Right about the time we are kicking winter out for good, it almost seems like a greener world appears instantly. However, you can’t just rely on Mother Nature alone to create that gorgeous, spectacular landscape you have been dreaming of. It not only requires work and dedication on your part, but in order to have a beautiful landscape for your home and business in the spring you will also want to partner with professionals who have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done right—and with the right timing.
First and foremost there’s nothing to fear; landscaping should be fun, exciting, enjoyable, and some might even say therapeutic. Secondly, and probably most importantly, make sure you’re working with a professional with experience, references and someone with whom you feel very comfortable. It’s also essential that you work with a landscaper who does more listening than talking. Ken Svoboda of Ray’s Lawn Care says, “Initially I like to get to know my potential customer by hearing of their vision for their landscape. Do they want to relax outdoors with their landscape oasis or do they want a more hands-on experience? I’m there to make their dreams of a beautiful relaxing landscape or outdoor living room come true.”
In most cases, there’s very little difference between commercial and residential landscapes. Both can provide an enhanced curb appeal to the property, increase the value of the property and allow the owners and visitors a relaxing outdoor space. Residential landscapes are typically designed around the family’s use of the outdoor space whether it be the installation of a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, fire pit or fireplace and of course recreational or sports areas. Commercial landscapes are generally more generic in nature and are meant to enhance the visitors’ experience to the building. More business owners however are recognizing the value of providing a relaxation space for their employees to use during breaks and lunch periods. In industrial and high stress jobs, these landscaped relaxation areas can improve productivity and reduce downtime and illness.
The most recent trend has been the ever-increasing use of indoor appliances adapted for outdoor use. Svoboda says, “We’re asked to work with contractors and designers to construct outdoor kitchens with pizza ovens, grills, extra burners, granite countertops, refrigerators, wine chillers and of course flat panel TVs.” These outdoor living and family rooms are mostly incorporated into home renovations and add-ons. With the increasing availability of LED lighting choices the sky, and budget, are the limits when highlighting your landscape. This trend is even more evident when working with homeowners who are constructing a new home. The landscape design is being incorporated much earlier in the planning process of the home due to the value and desire of outdoor living spaces.
Svoboda adds, “My best advice is ‘please don’t hesitate’. I can’t stress enough that contacting a professional landscaper during the winter months is extremely important if you have a deadline such as a spring graduation party, wedding event or simply celebrating spring. Most professional landscapers have at least sixty to ninety days of advanced work scheduled for this spring. Add possible weather delays and in some cases it might be four months before a new landscape or landscape renovation project can be scheduled and that’s after the design and contract work is completed.”
While they are generally similar in nature, there are some key differences between residential and commercial landscaping projects. Kristin Hain of Land Escapes Inc. explains, “Commercial properties typically include gardens or islands surrounded by concrete parking lots or driveways. They suffer regular ‘abuse’ from the general public who often choose to cut through beds, stepping on or breaking plants, as well as people using beds as trash cans or dumping grounds for a variety of things. When choosing plants for a commercial site, I always choose the toughest plant varieties that still offer beauty and interest. Also, many times landscape beds in parking lot islands or around commercial properties do not have appropriate irrigation, so choosing drought-tolerant plants is a MUST. Residential landscaping projects are my favorite and what Land Escapes deals with the most. We have a strong focus on customer service and really try to get to know our clients on a personal level which is easy to do with a residential site. We also have a lot more flexibility with plant choices as most residential properties don’t suffer the abuse and neglect that commercial properties do, which allows us to get a lot more creative with residential landscapes!”
For something a little bit different, Hain recommends, “One thing that has become very popular with our clients are ‘Boulder Bubblers’. This is a boulder with a drilled hole, set on a rigid plastic basin and filled with water to create a bubbling fountain. The basin can be sunk into the ground, or set on top of the ground and surrounded with stone blocks. They are beautiful, easy to maintain and give the client the relaxing sound of moving water without the intense maintenance and upkeep of a pond or traditional water garden. The bubblers can be worked into existing landscaping or included with a brand new landscape design.”
She also offered the following general advice for spring landscaping:
“Spring is definitely the time for cleaning up gardens and trimming certain plants. Examples of plants to cut back in the spring include ornamental grasses, perennials, day lilies, and summer or fall-blooming shrubs (do not cut Lilac’s, Forsythia or Viburnum until AFTER they have bloomed in the spring). Applying a thick layer of quality wood mulch is also important and will help keep weeds at bay, regulate soil temperature and moisture, and improve your soil as it slowly breaks down. One thing to keep in mind is that when you install new landscaping, or re-do what you already have, it’s very important to perform regular maintenance to keep it looking its best. Gardens should be mulched, kept weed free (either by hand-pulling or chemical applications), perennials and flowering shrubs will need to be deadheaded at the appropriate time of year, trees may need to be trimmed as they grow larger and know how to identify and treat pest or disease problems before they destroy your investment. Land Escapes offers maintenance services on a monthly, three times per season, or single visit basis. Unless you are an avid gardener, we recommend getting onto one of our maintenance plans after the project is completed to ensure the plants and materials will last as long as possible. As far as my best advice, it is to call us NOW! We begin scheduling jobs in February and our April, May and June schedules book up really quickly. Don’t wait until mid-May to call and ask for landscaping you want done in May. When you’re thinking about what you want to do with your landscaping, write some notes down on a piece of paper, find pictures of gardens you like in magazines or online and then give those to us when we meet for the initial consultation. Also think about what you will want to use the space for. For example, if you have kids or dogs and want them to have ample room to run and play in the yard, we would need to know that so we leave space open on the design rather than putting in trees or landscape beds that will reduce the ‘play area’.”
Lee Schumacher of TDK Lawn Care provides the following overview of landscaping in the spring:
“The first thing you should do is to take a walk round your lawn and make a quick survey of the effects the winter had on your property. Remove any leaves that are still scattered across the lawn, as this will help the grass to breath and absorb the sun and moisture.
This is also a good time to schedule your lawn to be aerated; aerating your lawn is a great way to help loosen compacted soils, which allows water and nutrient to penetrate the soil and helps promote root growth, creating a healthier lawn which less susceptible to fungus and drought. Also if you found any bare spots in your lawn or your lawn looks thin, after aerating is a good time to over seed your lawn with drought and fungus resistant seed. You will need about 5-8 lbs per 1000 square feet which can be purchased for around $3.00 per lb. If you are doing this you will need to use starter fertilizer and wait on crab grass preventer until the new grass is up and has been mowed at least two times.
With that in mind we usually like to start our fertilizer schedule on or around April 1st with a crab grass preventer in addition to the initial fertilizer application. This is where most home owners meet a majority of their challenges. When working with a certified lawn care company, it is a major benefit that all lawn care specialists applying fertilizer must be state certified and have the proper knowledge of what works best in our climate, so they can tailor an effective program that meets your lawn’s needs.
It is crucial to water your lawn at the correct times, early in the morning, and with the correct amount of water for your type of grass. DO NOT START TOO EARLY; this will cause your lawn to become dependent on your watering schedule and not Mother Nature. Blue grass requires ¼” every other day and Tall fine fescue can get by on 1” per week. Varying the heights of the mower though out the year is also very important for the variety of climates here in Nebraska. During the warmest months, the mower height should be between 3” – 3 ½”.
TDK Lawn Care, Inc. (Timely, Dedicated, and Knowledgeable Lawn Care) can help you create the best lawn possible. For over ten years we have been taking care of our clients providing a complete, honest, and professional lawn care service that includes lawn mowing, fertilizing, aerating, over seeding, yard cleanups and snow removal. Our mission is to create an annual lawn care program that focuses on your corporate and individual needs. TDK Lawn Care offers several different options giving you the lawn you deserve at a price you can afford.”
Jeremy Hunt of Hunt Irrigation is in agreement about the incredible importance of proper irrigation. He offers the following advice:
“As winter winds down and the hyacinths begin to bloom it’s time to start thinking about your lawn and landscape. And like an old friend, it has missed you as much as you have missed it. So where to begin?
Let’s begin with your underground irrigation system. The system was hopefully winterized correctly and as we begin to bring it out of hibernation all things will go as planned.
In the spring you will want to evaluate your backflow device (that brass thing on the side, front or rear of your house and sometimes in the basement). Once the system is pressurized the real work begins; first you will want to run through each individual zone/station and check to make sure that all the spray patterns are precise and operating correctly. This means walking to each head and if it’s a spray (non-oscillating) then make sure that the nozzles are spraying the correct pattern and that they are also pointed in the correct direction. You then want to check the arc and radius settings on your rotor or in older systems the impact heads (oscillating). The rotors or impact heads cover large areas and so it is crucial that you let the head make its full rotation to ensure that you are not over spraying or crossing over any paved areas. Adjust your arc and radius as needed. Some of the rotors take a special tool while some use a simple screw driver to adjust. This may be another opportunity to reach out to your irrigation contractor for assistance. If you have a drip zone you will want to find the control box that houses the filter, remove it and clean it for another year of operation, then activate your drip zone and check for leaks.
Once the components in the yard have been adjusted and the system has been checked for leaks it is time to move into the garage and program the controller. The soil in Lincoln and surrounding communities is mostly clay. This means the water absorbs slowly and evaporates quickly. Therefore when programming your controller, it is best in this area to program shorter run times and multiple start times. Most controllers are capable of handling three start times. Think of it this way, start times are when we want the sprinklers to go to work and run times are how long we want each individual zone to run for. A good start time schedule would be 1:00 am, 3:00 am, 5:00 am. Scheduling a two hour break or rest between operations will allow the water enough time to absorb into the ground and reduce run-off.
So now that your system is up and running what can you do to make it run more efficiently?
Whether you are updating your landscape or installing a new design, drip irrigation is a great way to irrigate all that new plant material. Drip irrigation applies the water at the base of the plant allowing more of the water to reach the root of the plant. This is where the water is needed most. Drip also prevents plants from blocking the watering pattern as the plants mature. Do you have a large parkway or reside on a corner lot? Consider a subsurface system. Subsurface is similar to drip pipe, but it is designed to be installed underground. Subsurface uses considerably less water, has zero over-spray as the water is delivered underground and is absorbed directly into the soil at the root depth of the turf. The other advantage to subsurface is that there are no working parts and no components above ground, which reduces vandalism.
How old is your irrigation controller? Better yet, how old is your smart phone? Just as it is common to upgrade your phones for the latest technology, you should update your controller every five years or so. Today’s controllers have many water saving features that controllers even three years ago did not have. New controllers have multiple programs (A, B, C, and sometimes D) that allow us to build custom programs for each facet of your irrigation project. We can water the lawn separately from the landscape, and water both of those separate from say a vegetable garden. New controllers allow for global adjustments. This enables you to increase or decrease your watering for every zone from one convenient place on the controller. There are now controllers that interface with your laptop allowing you to adjust your controller from anywhere you have an internet connection, and very soon controllers will be live on the web. The web integration will allow you to not only control your system from anywhere, but also make adjustments while away from home on extended trips.
Does your system currently have a rain sensor? Rain sensors provide a very crucial service. They prevent your system from watering during or after a rain event. This area has also seen great advances in the last few years. Soil moisture sensors can be placed in different locations throughout your lawn and shut down the irrigation system when the ground has received the correct amount of water. Climate sensors collect data from your yard only, allowing your irrigation controller to water only when need and only replacing the water that is needed. Your current controller is probably set up to deliver an inch to an inch and a half a week no matter what the weather conditions are outside.
You may be thinking to yourself at this point that this is all a bunch of gobbledygook, but consider this: If your yard is 7,000 square feet and there is .621 gallons of water per square foot inch (meaning if you covered a 1’ x 1’ area with water an inch deep it would equal .621 gallons of water) a 7,000 square foot yard would use approximately 4,347 to 6,520 gallons of water per week to irrigate your lawn and landscape. That would equal approximately 2,200 gallons of water each day that your irrigation system runs, which is equal to about 54 loads of laundry.
This spring do your lawn and landscape a favor and consider hiring a professional irrigation contractor to perform spring maintenance on your sprinkler system. Just as you have your air conditioner serviced in the spring or your furnace serviced in the fall it is always good to have your irrigation contractor perform a spring service of your sprinkler system. While he/she is completing your spring service ask them about potential water savings upgrades that could be added to your system.”
In addition to presenting prime conditions for irrigation, Trevor Maack of New Horizon Landscapes explains that it is crucial to start seeding during the spring in order to give your grass the best chance for healthy growth. He states, “It is important to wait for the temperature to be consistent before seeding, but if you wait too late into the spring months you won’t have as much growth as you would have if you made sure it was done as soon as the conditions were optimal. Also, you do lose out on a lot of good natural moisture and irrigation. Right now plant material doesn’t look that great because it’s been dormant, but doing little things like clearing debris away that has collected over the winter months can go a long way towards ensuring that they come back to life when spring weather is present. When planting, you can run the risk of doing so too early as well as too late, therefore timing is the key. Installation in the spring is perfect in light of many different factors that affect the growth and health of plant material in general, but utilizing this season to get your landscaping done is also of the essence because you have plenty of time to enjoy your investment and entertain as often as you like. Spring weather is often some of the best weather of the year, and missing out on it only allows you to enjoy the fall months for the most part because our summers in Nebraska are so hot. At New Horizon Landscaping we really enjoy taking on complete landscaping projects, where we work with the client from the initial concept to the finished product. We offer a very skilled workforce that is well versed in all aspects of landscaping, but we also pride ourselves on hardscaping. Spring is a great time to consider adding an outdoor entertaining area like a patio or deck and extra property features such as fire pits, mood lighting, and water features. We offer several options for low maintenance water features that are not only beautiful and relaxing, but work great in smaller spaces and are kid and pet-friendly.”
As all of our experts agree, proper planning is the key to success in creating the ideal landscape, and Brent Van Winkle of Outdoor Solutions adds that early spring is a good time to pencil out the projects you have been thinking about before moving forward. He explains, “Create a list of what you want to get accomplished short term and long term and arrange them in order of importance. My best advice is to start early and have a plan of action. Many landscape contractors offer design services to their customers. You may have to pay for a landscape design but you will have a plan of action and you can do the projects in phases to make it more affordable. Get inspired by going out to landscape product supply showrooms and talking to the professionals on staff or browse the internet to find great ideas. I would invite people to visit the Outdoor Solutions retail center to see our large selection and start building ideas for projects. We have many different displays for inspiration and tons of literature available to take home to start incorporating into their ideas. Anyone can install a project with the correct advice and products, and we offer both.” He also mentions that outdoor living areas are the hottest trend around the country and advises, “The average homeowner is realizing that they spend a significant amount of time outdoors and they can increase the value of their house by putting in an outdoor living space. Generally speaking an outdoor living space is a gathering area that usually consists of a few components. These components are a patio, sitting walls, fire pits, pergolas and cooking appliances, to name a few options. Many people are also installing outdoor kitchens in this space. These kitchens can consist of grills, bars, refrigerators, etc. These outdoor rooms can be placed into both existing and new housing projects. A significant amount of planning will be required for this type of project, but the end result will be something you can enjoy with your family and friends well into the future and it definitely adds value and appeal to your property.”
Andrew Campbell, Manager of the Landscape Department at Campbell’s Nurseries & Garden Centers, poses the metaphor that in general, landscaping in the spring is a marathon–not a sprint. He explains, “Some work can be done now, while some things like planting tender plants needs to wait until weather is solidly warm closer to May. I also recommend discussing your existing landscape and potential ideas with a professional to make sure you are comfortable with caring for the plants, as some plants prefer different care and preparation for the season than others. Spending a few minutes talking through maintenance will allow for healthier and happier plants that should then require less care throughout the season. Landscapes, whether residential or commercial, are usually designed to offer as much interest as possible with as little maintenance as possible. Some landscapes might be focused toward natives, drought tolerant, shade loving or sun loving plants, etc. Each design has its own challenges or desires from our clients. Working with a designer or someone in a knowledgeable garden center will ensure that you choose plants that are best suited to your particular situation and site. This often includes plants that can handle your challenges as well as dealing with extremes in weather like drought, disease and insects.
Campbell adds, “I also would recommend working with a designer to craft a long term plan for the landscaping. So many times we will be called in to assist after a client has planted a few plants here and there over a few years and they realize that current landscape doesn’t seem to feel right or fit together. Many times landscapes that don’t ‘feel’ right could be a result of errors like planting plants based on the size the plant is when purchased versus the size the plant ultimately will grow into with age. Sometimes all the interest in the landscape only occurs in the spring because all of the plants have been chosen during this season when they are blooming, and plants that offer interest in late summer or fall haven’t been incorporated because they don’t look interesting and colorful in the spring. By working with a landscape designer to craft a master plan you can phase in the landscape over time to meet your budget, both in time and money, while using plants that should fit your site, the available space, and will work well together long term. Working with a landscape designer should return you a great landscape designed for your particular situation which can be implemented on whatever timeline works best for your situation. A good design should also save you money and headaches, effectively helping you achieve a beautiful landscape with a lot less problems.”
When considering all of the factors that influence spring landscaping, maintaining your landscape is certainly just as important as the initial design and installation. 1776 Grounds Maintenance provides total grounds keeping services all year long, which includes lawn treatments, landscape maintenance, tree care, spot spraying for weeds, mowing, leaf and debris removal, and even simple handyman projects to keep everything under control continuously. Roger Berte, the founding owner of 1776 Grounds Maintenance, emphasizes that their job is to take care of everything in the outdoor area of your property. He says, “If we do our job perfectly, our clients won’t notice anything except that their property is being well kept. If we don’t, you’ll definitely notice that too. I always advise working with the same maintenance team all year long, as this provides stability and a structured plan for what needs to happen throughout the year in order to stay on top of things. Furthermore, you never have to worry about forgetting to do something or missing out on the perfect time for each necessary task. Our goal at 1776 is to utilize our knowledge and proprietary techniques to streamline the process so that everything gets taken care of in a timely, effective and thorough way.”
For the overall look and curb appeal of your property, as previously mentioned there is certainly more than the landscape itself to consider. Exterior features are a crucial aspect of presentation and curb appeal. Lance Roach of JL Exteriors emphasizes that improving the exterior features of your property, both by enhancing your landscaping as well as other aspects such as siding, roofing, windows, decks, gutters, and doors, allows all of these aspects to work together towards the complete aesthetic quality of your property. He says, “Exterior features really allow you to make your property look and feel inviting, cozy and warm which in turn makes it great for entertaining as a unique space for you, your friends and clients–basically whatever you choose to use it for. Aside from giving your property a look that will be the envy of your neighbors, visitors and anyone who drives by, updated exterior features are also a huge selling point that will most definitely increase your property value. For these reasons, I always recommend doing something that makes you unique and sets you apart from the rest. Spring truly is a good time to consider updating the exterior features of your property. The sooner you get on the schedule with a qualified contractor, the more time you will have this year to enjoy what you have done, especially if it is an outdoor landscape. There is always a mad rush towards the end-of-year, which tends to get a little hectic, so the further you can get out ahead of this, the better. Outdoor living spaces and features have become much more popular, and are an excellent way to utilize the space that you already have. The best part is that they allow you to inexpensively extend your square footage outside in order to provide more living space for entertaining. Once again, if a home buyer comes in and you have nicely landscaped yard AND a functional living space, it’s a grand slam.”
Once you have your new outdoor space finished, there is more fun to be had in furnishing and decorating it! When choosing outdoor furniture, you will want to choose items that will withstand the change in weather and frequent use while still looking just as good as the day you bought it. That is exactly what Precast Products are able to deliver. Sue Crawford of Precast Products says, “Our maintenance-free outdoor furniture is built with quality, comfort and durability in mind. It is available in nine different earth tone colors and in 180 styles and designs. There is never any painting or winter storage needed, and all of our products carry a 35 year guarantee! With a trend emerging for outdoor entertaining spaces that even include kitchens and fire pits, which can be a great addition to an existing landscape or incorporated into a new design, having furniture to accommodate your guests in these areas is essential. The spring spruce-up is just beginning for most homeowners, and we are always available as a resource for those who will be taking on landscaping and exterior projects. We offer many brochures and ideas for retaining wall and paver products, and offer a full line of landscape and hardscape material for the do-it-yourselfer, or we are happy to work with you and your contractor in the selection process.”
In addition to updating exterior features and outdoor entertaining areas, decorative landscape curbing is another permanent accent that enhances the presentation of your property as well as adding value. Decorative landscape curbing is a continuous concrete border intended to retain, accent and preserve your new and existing landscape designs. Drew Phillippi, owner of Landscape Curbing, states, “Each job is custom mixed and poured on site, which allows us to think outside of the box. Additionally, our equipment allows us to bring your ideas to life by creating custom shapes to fit your unique style. We offer several different options that fit a wide variety of needs, and you can even choose the color pigment to match other features of your home or landscaping. Our product is 100% solid concrete, and it is mixed with an abundance of fiber mesh and liquid additives to help prevent cracking, which produces a more durable concrete product. Control joints are also added for aesthetic purposes and to further prevent unwanted cracking. At Landscape Curbing, we offer professional services at a level of expertise that is unmatched, and our products are unique and exclusive to our company.” So say goodbye to buying large rocks that shift out of place or deteriorate over time and constantly need to be replaced, and invest in a solution that will ensure a cleaner presentation, natural beauty, and will even make mowing an easier task!
While the beautiful spring weather is a bonus for working outside and enjoying the fruits of your labor, there are far more reasons why spring is the best time to get started on your landscaping projects this year. If you need a little (or a lot) of extra help make sure to take advantage of your local resources, as they are the key to enjoying an attractive property throughout the rest of the year!