Maintaining a beautiful and healthy yard involves two key components: the regular care of your lawn and the thoughtful design and upkeep of your landscape. While lawn care focuses on the green expanse of grass, landscaping creates the surrounding framework of trees, shrubs, and garden beds. A successful yard integrates both of these elements into a cohesive, thriving outdoor space.

Essential lawn care for a healthy turf

A lush, green lawn is not a happy accident; it's the result of consistent, proper care. Here are the core practices for maintaining your turf:

Mowing

• Keep it high: Avoid "scalping" your lawn by setting your mower at the highest recommended height for your grass type. Cutting grass too short stresses the plant, making it more susceptible to disease.

• Follow the one-third rule: Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade's height in a single mowing.

• Keep blades sharp: Dull mower blades tear and bruise the grass, creating a ragged appearance and leaving the plant vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Watering

• Water deeply, not frequently: Watering for short periods daily encourages weak, shallow roots. Instead, water deeply but less often to promote a strong, drought-resistant root system.

• Water in the morning: This allows the water to soak into the soil before the sun evaporates it and gives the grass blades time to dry, which helps prevent fungal diseases.

Fertilizing

• Test your soil first: Before applying fertilizer, perform a soil test to understand its nutrient composition and pH level. This ensures you apply the right product and quantity for your lawn's specific needs.

• Choose the right fertilizer: Use a slow-release granular fertilizer to provide a steady supply of nutrients over time. For the best results, fertilize cool-season grasses in the fall and warm-season grasses in the spring.

Aerating and dethatching

• Aerate: Over time, soil can become compacted, restricting the flow of air, water, and nutrients to the roots. Aerating (poking small holes in the lawn) alleviates this issue.

• Dethatch: Thatch is a layer of organic material between the grass blades and soil. While a thin layer is healthy, excessive thatch blocks air and moisture. Dethatch your lawn if the layer is thicker than one-half inch.

Thoughtful landscaping for a vibrant yard

While a well-maintained lawn provides a beautiful foundation, landscaping adds structure, color, and texture to your outdoor space.

Start with a plan

• Assess your space: Take stock of your yard's conditions, including sun and shade patterns, soil type, and drainage.

• Create a design: Sketch out a plan that includes both hardscape elements (patios, walkways) and softscape features (plants, garden beds).

Build healthy soil

• Amend with compost: Add organic matter like compost to enrich your soil. This is the single most important step for improving any type of soil, from heavy clay to loose sand.

• Choose the right plants: Select plants that are well-suited to your soil and climate. Native plants are an excellent, low-maintenance option.

Work from the ground up

• Hardscape first: Install any patios, walkways, or retaining walls before planting. This prevents damage to delicate plants during construction.

• Plant in layers: Place trees and large shrubs first, as they form the backbone of your landscape. Fill in with smaller shrubs and perennials, and use ground cover to define garden beds and suppress weeds.

• Use mulch: Apply a layer of mulch around plants to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and keep weeds at bay.

Choosing between DIY and professional services

For those with time and a passion for yard work, a DIY approach can be very rewarding. However, if you have a busy schedule, a professional service can ensure your yard receives consistent, expert care. Many homeowners find a blended approach works best, handling routine lawn care themselves and calling in professionals for larger landscaping projects or specific treatments like aeration and weed control.