Maintaining Your Garden Year Around

Maintaining your garden or landscape year around is an important aspect of any landscape project. You have taken the time and money to invest in an outdoor treasure that you can enjoy.

This article will give you some basic information on different tips to keep your special garden or landscape area healthy and the appearance looking like it did when it was installed.

I will be linking you to different articles that are in this website so you can have an overall view on one page. This is a great little reminder to keep handy. I like to look at this part of landscaping in six different aspects.

1. Weeds
2. Possible fungus
3. Infestation of insects
4. Pruning
5. Watering
6. Mulch, pine straw or decorative rocks

A good idea is to go ahead a buy a notebook and use this to develop your yearly maintenance program. When I talk with clients about doing any landscape project, we go through the different stages that are involved, including maintaining gardens and landscapes.

One of the things that some people forget or maybe try to ignore is, any outdoor project is an investment and once you have made the initial investment, take the time to keep it up year around. Remember back in the beginning when you thought about how to plan, prep, and plant your garden. Now that this phase is done, it is time to maintain the area. I look at this as a year cycle. If you live in a warm or tropical geographic location, you may not have the distinct changes in the seasons. There are still different things you will need to do to maintain the beauty of your gardens or landscape area. If you live in colder climates and have changes in the seasons, take steps during the spring and fall months for maintaining a sensational landscape.

One of the most annoying aspects of any garden are weeds. These darling little specimens tend to grow at a faster pace then any of our shrubs or flowers. It is a given fact that weeds will appear in almost any landscape area. Develop a weed control program and learn in your location what the best time of year is for spraying weeds. During the spring and summer months the weeds will grow at a faster rate. You may be spraying every six weeks. This is so important to get on a schedule so you are not pulling your hair out because your garden is overtaken with weeds.

We can't forget those annoying insects that are with you year around in warmer climates and surface in the spring and summer in colder regions. Getting yourself on a safe pest control program is important not only for your enjoyment outdoors, but also for the health of your plants. Research the different products available as many companies are now focusing in on more natural ingredients in their products.

There is always the possibility of fungus developing on a tree, shrub or ground. There are many factors that cause fungus. Too much rain, your ingredients in your soil or ground, or other environmental issues. The main key in caring for fungus is to identify the type, and purchase a safe fungicide for your property as well as all your plant specimens. There are many environmentally safe commercial products out today. Always check the labels, especially if you have children, pets or other natural habitats around. One other tip, some fungus can be very harmful and must be picked up with gloves. Make sure you know what type of fungus is possible in your climate.

Today, more and more people are opting for low maintenance plants. Many of the plant specimens produced today can be grown in their natural state and need very little pruning. What you have planted in your landscape area will determine how often you will need to prune. Remember there are some species that don't follow the general rule of pruning in the fall or early spring. One example is the Crepe Myrtle. This tree should be pruned in mid to late winter months.

Watering is a necessity for all living specimens to survive. Whether you have a irrigation system or sprinklers, getting yourself on a good watering schedule will ensure all your plant specimens a healthy environment to mature. From year to year you may encounter different weather conditions such as floods or droughts. Learn about the different aspects of watering in these conditions. Also remember container plants need more watering then specimens that are established in the ground.

The final step to ensuring a healthy and beautiful landscape or garden area is to use the options of mulch, pine straw or decorative rocks to maintain the appeal and appearance of your investment. I usually recommend twice a year to put down mulch or pine straw. The spring and fall are good times to consider sprucing up your beds. If you have decorative rocks, you will periodically have to add some to keep the look you started with.

This landscape article is a good review to keep handy. A full circle for any landscape project is taking those initial steps of planning, prepping, and planting. The final phase of maintaining is ongoing but well worth the time. Your investment will continue to grow and more importantly, you can enjoy your hard earned dollars throughout the entire year.