Moseley weather may obscure it as it seems to drift from Winter to Summer within the same week, but believe it or not, we are smack dab in the middle of Spring! And with Easter behind us, Summer before us, and Spring cleaning tapping on our shoulders, it's time to talk about what your landscape needs to embrace the Spring and prepare for Summer. After Winter, your yard needs a defibrillator, and Spring Cleanup is the paddles that EKG brings to get your yard living again! So now, let's check on your yard's health and explain why seasonal cleanup is just what your yard needs to get back into shape. Always Growing To begin with, your yard is full of continually growing plants. That growth keeps our yards dynamic and exciting but also creates messiness. If left unchecked, a healthy yard becomes a messy yard, which can lead to an unhealthy yard! All the extra leaves, branches, petals, and more that your plants drop onto your lawn aren't just unattractive; they can damage your grass. That plant debris blocks sunlight, water, and nutrients from reaching your plant's roots. It can also trap moisture, creating mold. Any of these issues can lead to health problems for your grass and eventual lawn loss. And all this is just part of the natural health cycle of your plants. That doesn't even factor in the changing seasons. Winter Trauma - Seasonal Cleanup Even though your plants are in a constant cycle of growth and change, the change from one season to the next is particularly eventful. That's why we offer seasonal cleanup. Changing weather also creates challenges for plants, making yard cleanup essential. Winter, in particular, is typically the harshest season for your plants and the one most likely to create the most plant loss, if not the most mess (that goes Fall!). Plant Death Many plants die over the Winter. For some, it's from natural causes. Annuals only last a season to a year, and Winter is often their natural end. For other plants, the cold can bring an untimely demise. You can do much to protect your plants from the cold, but some won't be hardy enough to survive. Ice, Wind, and Snow Winter storms cause an additional mess for your landscape. Ice and snow can weigh down your tree branches, and they may break and fall in the brittle cold. Winter wind may also contribute to that. Additionally, grass can die over the Winter from snow mold or freezing. All this must be addressed in Spring! How Do We Spring Cleanup? But all those winter changes are just part of your landscape's life cycle. And the next part is the aspect of landscape maintenance that we call Spring Cleanup. So what does Spring cleanup entail? Clear! The Plant Debris For starters, we'll examine the whole yard and eliminate anything that doesn't belong. All that plant debris from natural shedding and Winter storms leaves a lot to do. So we'll carefully collect it. Check the Pulse Next, we'll check to see what survived and what didn't. We'll pull up annuals that reached their natural end or other plants that succumbed to the cold. We'll also check your lawn health and make our lawn care recommendations to get your yard grass green, healthy, and thriving again! Some Minor Plant Surgery Not everything that was damaged by the cold will die. But we can help keep it healthy by pruning away the parts of plants that got sick or died. This will leave your shrubs, flowers, and trees looking better, but it will also help to stimulate growth and send the plant's energy to their most vital parts. Pruning is a regular part of landscape maintenance, especially in your flower beds, where deadheading is a staple of flower bed care. Transplants Finally, one of the reasons we take the time for Spring cleanup is so you can have a beautiful landscape! So now we can replace any dead plants with new living ones. We'll also mulch your flower beds to replace any mulch that broke down or washed away. Ready for Your Yard Cleanup? With graduations, kids coming and leaving home, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Summer vacation planning, and Spring cleaning, we're betting you have enough on your plate! So let EKG handle your Spring cleanup so you can focus on the rest. Yard cleanup is a deceptively straightforward task that takes time and attention to detail. So leave it to the pros.