Spring Cleaning Tips

A well-designed and maintained outdoor living space boosts your home's curb appeal and provides a welcoming atmosphere for guests visiting your home. While many home improvement tasks are one-and-done jobs, maintaining the yard requires regular upkeep and maintenance. Practice adulting this spring and get the yard ready for your visitors. Whether you rent or own your home, volunteering to help out with springtime yard work is a great way to make your neighborhood a little brighter.

How Much Does a Catonsville Landscape Overhaul Cost?

If you are fed up with your yard's appearance, a professional landscaping team can replace your existing yard with a new one. However, if you don't feel like spending $10,000+ on a new yard, there is a very good chance that getting rid of some of your current outdoor clutter will improve the look of your current yard. If you're wondering what to get rid of, call a friend who always comes over unannounced. They'll probably have opinions about what to get rid of—and when to avoid coming over, so they don't have to help you clean.

Spring Cleaning in the Yard: Where Do I Start?

During the cleanup, start by getting some contractor bags from a nearby home improvement store and rake leaves, branches, and debris into piles. The key here is removing all the excess that has accumulated during the winter. While you're at it, dig out as many weeds as you can find before roots grow deeper. Keep an eye on your plants' leaves. If you notice any tiny holes in the leaves, you might have a snail or caterpillar problem.Fertilize — Your plants and lawn can use a boost, especially after Maryland's cold winter months. Take the time to feed your lawn, shrubs, trees, and bushes. Using a "weed and feed" product lets you accomplish two things at once – promoting healthy grass while eliminating the weeds.Pressure Wash — Restoring your yard to its former luster won't be complete without pressure washing. The paths and walkways installed in your yard get dirty and discolored over time. Washing them with a pressure washer will improve the appearance of your entire home. Make sure to wear old clothes and shoes when using a pressure washer. Another helpful hint is to listen to music while you pressure wash. Use the timing of the music to time each pass of the pressure washer across the patio or other hardscape surface. This will help you keep the surface from being discolored and splotchy in certain areas.Build the Beds — After a long winter, your landscaping can look tired, flat, and washed out. Put a fresh edge on the beds and set the depth to 4 inches. Rebuild the old beds with approximately 3 inches of mulch. After this, your yard will have a fresh look. If you are interested in adding additional raised flower beds, a landscape architect will survey your home's layout and determine the best place and time of year to plant. Getting landscape design advice from a professional will help ensure that nothing is overlooked. The landscape designer will consider drainage, wind, sun, shade, and the architecture of your home. A few types of flower beds include the following:

• Borders
• Islands
• Raised beds

Plant Away — Nothing says spring like planting. Whether you opt for flowers and shrubs, or you're going to create a garden, know what to buy. The USDA climate zone for the state of Maryland ranges from 5-8. In the Baltimore area, we are in zone 7. Know the sun exposure for the area to be planted and whether deer are an issue.

Maryland Landscape Design Professionals

If you have outdoor home improvement questions, contact Valley Landscaping in Catonsville to speak to a landscape design-builder by calling 410.983.6261.