the beds yourself.
Fill for raised beds can vary, but you have to plan on several layers, even for raised beds. Drainage is essential, as is irrigation. Do you already have a sprinkler system? Very good for your lawn, but many bedding plants require a different watering schedule. And it may be that the lawn system needs to be rescheduled, primarily if you’ve found puddles or other standing water in the grass. Do you plan a separate irrigation system or modify the present system to work with lawns and bedding? Who do you ask?
Your experts at Custom Acres, of course.
You probably already have people from Custom Acres to mow your lawn and weed-whack the growth around your sidewalks regularly. They probably blow the loose leaves and clippings away from your walkways and driveway, too. But, were you aware that the same proså could also help you plan your yard, including bedding, plantings, bushes, trees, patios, and other hardscaping, irrigation, as well as the regular maintenance you already enjoy?
Let’s fantasize a little, all right? First, the backyard. There’s a lot of dry grass, weeds, and insects right now. You haven’t had much time to do what you want there, but there are options.
Choices Incoming
How would you like to have a patio area with a table, chairs, maybe a fire pit? And raised planters for edible plants and herbs would be lovely. Maybe a water feature? Are you a bird watcher? A bird, or butterfly, garden might appeal to you. These are all doable and within the scope of services that Custom Acres offers.
Raised flower bedding is another way to make your beautiful blooms a focal point. In addition, retaining walls can be placed to help control run-off, control erosion, and give a contrasting organized look for that part of your landscape.
Let’s not forget lighting! Planned lighting for your landscaped yard will make it accessible at whatever hour of daylight or darkness you could want. Watch the sunset with your family gathered for a grilled meal off your new built-in barbeque and coolers. Surround the area with bug repellant plants, and even that time just before dusk will be pleasantly bug-free.
Now, the front. Well, you have beautiful lawns! Yes, that’s a great start. What about a bit of bedding close to the house? Decorative rock installations?
You can experiment with bedding stone in colors that blend with or contrast with the color of your house. And, well, pruning the bushes and trees you have already in your front yard could make an eye-popping difference.
What about replacing or renewing the pavement stones in your garden paths? New stones could make a big difference in your landscape upgrades, especially if you’re considering relocating some of the paths or extending them to access new features.
A side yard, or portion of a larger back yard, can be designed to appeal to your children. Swings and towers, slides and rollers, will have them happy for hours. Set aside a portion of the area as a garden for them, where they can plant whatever they might wish, and that’s available. Some plants may have to wait till their proper planting season, but your children’s creativity can roam free while planning. Fencing can create limited access, safe area for everyday use.
While we’re at it, a safe place for pets will be welcome. At various times during your kids’ childhoods, they will want a variety of pets. Cats and dogs are relatively easy, but what about a small fish pond for your budding aquarist? Hutches for families of 4-H bunnies? It’s all within reach.
Crisp and Clean
Have you had a seasonal cleanup lately? It’s an excellent place to start. For example, if you want to have landscaping that you and your family will enjoy, cleaning up yards, clearing debris and weeds is an excellent place to start. And while we’re at it, a pressure washing of the house and pavement would change the appearance of your home.
Now, call in your expert landscapers from Custom Acres and discuss what you’d like to have and what services they can provide, as well as the planning and cost for the landscape of your dreams. Step by step, you’ll have all the information you need, and you’ll be able to make seasonal and personal decisions for each project.
Depending on availability, designing and making the landscape of your dreams might take a while. Some plants are seasonal, while some paving stones might have to be ordered if you want a unique color combination. Each step will have its own time and complete the whole landscape anticipated by the whole family.
What about landscape maintenance once all this beauty is built, planted, installed, and enjoyed? The same company that helped you plan your landscape, who helped you make your wishes a reality, can maintain it. However, there are probably parts you want to take a hand in.
Harvesting edible plants for the pot and table would probably remain one of your outdoor tasks. Replanting flower beds, building and maintaining raised beds, setting up and modifying irrigation, and mowing and trimming will remain in the hands of your landscaping partners, who will do the rest of the job of keeping your yards and gardens beautiful.