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Winter is behind us, and spring is here. It’s common to get a case of “spring fever” and want to get outdoors. For some it’s a quick walk and back inside. Others mull over getting started gardening or landscaping. Let’s explore this a bit.

When is the best time to do landscaping?  Maybe the question should be, what’s the weather going to be like? Or when will I have time to shop, install, and plant things? And if you’re contemplating hiring someone, a common question is “When can you do it?”

The ideal timing would be when it’s ‘comfortable’ outside. If it’s comfortable for you, it will probably be comfortable for the plants, too. You try to avoid the hottest and coldest periods, and sometimes the rains, droughts, and wind as well.

Many hardscaping projects are actually best done in summer. Pools, patios, driveways, etc. Long days and good weather make things move along on schedule better.

Professional landscapers may work year-round—though some take winter off. A seasoned expert will have success landscaping in almost all conditions, as he or she can’t just work and earn a living working only when the weather is “perfect.” 

Sowing seeds for flowers and vegetables is a late winter and early spring chore. Many prefer to buy flowers ready to bloom or tomato plants that will bear soon without waiting a long two or three months for fruits. Either way, care must be taken with tender plants not to plant them when the frost or the hot sun might kill them. Watering, weeding, and maybe keeping predators and bugs off will also be necessary. The little chores of spring can be a full-time job for the avid gardener.

The best time to do some landscaping was “last year!” But it does little good to dwell on that subject. Spring is often the season folks begin landscaping projects.

What would you like to do in your landscape this year? And when should you get started? You can begin anytime if you’re doing things yourself. There is generally a delay if you’re hiring to get things done. Everyone else is also trying to find someone for their project.

If you plan to do things yourself, choose a project you can complete. Be flexible. Don’t “bite off more than you can chew,” as the old saying goes. If you have a couple of weekends or weeks of vacation, which projects or how many of them can you complete? The best time to landscape is often when you quit procrastinating and get started rather than delaying until the “perfect time.”

The author is a landscaper. Call (606) 416-3911 and visit www.rockcastles.net