Seven Easy Tips To Make Your Yard Blossom For Spring

As the weather around western Colorado starts to warm, spring gardening catalogs are showing up and we're finally starting to see a little green poking out amongst the otherwise brown grass. You begin thinking about all the great things you can do with your lawn and garden this year. Here are some tips to help you get ready for the spring and summer ahead.

Get your lawnmower, blower, and other powered landscape tools tuned-up. Whether you do it yourself, or have a local shop take care of it, now is the time to change the oil, clean or replace air filters, spark plugs and any other maintenance. This will ensure everything is ready and working when you need it.

Inventory all your garden tools. There's nothing worse than needing something like a rake and then not being able to find it or find that it needs to be replaced. Knowing what you need now will give you time to watch the sales and save both frustration and money.

Water your trees. In our dry climate, experts suggest watering every month through the winter. Unfortunately, we had so many sub-freezing days it was impossible to do that. While you can't make up the difference, watering now will still help your trees.

Expect the possibility of winter-kill. The frost level in some areas was over three feet this winter. With some extra care, some of your plants may survive, others may not. Set aside some money for replacements just in case.

Make a drought resistant lawn and garden plan. Last years drought and less than average snowfall so far this season, means the possibility of water restrictions is very real this summer. Conditioning your existing plants by not over-watering and buying new plants that are drought tolerant are a couple of good ideas.

Aerate your lawn. This is one of the best ways to have a healthier lawn. Our clay soils compact easily so aerating helps loosen things up allowing water to get to the roots. You can rent a core aerator and do it yourself, but I recommend having a commercial lawn company do it.

Create a garden plan you can manage and enjoy. So many people want huge gardens and flower beds but neglect to consider how much time it takes to maintain them. It's best to start small, allow for expansion and add plants as you're able. Sure, there's work involved, but you really do want to have time to smell the roses and not just toil over them.