How to Get Your Backyard in Shape for Summer

The weather is warming up and that means one thing – summer BBQ season is almost here! Whether you love to entertain outdoors, grow beautiful flowers or your kids just can’t get enough of that fresh air, it’s essential to have your backyard ready and waiting when the hot weather arrives. Here are some tips from our team.

Maintain Your Lawn

If you want to have that perfect, emerald-green sweep of lawn, then the trick is to maintain it all year round – even in the winter – not just when the warmer weather arrives. But there’s no need for concern – there’s plenty you can do right now that will get your lawn healthy, growing and looking beautiful.

First, go around your yard and clean up all the twigs, branches and debris that collect during winter, then rake all the dead grass out of your lawn. Both the twigs and dead grass can go into your compost pile if you have one. Then, mow your lawn at regular height to ensure its uniform. If you have any dead patches, dig them over gently, plant seeds and keep the ground moist – you’ll start seeing new growth soon.

If you want to treat for weeds, now is the time to do it. Pre-emergent weed killers are highly effective, but only if used within a certain time limit. They will stop new weeds from growing but won’t have an effect on old weeds that have grown through the winter. These will have to be sprayed or dug up and new lawn planted.

Now’s the time to give your lawn a good dose of fertilizer to encourage rapid growth as well as strong, healthy roots. Look for a fertilizer made specifically for lawns, as it will have everything your grass needs, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Spread it as evenly as possible to help ensure uniform growth, and water well.

If you use an irrigation system, do a full check of it before turning it on to make sure any damaged heads or valves are replaced, that the automatic timing system is working properly, and that you are watering within any local restrictions. If you’re wondering how often your lawn needs water at this time of year, it’s recommended that you do a single, deep soak every two to four weeks.

Prepare your flower beds

Those beautiful banks of flowers we love so much all depend on great bed preparation. Start by taking a look at the type of soil in your beds to see what condition it’s in and to determine if it is too sandy or too clayey (your local garden center can help you do a soil test).

It’s best to build up your beds with a few inches of high-quality compost each year to boost the nutrients and organic matter in your soil. You can gently dig this in so that it mixes well with your soil and that your beds get properly aerated.

The next step is to make sure your beds are ready to handle the rain. With poor drainage, beds and plants can get washed away in a storm, and roots that soak in waterlogged ground for days will quickly rot and die.

Make sure your flower beds aren’t positioned too close to your roof’s downpipes, that they are well-aerated and that beds with a lot of clay soil get a good dose of organic matter to help water drain better. Raised beds are another great option as they drain well, but this does mean they may require more frequent watering when it gets very hot and dry.

When choosing plants, it’s easy to get swept away by all the beautiful varieties, but it’s essential to stay strong and focus on the types of plants that will grow well in your garden and in particular flower beds. Think outside the box too – look at different herbs, fruit trees and vegetables as well as flowers for some inspiration. If you’re not sure about what will work in a particular part of your garden, try your local garden center and ask for advice – they can always point you to interesting suggestions!

Update your entertainment space

Since your garden will be looking perfect, you’ll need the ideal spot for family and friends to enjoy it! Take a good look at your outdoor entertainment space and see if it’s right for your summer plans.

While big projects like installing a deck, getting a state-of-the-art BBQ grill or even installing an outdoor kitchen are fantastic, there’s plenty you can do on a budget. Simple updates like refreshing your pot plants, buying new outdoor cushions for your furniture, installing new lighting, refinishing the deck, buying a new picnic dining set or setting out fairy lights for those warm evenings will make your space the perfect place to spend the summer.

The Shiny Key Properties team is a leading property agency in the Dallas and Fort Worth Area. If you’re interested in selling your home quickly, contact us today for a no obligation cash offer for your property.