The Definitive Guide to Seasonal Landscape Maintenance

Landscaping maintenance will not be the same year-round, and often people fall into the trap of only bothering to garden and landscape during the warmer seasons, leaving outside areas to degrade and decay over the winter. By instead taking an all-season approach to landscaping, you can keep these areas looking amazing all year round. The right techniques will leave your landscapes looking fresher and more vibrant in the spring and summer, and at the very least a little less dead in the colder months! Combined with a stringent cleaning and maintenance regime for any paving, you can keep the exterior of your property looking beautiful year-round!

There's no doubt that a beautiful landscape catches the eye before guests even enter the house. Wall-maintained landscapes enhance the look of your property. But just as seasonal changes call for some general preparation, your landscapes will need some attention too. You might be looking for ways to improve your outdoor space during the different seasons or you might be looking for tips on how to start sprucing up your landscape. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of landscape maintenance and advise you on the best work to carry out in different seasons. From planting in the spring to scarifying during autumn.

All good things require proper maintenance. The same goes for your garden. To preserve the beauty of your landscapes, they need to be regularly looked after. Most households with a garden do some form of landscape maintenance to some degree, whether it is simply mowing the lawn every so often or regularly removing unwanted weeds and watering plants. If you are not part of this group of people, maybe you should think twice. As Better Homes & Gardens shares, "Sellers can gain anywhere from 5% to 12% more value to their home (depending on where the property is located) with a well-maintained landscape."

Proper landscape maintenance enhances the curb appeal of your property, giving a great first impression to your guests and can boost the value of your property when you are ready to sell it. Not only this but there are plenty of health benefits connected to gardening. According to a report by the King's Fund, "Increasing people’s exposure to, and use of, green spaces has been linked to long-term reductions in overall reported health problems (including heart disease, cancer and musculoskeletal conditions); it has also been linked to reduced levels of obesity and high physical activity, and higher self-rated mental health."

Hands-on care is necessary during the various seasons. With each season, your landscape has different needs. While the springtime calls for mowing and fertilising, harsh winters require some snow removal efforts. 

After a long winter, springtime brings in a lot of cleaning, fertilising and weeding for a fresh and vibrant look. Start planting new plants and flowers and renew your landscape. 

During spring, you can also do the following landscape maintenance projects:

• - De-thatch and aerate your lawns to prepare them for fresh vegetation. Use fresh topsoil if required.
• - When planting bulbs, plant them at a depth of 2 to 3 times their height. 
• - Once snow and frost have cleared, apply a good spring fertiliser during the mid-spring.
• - Being mowing, trimming and edging during April.
• - Thoroughly water the ground after the harsh winter to renew it. 
• - Remove old milch and re-mulch at the base of old trees.

In addition to this, you can also choose to scarify your lawn during spring. Lawns should be sacrificed once a year when the grass is growing strongly, either during spring or autumn. Do not scarify during winter as it might damage your lawn.

The biggest common mistake we make during the summer is leaving the landscape alone after all that spring planting and pruning, thinking that it will just maintain itself. For healthy growth, you will need to continue maintenance throughout the summer.

The biggest common mistake we make during the summer is leaving the landscape alone after all that spring planting and pruning, thinking that it will just maintain itself. For healthy growth, you will need to continue maintenance throughout the summer. What should you do for landscape maintenance during summer?

• - Mow and trim the lawn weekly but do not go shorter than 3 and a half inches and never remove more than 1/3 of the total grass blade length in a single cutting. 
• - Raise the mowing height with the progress of the summer. This will help the grasses hold up to heat and drought better.
• - Irrigate the lawns frequently to avoid over-drying. Soak the lawn up to 1 inch a week.
• - Weed around the trees and add mulch keeping them 1-2 inches away from the tree trunks.
• - Add fertilisers to ensure proper growth of vegetation and apply pesticides to ward off unwanted pests. 

Autumn calls for clearing leaves and fertilising, as well as preparing your landscape for the coming winter.

If you are looking for autumn landscape maintenance tips, here are the essential things to do:

• - Scarify the lawn to remove thatch. 
• - Aerate the lawn well with a simple garden fork. 
• - Remove dead leaves, fruits or crops and add mulch. 
• - Overseed to fill in sparse patches.
• - Use a good fall grass fertiliser or autumn feed to prepare it for the winter.

In some ways, winter gives you a break from landscape maintenance. However, this is a crucial time for your landscape. Protect your landscape from the harsh winter and prepare for the coming season of greenery.

To do this, there are a few steps you can take:

• - Sparsely apply nitrogen fertiliser while your lawns are still green.
• - Prune regularly after the fall.
• - Mulch and apply pine straw every month for the entire season.
• - Try removing thick blocks of ice buildup from your lawn.
• - Spread winter grit and rock salt over the frozen pathways to avoid tripping over the snow.

Plus, gardening will also help you avoid the winter blues, the perfect excuse to get gardening!

If you are looking for ways to uplift your landscape, why not use aggregates? At Mainland Aggregates, we supply a wide selection of decorative aggregates to create beautiful driveways, pathways, garden borders, garden features and much more. Make your garden even more special with gravel, pebbles, slate chippings and gabion stones. Browse our full collection of products today to discover all the aggregates available or contact us to discuss your project's requirements.