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Freezing cold days, winter weather advisories, school cancelations: It sure does feel like springtime is a long way away.

While that may be the case, it is never too soon to think about what your yard will look like once it emerges from the springtime thaw. Owner Justin Hayden provides a few of his personal tips to get your property in tip-top shape for the spring and summer months. Check out the video below!

If you are looking for a reliable year-round landscaping company to get your property warm-weather-ready, check out our year-round plans. If you would like to learn more, please contact us today.

For property owners, a beautiful lawn is a point of pride. It’s the first impression people have when approaching your home or business, making a beautiful lawn worth the work. While most people regularly mow, weed wack, fertilize, and edge their lawns, aeration is a lesser-utilized but no less important part of a healthy and lush lawn.

What is Aeration?

Proper lawn care starts with fulfilling a lawn’s basic needs: water and air. Aeration is the simple act of creating small holes through the lawn to allow water, air, and other nutrients to enrich the soil.

Aeration Reduces Soil Compaction and Thatching

You’re probably familiar with “Do not step on grass” signs in public places. These have a purpose – to prevent soil compaction. Compaction causes soil erosion and impairs your lawn’s ability to accept the flow of air and water. For those with large lawns this usually turns out to be unavoidable. Whether it be playing lawn games, lounging outside in the sun, kids playing, or simply walking across it, people compact the grass on a regular basis just through our regular activities.

Aeration solves this by relieving the compaction and opening space that allows air to get to the roots and encourage water drainage. Regular aeration is required to make sure soil compaction and eventual thatching do not destroy the lawn.

Aeration Improves Air, Water, and Fertilizer Absorption

Once lawn compaction is relieved, your lawn can breathe again. These punctures create a path for air, water, and fertilizers to enrich the soil. It is a best practice to fertilize immediately after aeration because it ensures those essential nutrients penetrate through the lawn and into the soil. Without professional aeration, the lawn will fail to receive the maximum benefit from those vital nutrients.

Aeration Creates Strong Roots and Reduces Pooling and Run Off

Aeration is essential for ensuring the healthy strength of grass roots and the reduction of pooling. Though we don’t think about it often, grass is a series of plants living side by side across a wide space. It can get congested and create mismatched growth. Routine aeration allows grass roots to grow properly within their own space in the soil.

The reduction of pooling and runoff is one of the most critical effects of aeration. Heavy thatch prevents water from properly reaching the soil beneath where it is absorbed. So what happens to the excess water from rainfall? It creates a pool on the surface of the lawn, killing the grass and the roots underneath. Or, the water creates runoffs from hills and valuable nutrients in rainwater are moved away from the soil. A properly aerated lawn provides paths for that water to flow into the soil, providing nutrients and preventing lawn damage.

How can I properly aerate my yard?

The proper equipment and time to aerate a yard differs greatly depending on how big your yard is and what kind of soil is beneath the surface. If you think it’s time to check if your lawn is properly aerated give us a call at 1-(207) 712-5554 or email us at info@acyardservices.com. We would love to show you what we can do to make sure your lawn is lush and healthy.

Whether you’re putting in a new perennial flower bed, filling in your existing landscaping beds with annuals or simply need to replace a few plants, the right mix of fresh flowers and plants can help take the appearance of your property to the next level.

We asked owner, Justin Hayden, to share three of his favorite plantings, Check out what he has to say below. If you are looking for some more inspiration, check out our blog post on more of our favorite plantings.

The snow has mostly melted and the days are getting longer. Yes, it’s true, spring has actually arrived here in Maine.

With spring’s arrival comes the thought of getting your yard and garden ready for the warm weather. So, naturally, we wanted to share with you some of the plants that work well for spring planting in Maine. Our list of recommendations, courtesy of Owner Justin Hayden, contains flowers in a variety of colors and sizes, so there are options for every garden.

Coreopsis (golden glow):

This golden yellow flower can grow to heights as tall as ten inches and will last until late fall. If you’re looking for a flower to fill up a large space in your yard with color, golden glow is a good option. Plus, golden glow is a perennial that also transplants well.

Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower):

A perennial, the purple coneflower can be planted in spring but will bloom in late-summer/fall. As its name suggests, it is a pink-purple color. The flower can grow up to three feet tall, and will help attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard.

Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan):

The black-eyed Susan is a bright yellow flower with a dark center that can add color to your yard right up until the fall. There are many different varieties of black-eyed Susans, so you can pick and choose which size and which flowering type are best suited for your garden and for your gardening schedule.

Lupine:

Lupines are a favorite in Maine. Once late spring hits, the lupine’s tall, colorful flowers can be spotted everywhere from roadsides to meadows to gardens. You can plant lupines either by sowing seeds or by getting permission from a landowner to dig up and transplant wild lupines into your garden. Lupines are perennials, but generally will not bloom in the first year of planting.

Bloodroot

Native to our eastern region, the bloodroot flower has white petals and a yellow center. The flowers will bloom earlier than others in your garden, making them a good option for gardeners looking to get their yards looking cheerful as early as possible.

Iris:

There are hundreds of varieties of iris flowers, but the most common one found in gardens is the iris germanica, which can grow over two feet tall and stand out above other plants in your yard. A bright and hardy perennial, the iris is a great choice for Maine gardens.

Grape hyacinth:

The grape hyacinth earns its name due to its blue-purple bulbous flowers that just so happen to look like grapes. The plant blooms early in the spring, so it can add a pop of color and a unique looking flower to your garden before other flowers start to bloom.

Daffodils:

One of the most cheerful flowers, the bright yellow daffodil can bring life to any garden. They are an easy-to-grow perennial, but if you want them to bloom in the spring you will need to plant the bulbs in the fall. Start planning ahead for next year!

Tulips:

Like daffodils, tulip bulbs should be planted in the fall. If you have some sprouting up in your garden, expect them to re-arrive every year as they are a perennial. If you like to have an early harbinger of spring, it’s worth planting tulips in your yard in the fall. Tulips are one of the first flowers to bloom.

Pansy:

A smaller plant, pansies come in a wide variety of colors, so you can pick and choose the flowers that will fit best with the overall color scheme of your garden.

Lilac:

The scent of lilac trees beginning to bloom is a sure sign that the warmer weather has arrived to Maine. Lilacs are most often found in white and purple varieties, but do come in seven different colors. The trees can grow as tall as 15 feet, so not only can they add a lovely burst of color to a spring yard, but they could be used in some of the ways you might consider using more traditional shrubbery – privacy, growth near a boundary line, etc.

Even though we live in a colder climate, we still have many options for keeping our yards and gardens beautiful in Maine. Once winter is over, it’s worth it to celebrate by creating colorful, vibrant landscapes in your yard.