6 Ways To Refresh Your Backyard This Spring

As spring rolls in it’s time to get the gardening tools out and time to start thinking about refreshing your yard for the new year. A yard refresh can consist of a simple clean-up or involve a full redesign of your backyard, front yard, and home. We will cover some tips on spring projects that are great to start in spring as well as some of the best landscape design ideas.

There are three different home styles: modern, lush, and classic design. Your front and backyard accentuate the design of your home and can help create Zen or comfort when you are not easily able to get away from the hustle-bustle of everyday life.

 

1. Your Home’s Exterior

Improving or sprucing up the exterior of your home may consist of updates to windows and doors, garage door repairs, or a fresh coat of paint. These items are important to inspect after a long cold window or heavy rain to ensure no damage during the offseason.

 

Window and Doors

Some people will winterproof their windows and doors saving money on their heating bills and making sure their home is protected as the ice and rain wreak havoc on seals. After the winter when the weather warms, it is a good idea to check on window and door seals to make sure you are not leaking heat. The best landscape design ideas always include well-maintained window trims.

It’s not just about making sure your windows and doors are working it’s also about c. Here are a few great ideas to brighten your windows and doors up with a little extra work:

• Update hardware
• Window flower boxes
• Fresh door paint
• Add or repaint shutters

Garage Door Repair

Like your windows and doors, it is a great idea to check on the mechanics of your garage door. Make sure there are no leaks in the sealant and that the opener is still in good working order. A garage does not get as much heat as the home and often feels more stress after cold winters.

2. Painting

A fresh coat of paint makes any house look brand new. Your home’s exterior takes a beating from the weather and deserves the same treatment your lawn and garden get. Painters can paint the exterior of your home in three to four days on average.

 

Have Your Roof Inspected

A leaky roof is not a fun repair to have to do in the winter. It is always recommended in the spring and summer months to have a specialist take a quick look at the roof to let you know if repairs or replacements are needed.

There is a lot of areas above your home you cannot see and moss or missing tiles can easily become holes without maintenance. These can become a greater issue in colder weather months. Take the time in the spring to check on missing roof tiles and complete the required roofing repairs. If a whole roof is required it is worth the time and money to complete a new roof installation. It is much more expensive to fix the roof after a leak.

Water damage in the home and damage in an attack can often double the cost of roof repairs. Damage can also cause moisture in attic insulation and decrease the effectiveness of your home’s heating. Roof repairs and new roof installations are best done in the spring or early summer months to ensure work is completed before heavy rainfall and snow arrive.

If you’re looking for some of the best landscape design ideas for roofing tiles there are many great and unique options. Asphalt shingles are the most common type of shingles. They can come in many colors.

Homes also have the option to choose from:

• Wood
• Tile
• Slate
• Solar
• Metal

Each shingle-style will give a home a unique look and design feel. When choosing shingle options it’s important to also understand how the shingles protect the home, what the costs are, and how long the tiles will last.

2. Your Gardens

Refreshing your garden in spring requires a few important steps including weed removal, lawn care, topsoil maintenance, shrub care, and replanting.

 

 

Weeding

Weeding is a tiresome chore that starts in early spring and often requires time right up until the winter months. Here are some tips to help make the job of weeding a little less tiresome.

• Weeds germinate under the soil. Try and move as little soil as possible when removing weeds so as not to unearth more weed growth
• Fresh mulch helps plants grow while making it difficult for weeds to get the nutrients they need
• Weeds come out better after a fresh rain, it is easier to miss pulling the roots when the plant is dry allowing it to come back sooner
• Keep plants close together and don’t allow the soil to see lots of sun, this will help lower the growth of weeds in the garden

Lawn Care and Top Soil Maintenance

Lawn care is an important step in caring for your garden. When replanting a garden and putting in fresh new flowers topsoil maintenance and fertilizer are a common addition. If you are not using fertilizer when planting flowers it will help them bloom brighter and last longer. The Best landscape design ideas all include beautifully manicured lawns and a fresh lawn starts with great topsoil maintenance.

Your lawn requires the same fertilization and maintenance as your garden. You want to aerate your lawn by putting holes in your lawn to allow air, water, and soil to get into compacted areas giving your grass room to grow. After aeration re-seen, your lawn, water, fertilize and mow as required. It is recommended to fertilize your lawn every 8 weeks.

Shrub Care

Shrubs are a great way to add greenery to the front or back of a home. When planting shrubs it’s best to choose shrubs local to the area. This will help improve the lives of the shrub and help local wildlife. When you have shrubs in your garden make sure to prune, water, and feed shrubs from early spring until late summer. This is especially important for shrubs with blooms.

Pruning a shrub is the most common way to help a garden stay looking fresh and well-manicured. Shape and prune shrubs to keep them maintained in the shape and style of the garden. Do not worry about over-pruning shrubs that are well established but keep pruning low on shrubs that have just been planted or recently moved. Allow the shrub time to grow its roots and get healthy in its new environment.

Shrub Landscape Design Ideas

For some of the best landscape design ideas using shrubs can create a beautiful faux fence or garden line. Shrubs often have less effort than many types of plants and can include floral arrangements like roses, hydrangeas, peonies, and Camellias. As a low-maintenance choice shrubs often keep their shape and can be designed in many ways to line a garden, create fencing, or enhance the visuals of a garden.

Green shrubs are also available in many styles and can be small or large to enhance the design of an outdoor landscape. Giving the space a natural fresh lush feel.

Garden Design

There are many other great ways to improve the look of a front or backyard garden. Some of the other best landscape design ideas include:

• Adding concrete pavers or a path to your garden.
• Installing a new Pond.
• Creating a Zen garden or garden focal point.

4. Changing the Landscape

A landscape redesign often means moving large objects around, especially large trees. Tree removal can be a pain but when done correctly can be done with a chainsaw. The most important step when removing a large tree yourself is cutting it down into pieces. Cutting the tree at the base is likely to cause damage to a home or nearby structure. Cut the tree branch by branch to control the fall of the piece being removed.

Tree removal is a great way to open up space in your yard or remove unwanted leaves in the fall. Some of the best landscape design ideas include lots of open space and clean lines. Shrub removal while difficult applies in the same way. If the shrub is tall cut the shrub in two pieces to ensure it doesn’t fall and cause damage you may have to pay for later.

 

 

Best Landscape Design Ideas

There are many great ways to improve the look and design of your front and backyard this spring. The best landscapers suggest you start by choosing a focal point for your yard.

Creating a Backyard Focal Point

• Firepit
• Gondola
• Patio
• Gazebo
• Tree

Once a focal point has been decided on for the yard the spring clean and redesign can start. A clean home exterior, a fresh roof, weeding, gardening, fresh landscaping, pest removal, and fencing all help create a beautiful oasis around the exterior of your home. Best landscape design ideas include different things to make your backyard look beautiful. The most important is being clean and well cared for to avoid pests and the possibility of damage during the warm summer or cool winter months.

5. Plan For Pests

When preparing your home in the summer it is important to maintain outdoor areas while checking all the external walls of your home to make sure there are no fresh holes or cracks pests can get into. Many pests also get into the home by climbing branches and vegetation close to windows or decorations leaning on the sides of homes. Check these areas to make sure no easy entrance to your home is available.

 

 

Landscape Pest Control

Proper landscape pest control can remove unwanted pests in the garden. Vegetation and older mulch left in piles create a great breeding ground for many common pests like mosquitos, slugs, flies, and gnats. Similar to mulch uncleaned water features breed mosquitos, slugs, and flies.

Cleaning out moist areas around the yard that include mulch, compost, or animal droppings helps remove vital breeding grounds for pests. This is especially important in areas that do not see a lot of sun.

The best landscape design ideas include clean and well-maintained yards. Removing unwanted piles of mulch and dirt from under the stairs and away from hidden areas will maintain a good-looking pest-free yard.

When looking to remove pests also make sure to check in the corners of higher locations on the home to make sure no wasp nests have started growing. Once the nest gets going it is much harder to remove especially in areas that require a ladder.

6. Install Fences and Gates

The final piece to any landscape design is fencing. A fresh clean fence or gate can instantly change the look of any yard. There is also a sense of security in fencing that can allow for extra privacy and safety for your family. There are many types of fences to choose from including wood, vinyl composite, brick, stone, metal, or chain. Each style has different color and style options.

A gate adds can add a fancy design element to your yard. A fence does not have to match a gate perfectly and some of the best landscape design ideas include a wood fence with custom iron gates that accentuate the look of the wood.

 

Security Fence

While there are many types of fencing iron and chain link are the best types for any security fence. Iron is a better-looking option but comes at a high cost. Chain link often doesn’t look as good as iron fencing however, there are many great options including greenery and covers that help improve the look of a simple chain link fence. These design ideas can also enhance the privacy and visual appeal of your backyard.