Seasonal Landscaping

There's a lot more to landscaping than planting a pretty garden or two. In fact, the best landscaping designs call for the same sort of preparation and strategy as a full-scale architectural project. Aside from the usual design considerations like color, texture, layout, compatibility, and functionality, a good landscaper also has to remember that ultimate variable known as Mother Nature.

A great idea in the summer can turn into a disaster in the fall. Flowers that bloom beautifully in one region could turn brown in another. Even the best laid plans can go awry if the seasons don't behave in line with their reputations.

Landscaping contractors make their living by assessing the best aesthetic complements for your home and environment, while also accounting for every possible curveball the outside world might throw at your lawn. Once a design is in place, though, there's still a lot you can do-- from one season to the next-- to customize and optimize the practical and visual elements of your little corner of the world.

Summer

Summer is the time when a well designed landscaping job can start paying the biggest dividends. Whether that means entertaining friends at a cookout, swimming in your pool, or just kicking back with a book and some suntan lotion, your lawn or backyard should be the ideal, inviting place to be.

Summer is definitely the perfect time to incorporate a water source into your landscaping scheme, be it a small fountain, outdoor spa, swimming pool, or sprinkler system. It's also the season when a new deck or patio could be the perfect idea for your new hangout spot. Of course, there are more subtle changes you can make, as well.

A large umbrella or parasol can offer some much needed shade, and the sight of hawthorns, mountain laurels, or Rose of Sharon shrubs can bring a nice dose of color into your predominantly green view.

Autumn

For many homeowners, the fall season means leaf raking and hunkering down for winter. There's still plenty of landscaping fun to be had, however, for those with a creative spirit. In leaf changing regions, September and October bring about some of the most spectacular backyard views anywhere, so why not take advantage of this and adapt your landscape to the beauty of the new season?

Oak, maple, beech, hickory, and tulip trees make for some excellent displays of color in autumn, and sumac shrubs and tall grasses can draw attention away from your fading summer gardens.

To go the extra mile, gourds, pumpkins, hay stacks, and cornstalks are always good ideas for capturing the essence of the fall months. This is also a good time of year to fertilize, sod, and reseed your lawn to help it bounce back strong after winter.

Winter

If you live anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon, your inner-landscaper might be inspired to hibernate during the winter. Before curling up in your den, however, it's important to prune plants and trim trees for their own good and, in some cases, for your own safety. Large branches near your home or power-lines can be weighed down by snow, becoming potential threats.

Aesthetically, there are a few ways to balance out the usual whites and greys of the season and embrace the holiday spirit at the same time. Holly shrubs or red osier dogwoods can liven up the scene and attract a colorful winter bird or two.

Spring

Ah, spring-- the time for rebirth, new loves, and getting back in the garden! You've had all winter to develop new design ideas for your yard, and now is your opportunity to put them into action. Maybe you'll finally try that Japanese garden theme, or have a stone walkway put in.

Whatever your intentions, make sure you have the necessary tools and knowledge to get the job done. Last year's shovel, hoe, and shears might need replacing, and that pamphlet from the landscaping trade show you went to in 1997 might be out of date, too.

By keeping up on trends in equipment and design, you'll keep your yard looking brand new for years to come. Sometimes this can be as simple as knowing which flowers and plants are en vogue this year. Plus, there's always the old standbys, like azaleas, forsythias, lilacs, and flowering shrubbery-- all of which expertly advertise that spring has finally arrived. fencing options are.

It might be time to turn your old fence into firewood and upgrade to something new.

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