It’s been a long, snowy winter here in Yankton, and I have some early spring projects to help kickstart the growing season and add beautification and curb appeal to your home and garden.
Organic mulch, like cedar chips or shredded wood mulch, can be purchased in a wide variety of different dyed colors to match your landscaping and suit your preferences. Now is an ideal time to top dress a layer (around 2-4 inches) around your home. Wood mulch keeps weeds down, controls soil temperature, prevents soil erosion, turns into organic matter as it decomposes, and minimizes water evaporation. It’s also beneficial around trees and shrubs by preventing damage from weed eaters and mowers. If you have rock instead of mulch around your home or borders, early spring is a good time to take a powerful air blower and clean out leaves, sticks and debris that have blown in since fall.
Then, for some additional appeal, consider adding a bird bath. They create an inviting atmosphere for birds to hydrate and groom themselves. Birds also will start hunting for insects, seeds, and worms in your yard. If you already have a bird bath, now is a good time to wash and scrub out debris from the winter. Thinking about adding a birdhouse? They can go on fences, posts, or hang from tree branches. Bird feeders can also be added to a pole or hung from a tree branch. Then, with an inviting environment, bird watching can be an enjoyable hobby throughout all four seasons. But beware–putting out food will attract both feathered friends and other small animals like squirrels who will take advantage of the free food!
To further accessorize your home, consider adding garden boxes for windows and decks. This can improve your curb appeal and add color and beauty to your home. If you already have window boxes, it’s a good time to repaint and get this season’s potting soil prepared. As for your existing plants, it’s still an acceptable time to cut back most perennials and ornamental grasses almost to the soil’s surface before they start their spring growth. You can also spade in and divide perennials and grasses to other areas of your yard or share with garden friends. Taking care of our yards is one of many ways we can work together to Keep Yankton Beautiful all year!