Spring Forward With Lush Landscaping

Springtime is peak season for listing your home for sale. A well-manicured lawn and colorful landscape provide a luring setting for buyers on the hunt so let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Plan for a springtime sale by prepping the landscape the previous fall. Clear any clutter from the yards, trim back shrubs and tree limbs and clean out gutters. Rake the lawn and flowerbeds. In February or March, apply a pre-emergent weed killer. Pro tip: Organic versions are available.

The lawn is fundamental to a good-looking landscape, so when spring arrives, keep it healthy. Aeration improves air supply to roots. If the grass is thin in areas, reseeding can help, but take a sample tuft of your grass to a nursery or grass farm and get an exact match. Apply fertilizer and weed control . Depending on how much snow and rain you received over the winter, be sure that the grass is well hydrated and green. Of course, keeping it well trimmed and groomed is essential.

Showcase your flowerbeds. In spring, lots of blues, reds and yellows bring vibrancy. Plant varieties that have a long blooming period, spring into summer.  If you are still trying to sell by fall, yellows and oranges accompanied by pumpkins usher in cooler weather and the coming holidays.

Natural stone edging around flowerbeds creates a transition from lawn to beds. Be sure to lay a good three- to four-inch layer of quality mulch in the flowerbeds to insulate plant roots from seasonal temperature extremes and to retain moisture in the soil.

Run your sprinkler system manually for just a couple of minutes per station. Make sure each area is getting good coverage. Are all sprinkler heads rising to full height? Clear any turf that may have grown over the heads or clogged the nozzles. Look for leaks and redirect heads spraying onto paved areas.

Trim trees, plant new ones. If mature trees have low hanging, unruly limbs, trim them back for a neater and more expansive look to the property. If you have large, blank areas of lawn, consider planting a new tree.

Keep hoses and other implements in the garage or an attractive garden shed in back to keep the yard tidy.

Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract