BestYard Blogs

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...

  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...

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...

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...

Why use drip irrigation? Drip irrigation systems save water by controlling a slow drip to the roots of the plants. Pipes can be either above the surface or buried below the soil to target the root zone and minimize evaporation. When partnered with smart irrigation technologies, drip irrigation helps...

The ground is warm, we shouldn’t have any more freezes (fingers crossed), sprinkler systems are turned on and nurseries are getting truck deliveries of new plants daily. Now is a great time to visit your local nursery or garden center and check out some of spring’s best “smart” plants....

Many people live where they don’t have space for a garden. A container garden is the perfect solution for all ages and all abilities. Almost anything can be grown in a container, except a large tree. One of the most manageable containers is a hanging basket. There are so...

There are those of us who don’t relish contact with insects and worms while working in the yard, but many of them are actually quite beneficial. For instance: Ladybugs and lacewings prey upon damaging aphids and whiteflies. Ground beetles eat caterpillars and Colorado potato beetles, so they may serve...

Why plant native trees? 1.     They are inherently adapted to this area. (Soils, temperature fluctuations, climate) 2.     Once established, can it do without supplemental fertilization, watering, pruning? 3.     Planting these types of trees and shrubs helps maintain BIODIVERSITY. These trees help birds, butterflies,...

#1 – Wake up your lawn with a soak—not a splash—of water. Since the past winter has been very dry, we need to apply water as Mother Nature does during an ideal springtime. Spring rains, that soak in and rain again in seven-day to ten-day cycles, are great for...