Sprucing Up Your Yard As We Move From Winter Gloom Into Spring Bloom

At the BoroGreen meeting on Thursday April 24th, one of our many topics of discussion was “Getting Out of Winter Gloom and Into Spring Bloom”. We talked about the ways in which homeowners can get the look they want in their landscapes while using sustainable methods. Usually mulching becomes top priority on the to-do list. With all the options out there, how do you know how much and what kind of mulch is right for your plants?

Many people come to me asking to use a stone or rubber mulch around their planting beds because they are tired of the cost and labor of re-mulching year after year. While those options have their functions in landscaping, I never recommend stone or rubber mulch in and around your planting beds. The reason a mulch doesn't last for years is because it is meant to breakdown. As it breaks down, it is adding organic matter to your soil and creating a natural fertilizer for your plants.

There are many alternatives to stone, rubber, and dyed wood chip mulch and, although perhaps not as visually appealing, they are good for the environment and good for your wallet. Most common are leaves that can be easily collected from your lawn. They can be shredded, added to compost, or simply spread as they are among your planting beds. Another great option is the fallen needles from the conifers in your yard. Contrary to popular belief, pine needles do not make the soil overly acidic so they are very safe to plant in. Straw and grass clippings are two of my other favorite natural mulches that I often recommend for use in vegetable gardens. This year, why not take a cue from Mother Nature and use what you already have to make something new again?

Plants took a beating this winter from the relentless cold temperatures and winds. Where trees have fallen, there are new flooding and drainage concerns because they no longer can absorb stormwater. Hollies, laurels and boxwoods are showing weather-related damage. What do we do now?

Fallen trees and branches can become habitats and playgrounds for birds and wildlife. Pile them up along forest edges or along a property border to allow the organic material to be utilized on site. Another option is to lay out the trunks and cut branches as an absorption layer for a berm planting on top. The topsoil can be spread and mounded on top of the pile which encourages the inner wood pile to act as a sponge from surface water to help retain moisture for the above plantings. The design can work in a dry area or a wet area.

Flooding and drainage concerns can be addressed to reduce an onslaught of erosion and a breeding ground for mosquitos. Options include regrading and a gentle swale to carry the water as it once did, gravel drainage systems that utilize gravity to move the water towards a rain garden, or wet site tolerant plantings. The severity of the impact will determine the appropriate actions to take.

The browning out of many hollies, laurels, and boxwoods are signs of struggle to replenish the leaves’ water loss from evaporation during the long deep freeze.  Salt spray from roadways will cause winter burn that mimics frozen root damage. Many of these plants are resilient and will respond well to some hand pruning that removes the dead leaves and branches that encourage new growth closer to the roots. Even plants with a good amount of winter injury will recover, although they may look thinned out for a couple of seasons.