Spring Cleaning
You might read this title and think ‘Spring Cleaning? But Tyler it’s December 22…it’s nearly Christmas, I’m not worried about spring cleaning!’ And to that I would say I agree with you and I’m in the same boat. However, spring cleanups and spring weather will be before any of us realize it and there’s no better time than now to think about why a spring landscape cleanup is important and how it can increase the health, aesthetic, and function of your landscape.
Whether you have a landscape you inherited, a landscape you designed and installed yourself, a landscape you’re currently working on little by little, or a landscape designed and installed professionally, we know that it wasn’t a small investment nor a decision you made lightly. For this reason spring cleanups are incredibly important in order to protect that investment. With the average cost of a full landscape install being between $5,000-15,000 we can imagine that’s an investment you would like to protect. With a simple 6 step Outdoor Oasis spring cleanup and a little bit of elbow grease from you throughout the year you can keep your landscape looking the way it was intended to look when you first dreamt of it!
Spring cleanups are most effective when followed by regular maintenance throughout the year. Most people read or hear regular maintenance and immediately back away aghast that they might have to maintain their own landscape. What I tell all of our clients when installing a new landscape is the least amount of maintenance I can guarantee is a once per year trim, but if they want their landscape to have the impact they desire, then 10-15 minutes weekly or every other week is usually all it takes. When you do the math that only adds up to around 3-6 hours per year maintaining your landscape; which in the grand scheme of things isn’t all that bad, and it gets you outside to get a little Vitamin C and is a great way to end or start the day. Okay, back to spring cleanups.
Most of the time the spring thaw is when you’ll look at your landscape and be overwhelmed. The evergreens look unruly from all of their growth and they just need shaped, the previous summers flowers still need to be pruned, there’s leaves left from the fall and some that fell over the winter, and just general debris that has found its way into the landscape. The mulch looks dull and colorless, the bed edge is trampled, and overall your landscape could just use some TLC. An Outdoor Oasis spring cleanup is the easiest way to get your landscape looking like it’s brand new and well cared for.
We use a simple but effective 6 step process to get your landscape looking catalog ready. Our process is as follows:
Selective pruning of shrubs and trees and shearing/shaping of hedges
Thorough cleanup of all debris. This includes leaves, trash blown in from the winter, twigs and branches, clippings from pruning, and anything and everything that could be in your landscape beds. Debris cleanup could also mean removal of old mulch or mulch that is too deep. Mulch should be no deeper than 2-3” and if we find areas that are deeper than 3” we will remove some of the old mulch to ensure proper depth.
A fresh cut bed edge. Whether you have landscape stone or mulch we will redefine your bed edge with a crisp, hand spaded edge.
Mulch cultivation. With a tool called a weasel we will cultivate/turn your mulch so it can get air which aids the decomposition process and helps reduce mold!
Fertilizer application for all plant material. We will use general and selective fertilizers depending on the plant species, but all of your plants will be fertilized and healthy to start the year!
Fresh mulch. Whether you like natural, no dye mulch, cedar, black, or brown, we will give you a fresh layer of mulch to make sure your landscape looks as good as it feels.
Now that we know why a spring landscape cleanup is important and all the steps necessary, feel free to contact us anytime to get your appointment and your spring cleanup scheduled!
