BestYard Blogs

Halloween Safety Tips for your Lawn 

  As the seasons transition and the growing season ends, many homeowners face the annual challenge of managing yard waste. Fallen leaves, grass clippings, straw, and various plant debris accumulate as we prepare our landscapes for the winter months. Instead of resorting to the conventional method of bagging and disposing of these materials in landfills,... Read more »

Plant fall bulbs now for spring color. The fall months, specifically September and October, are the best times to plant bulbs for a colorful display next spring. To break out of their dormant state, bulbs need 12 – 14 weeks of cold temperatures (below 45 degrees). There are many different bulbs to choose from including;... Read more »

Lawns help cool our environment and make our backyards more enjoyable in the warm months. Through spring and summer—especially this year—they can be the focus of our outdoor activities. As we head into fall, take some time to change up your lawn care routine to help it continue to serve us well next year. Here... Read more »

Spring isn’t the only time to fill your beds, borders, and containers with flowers. Add color, texture, and cheer to your fall garden. Pansies and Violas are the main ones for fall planting. They prefer the cool weather. They can take frosts and still bloom! You get your money’s worth when you plant them in... Read more »

Early Fall Lawn Care to prepare your yard for the coming winter  Clean up your garden beds: Remove debris, leaves, and weeds. You can put in edging and re-mulch for the winter. Put potted material inside: to protect them from the upcoming freezing temperatures. Plant bulbs for spring: Popular bulbs are tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses.... Read more »

  Check out these easy and practical end-of-summer landscaping tips designed to extend the season and keep your outdoor living area healthy and comfortable. Watering- Watering your lawn and garden can be problematic, depending on local limitations. About 1 inch of water is all your lawn needs to push through the dog days of summer.... Read more »

With days getting shorter, now is a great time to think about how lighting can help you make the most of your yard. We are almost a month from the first day of fall; landscape lighting can help give us more time outdoors. Lighting can enhance our outdoor experiences, accessibility, security, and ambiance. Landscape lighting benefits Whether... Read more »

Now is an excellent time to think about how to keep our four-legged friends safe while maintaining our landscapes. Avoid potentially dangerous plants. Many dogs dig up or chew bulbs and plants. If your dog is curious and likes to dig or taste what’s growing, keep dangerous plants in an area that pups can’t access or... Read more »

Flower breeding companies invest years of time and money in developing new plant varieties, colors, and traits. They are constantly improving current varieties, like the ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. Some specific traits they look for in flower breeding are; more flowers, larger flowers, different flower shapes, specific colors, and disease resistance. This same... Read more »

Learn what is damaging your tree and how to stop it. Distinguish between plant damage brought on by diseases, insects, or a nutrient deficiency. Learn to identify these pests and how to protect the trees. Beetles and bugs are damaging our trees. Ash Bark Beetle – These beetles account for most of the decline of... Read more »

Now that the rain seems to be slowing down and we are entering 90-degree days, what should we be looking out for in our gardens? With these warmer days, the existing planting in your garden may start to look as if they need more water. Some leaves will become droopy in the hot part of... Read more »

What is too hot? This will depend on the plants – Cool season plants like pansies, snapdragons, and veggies like broccoli, lettuce, etc. don’t like temps above 75. You will see those veggies bolt, (Go to flower and seed). Warm season plants like tomatoes, peppers, squashes, zinnia, impatiens, & annual vinca love & thrive in... Read more »

Do You Know How To Keep Your Grass Green? 

Here’s how to cycle and soak: Break up your watering into shorter intervals. For example, if you usually water an area of lawn for about 15 minutes, then don’t apply all the water within one 15-minute timeframe. Watering all at once creates run-off and wasted water your plants won’t get to use. Instead, break the... Read more »

A favorite family activity each 4th of July may be to have a sparkler and write something in the sky! Most people usually throw the used sparkler on the ground and forget about it. Do not do that! It is bad for your lawn! Get a bucket of water! Fill your bucket with water and... Read more »

The rain has been a key factor in how our landscapes look. We should be doing some things to keep our outdoor spaces beautiful.   Pruning overgrown shrubs and hedges Clean pruning shears between cuts to prevent disease Cut dead or wilted flowers to allow more to grow Cut back overgrowth on the large shrubs... Read more »

  Pollinators need sources of water for many purposes, including drinking. Butterflies and bees will gather and sip at shallow pools, mud puddles, or birdbaths. You can easily create one of these water sources in your landscapes. Why it is important to provide water for beneficial insects. • Pollinators need sources of water for many... Read more »

Credit: Colorado State University Extension – Fire-Resistant Landscaping – 6.303   Homeowners need to know how landscaping can help protect their homes. Planting and maintaining a “defensible space” of a landscape is more difficult to ignite and can offer significant fire protection. Steps to become more fire-wise with your landscapes: Avoid placing plants too close together. Spacing... Read more »

Much like any appliance in your home, sprinkler systems need a tune-up. Efficient tune ups may include: Running each sprinkler zone and looking for broken heads or dirty nozzles where the spray does not look consistent. Making sure that nozzles are not mis-aligned and spraying rocks or concrete instead of the lawn. Straighten any sprinkler... Read more »