Landscape Renovation

This is a great time of year to do your landscape renovations. This may include pruning, relocating or even replanting your landscape. Here are several suggestions to help your landscape flourish.

• Trim dead, unsightly or unwanted growth. Train your plants to grow where and how you want them to grow. Of course, this must be within reason, it depends on the growth pattern of the plant. If a plant has outgrown its welcome, consider replanting with a plant that will reach full growth and will not exceed the selected location.
• When transplanting, take into consideration the amount of root system that will be lost during removal. Damaging a large amount of root system will result in die-back or total loss. It is also recommended, when relocating plants, that proper locations are identified. It would not be wise to relocate a plant that requires full sun to a location that has full or part shade. Also, make sure that the plants are grouped by watering needs. Planting a cactus in an area with tropical plants would be a challenge to water. It will leave plants over or under watered, especially if an irrigation system is used.
  
• Replacing plants in the landscape can offer many benefits. Primarily, this allows for better plant selection. Selecting plants that require less fertilization and less water is a must for our area. In addition, selecting plants for the landscape can be a daunting task. Just visit any nursery and your mind will overload with the possibilities. With a little research and some forethought, plant selection can be a breeze. Select the right plant for the right place. Take into consideration the amount of sun and water a plant will require given a certain location. Select plants that are adapted to your area and your lifestyle. If you are not one to have the gumption to do regular yard work, consider plants that are easy to maintain or require little or no maintenance. It is equally important to select plants that are healthy and full of life. Selecting plant that have been neglected will only cost more money in the future. Once a plant has been abused either temporarily or routinely, it is likely the plants will struggle to maintain healthy growth throughout its life. Replacing plants can also lead into the addition of herbs or plants that attract birds and butterflies.
• Lastly, mulching is a great procedure that will save water and decrease weed problems. Mulch applied at 3 to 4 inches will readily reduce weed growth. In addition, utilizing weed mats will also reduce weed and keep maintenance down to a minimum. The moisture benefit is the biggest saver. Less is more!.. Less water saves more for the future.
  

These are just a few things I have contemplated while renovating some of my landscape.
Happy Landscaping!