Yard and landscaping care is a project that can bring you great rewards while you spend time in the sunshine and fresh air. However, it is helpful to know what types of projects you should focus on to best benefit your landscaping. The following are some ideas to help you get your yard into shape in the spring and keep it healthy and looking its best through the year.

Consider Your Yard's Shade and Sun

As you take care of your yard's existing landscaping and add in any new landscaping, it is important to take into account the amount of sunshine and any shade that covers your yard throughout the day. Some types of vegetation will need partial shade and will grow well below the shade of a tree, and other vegetation will not. Be sure you check into the type of vegetation and its need for sunlight for it to thrive. 

This consideration should also take into account your lawn that is growing in your yard. If any part of your lawn that is covered in shade for a portion of all of the day is looking thin, you need to switch the type of grass that is growing there. This can often occur when you have trees in your yard that have grown in since you planted your lawn and are now producing more shade than in the past. 

You can supplement in a new type of lawn seed throughout the existing thin lawn to help it to grow more thickly. Over-seed the area of your lawn that is looking poorly with a new lawn seed for your climate that is good for shady areas. Just sprinkle the seed into the area and water it well.

Loosen Up Your Soil

Soil compaction is a problem that can become more evident in the spring after a season of winter snow and ice has been laying over the top of your yard's soil. When you begin to plan in any new annuals, it is a good time for you to loosen up the soil and work into soil amendments to boost its health and aid in oxygen getting into the soil. 

Use a hand trowel or shovel to loosen up compacted soil and mix in some compost mixture into the area. Bagged manure from a local landscape company or home and garden store is a good option, as it can boost the soil's nutrient level while you loosen the area up. Also, look at applying a layer of mulch over the surface of the soil to keep the moisture level protected when the summer heat intensifies. When you use a wood chip mulch, it will decompose and add nutrients back into the soil as it protects from weed germination.

For more information about residential landscaping maintenance, contact a local landscaping professional.

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