Spring Is About To Spring! Begin Preparations For A Year of Beautiful Flowers, Gardens & Lawns

Nothing is more exciting to many here in the Northeast than beginning to smell spring in the air.      It's becoming lighter earlier, darker later.  The melting snow is starting to show the ground you haven't seen in months.  You hear more birds chirping      Before you know it, trees will start to bud and bulbs will start to peek out of the ground      Which means it's time to start preparing your gardens and lawn.

    "We stress to our customers to start thinking about their gardens and lawn right after Groundhog Day (February 2)," said Ralph Dinizo, President of Truesdale Nursery & Landscape Services of Berkeley Heights, N.J., one of the area's premier landscapers.  "Just a few simple steps in anticipation of the warm months just around the corner will pay amazing rewards with beautiful landscaping and a few more dollars in your pocket.
     As well, this preparation stage is one of the most critical to ensuring healthy and happy plants and lawn growth.
     Concerning your flower beds, shrubs and trees, sketch out your plans for what you'd like to include this year.  Plants look forward to getting fed after the colder months.  Remember, a slow six month nitrogen release is a good type of fertilizer to use.  Keep it simple.
     Touch up your garden and beds with fresh mulch, pine straw, or add some decorative stones for appearance.
    With your lawn, put a plan in place for a season of thick, green grass.  If you're doing it on your own, research the proper steps and intervals for aerating, fertilizing and watering.  If you use a lawn service company, make sure you're both on the same page in terms of proper care.
     Also remember to put your mower setting on a lower notch in the early months, then raise it once the heart of summer arrives.  All this will provide gentleness to your lawn.
     Don't forget little things, too, like sharpening your mower blades (for healthier growth), and changing the oil (for a better running mower).
     Are you thinking about adding anything else to your property this year like a walkway, planters, retaining walls, koi ponds, etc.?  Simple web research is bound to supply you with many new and fresh ideas.
     "We really love working with homeowners in making their properties the jewel of the neighborhood," added Dinizo.  "The excitement on their faces when a new plant blooms, or when their lawn is as thick and as green as ever, or when that new walkway gives the home even more tremendous curb appeal, makes it all worth it to us."
     But above all, enjoy the planning and the preparation!  After all, this is what owning a home is all about, isn't it?