by Cam McLennan, Island Pro Mowing and Landscaping Inc. –
With all of that wintery weather now behind us we are on the path to a sunny and warm spring and it’s time to start thinking about getting our yards and gardens into shape for the season!
Here are a few tips to get your property back into shape.
Tree Trimming. It’s easier to take care of tree pruning when the leaves are still beginning to grow. This makes it easier to spot the dead branches as they won’t have any new growth, so you can prune them away to get a cleaner look to your tree and make it healthier in the process. Due to the snowfall we’ve had this year you might even have some damaged branches to remove as there are many trees used for landscaping purposes that are not durable enough to take a heavy snowload.
Hedge Trimming and Pruning. If you haven’t pruned the shrubs and hedges around your property in a while, then the beginning of spring is as good a time as any to reign in all that uneven growth and give your hedges a nice uniform appearance. Neatly trimmed hedges and shrubs will greatly improve your curb appeal. As with the trees, you may have damaged hedges from the snowfall. Any broken branches will need to be pruned out.
Removing The Green Debris. After a long winter there can be a large amount of green waste left over on your property. You might have broken branches, damaged trees, piles of leaves, garden beds in need of cleaning and more. If you have an area on your property to take the waste to, that is excellent or you can arrange for a local landscaper to come and remove the greenwaste and take it to an appropriate composting facility.
Irrigation System Start Ups. Irrigation systems are a modern day convenience when it comes to properly (and efficiently) maintaining your lawn and garden. However, irrigation systems must be maintained in order for them to continue operating trouble free. In the spring, your irrigation system needs to go through what is called a “spring startup.” This process will blow out any dirt or debris that may have gotten inside and get the water flowing again.
Native Gardening and Planting For 2017. If you’re ready to get your hands dirty in your garden this spring, the CRD has some excellent gardening workshops available to the public related to gardening with native plants and you can learn more at their website: https://www.crd.bc.ca/education/natural-gardening/native-plant-gardening-workshops.
