Got a case of spring fever? Give it to your yard!

By March, our drizzly gray days start to wear on even the heartiest Oregonians and the hardiest of yards. It’s time to pull on the old boots or tennies, inhale the rain-rinsed air, and do some yard work. Here are some tasks to take care of this month:

• Renovate your lawn. March’s mild weather, lengthening days, spring rains, and fertilizer make grass grow quickly, so now’s the time to spruce up your existing lawn or start new turf.
• Take care of weeds. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s good exercise and the weeds extract easily thanks to March’s damp soil. It’s not too late to mulch, either. Spread a layer of newspaper on your weediest patch, then wet it down with a garden hose. 

• Plant some pansies. These popular annuals offer a burst of cheer with their brightly colored petals and stand up well to cool weather. They’re easy to plant and affordable. Look for Mammoth pansies - their extra large, vibrant petals add pizazz and their beefy stems support the flowers in rain and wind.
• Sow summer veggies inside. Start cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, pumpkins, squash, and tomatoes in flats or tiny pots.  Not a gardener? Hey, just pick one “crop” to experiment with this year, buy your packet of seeds, and see how easy it is. Plant outside after the last frost, usually in early to mid May.

• Stop slugs in their tracks. There are multiple methods: Use a shovel to remove these pests; surround your beds with copper wire and then bait with iron phosphate. Or try this method: cut an empty 2 liter plastic bottle in half. Put the slug bait tray inside the bottom half (lay it down sideways, not upright.) Then position the top half in reverse. The slugs will crawl in the wide opening, eat the bait, and then stay trapped, unable to escape through the small neck of the bottle.

If tackling these spring yard projects inspires you to do more, don’t hesitate to give  Aspen Creek Landscaping a call, connect with us on Facebook, visit our website, or stop in. We offer a full range of services and helpful professionals to meet all your yard and landscaping needs.

Outdoor Landscaping Lighting for Safety and Security

Lighting is often overlooked by people when they are thinking about their landscaping needs. While lighting finishes off a nice landscape and allows you to enjoy your outdoor living space after the sun has gone down, it has many two other key benefits beyond that.

Namely: Safety and security.

At our Sherwood, Oregon based landscaping company, we are always educating our customers that landscape lighting plays an important part in accenting pathways, stairs, or any other potential hazards within your yard.

With smartly placed landscape lighting, you can avoid tripping on pathways, stairs and decks at night as you navigate safely around your property while enjoying its the beauty at the same time.

Although lighting cannot prevent crime, statistics show that a well lit home is much more likely to deter potential criminals. You can provide safety and security to your loved ones with landscape lighting.

Lighting professionals agree that a well-lit landscape can increase the safety and security of your home by eliminating accidents and vandalism. Low-voltage landscape lighting is easy and safe to install, is safe for kids and pets, and it consumes less power than line voltage lighting.

What Should You Light?

Take a walk around your property during the day, evening and night and make a quick sketch of the property, existing buildings, and any power sources and note down the following:

• Areas that can cause trips and falls in the dark.
• Areas where you want to deter unwanted persons or animals at night.
• A part of your home or landscaping that you would like to highlight or dramatize.
• Outdoor “rooms” that would be used for entertainment in the evening or late at night.
• Existing lighting (patios, porches, street, doors, garage).

Style and Design Considerations

Take a drive around at night viewing both commercial and residential properties. Notice how different lighting techniques can create different moods use light to highlight the building and landscaping.

Add any styles or lighting techniques that catch your eye to your sketch.

Conclusion

While many homeowners opt to go the DIY route, working with a professional landscaper can help you reduce shadowing when downlighting, use fixtures with proper shielding to reduce glare and fixture visibility, and prevent other common challenges that can pop up.

If you're looking for landscape lighting design ideas, give us a call today at 503.625.6888 or visit our website: http://aspencreeklandscaping.com/

Do you have lighting in your garden or on your property? How have you found it useful? Like, Comment, or Share below to let us know!