Protecting the Environment in Small Ways: Tips for Everyone

At the end of the winter season when spring is in the air, you'll find landscape maintenance to be a vital factor in maintaining the spectacular look of your garden. Spring is a fabulous time to plant vegetables, add fertilisers and spruce up neglected lawn areas − just in time for the growing season. Landscape maintenance involves everything from weeding and hoeing to planting and fertilising.

If you're looking to enjoy a luxurious outdoor lifestyle when the Australian summer emerges, follow these spring cleaning ideas for your landscaped garden:

Add Fertiliser

In a garden where plants are competing for natural nutrients and replenishments, you may need to add fertiliser to keep your plants growing. Spring is a great time to add fertiliser, just in time for summer where sunshine facilitates the growing process for plants. Keep in mind that any fertiliser you purchase should have adequate levels of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.

Nitrogen usually stimulates leafy growth, while potassium encourages flowering. Phosphorus assists with overall plant growth and development. If you're looking for really leafy plant growth, you'll want to choose high-nitrogen fertilisers.

You can also use a water-soluble fertiliser applied directly to plants − this creates an instant effect on the plants and you'll notice a perceived difference in just a few days. Dry fertiliser should be applied into the soil to reach plant roots. Fertiliser is a vital factor in proper landscape maintenance.

Instant Colour with Flowers

Landscape maintenance includes visual appeal − flowers have the ability to infuse colour and life into your garden almost instantly. Add quick colour to your garden with flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils to lift the appearance of your landscape design. Summer flowers like petunias, sunflowers and impatiens add a burst of colour.

Prune Plants and Add Mulch

Overgrown or already blossomed plants should be pruned to stimulate new growth during the warmer months with ample sunlight. Remove spent flowers from grass and perennials to encourage spring growth. You'll also want to spruce up your landscape maintenance by adding mulch and removing weeds to your garden. Remove encroaching grass and weeds in the garden and spread mulch over the soil to encourage the growth of new grass. Mulch helps to protect and enrich the soil to stimulate fresh spring growth.

Embellish Water Landscapes

Your artificial pond or waterfall probably looks unkempt by the time spring arrives. Make sure you clean out your water landscapes by removing rubbish, dead stalks, algae and dried leaves that have piled up over winter. You may need to remove all the residual water to give the whole fixture a thorough cleanup with soap and water before refelling it with fresh water for a completely renewed landscape look.

Spring landscape maintenance is vital for reclaiming the lost glory of your garden during the winter months − and for preparing it in time for the much-awaited summer. To learn more, contact a company like Rowlands Horticultural Services with any questions or concerns you have.