Spring Landscaping Checklist: Make Your Yard Pretty

As snow and ice melt away, the coming of spring can reveal silent winter damage. The coldest months of the year are often the hardest in homes and landscaping. Use the fresh spring season to springboard your home improvement efforts. A thorough spring landscaping checklist will keep you on track for a well-maintained home year-round.

Assess Winter Damage to Your Outdoor Spaces

Winter weather can wreak havoc on your landscaping. Water expands when it freezes. If there’s sufficient moisture in the soil when it freezes, the water will form ice lenses. These small bodies of ice push the soil upward in a phenomenon known as frost heave. Frost heave can lift pavers, sidewalks, fence posts, and even concrete slabs.

Freeze-thaw cycles put added strain on your landscaping, as it goes back and forth from soft and soggy to rigid and frozen. This cycle can cause slabs, porches, and pavers to shift, sink, and crack. Winter weather can erode the sand between pavers, creating further instability.

As spring approaches, take a walk around your property to look for signs of damage like cracked concrete, uneven pavers, and discolored surfaces. As the snow thaws and you enter the rainy season, watch for pooling water or other drainage issues. Noting problem areas now will help you formulate a well-rounded action plan for your spring landscaping.

Clean Up Debris and Prepare Your Yard

A thorough cleanup is the first step to beautifying your yard for spring. Clean your gutters and inspect them for signs of damage. As you’re removing the debris you cleared from your gutters, make the rounds of your house and clean weeds, leaf litter, and other debris away from the house. Rake mulch away from the foundation so you’re not holding moisture up against the sides of the home.

Cover the yard picking up twigs and branches, raking away leaf litter, and cleaning up other debris. Pressure wash stone paving and patios to remove moss, dirt, and stains. A PSI between 1,500 and 2,000 is sufficient for most pavers. Keep the nozzle of the pressure washer about 12 inches from the surface of the paver and move in a slow sweeping motion. After pressure washing, you may need to resand the joints between paver stones. It’s also important to seal your pavers or concrete to maintain a fresh appearance after this type of cleaning.

Refresh and Enhance Your Landscape Beds

Refresh the ground cover to enhance your home and gardens. Proper ground cover will discourage weeds, regulate soil temperature and moisture, and prevent erosion. Install rock, such as gravel or river rock, around the foundation of the home to improve water drainage. Decorative stone ground cover is also excellent in high-traffic areas or those landscaped with drought-resistant plants like succulents or conifers.

A fresh layer of mulch will rejuvenate gardens that need more moisture. Mulch needs to be replenished every year or two, as it breaks down over time. Mulch requires more maintenance, but it enhances soil health and helps to keep things damp in times of drought. A combination of mulch and stone is best for most landscaping.

Improve Drainage with Stone and Gravel Solutions

Drainage is essential throughout your landscaping. Poor drainage can compromise the stability of your foundation, driveway, patio, and pavers. Standing water also encourages mold, mosquitoes, termites, and other insects. Water runoff can cause erosion, too, reshaping your yard in unwanted ways.

Drainage installations direct the flow of water to protect your landscaping and home. Stone and gravel are solid solutions. Make sure you pick the right shape and size. Use small, smooth pea gravel under 3/8″ in size around the home’s foundation. Gravel around the house should be at least six inches deep and slope away from the foundation.

Create a solid foundation for pavers with mid-sized crushed stone. Crushed stone has an uneven surface that interlocks for a strong, stable base. Use large river rock that’s at least 1″ around for heavy water areas like drainage ditches and dry creek beds. Map and measure all your drainage features so you can make an accurate materials list for your projects.

Plan New Hardscaping Features and Walkways

Hardscaping gives form and function to your outdoor spaces. Stone walls help prevent erosion while defining key areas like an outdoor kitchen, tiered garden beds, or an entryway. Patios provide the perfect place for gathering outdoors. Clear walkways help manage traffic and preserve the lush nature of your lawn.

Brick and concrete pavers are both effective and beautiful for these features. Your home’s architectural style will determine the best materials for the job. Brick looks stunning with colonial, Tudor, or traditional buildings. Smooth concrete pavers are an ideal choice for modern or contemporary homes. Natural or irregular stone complements a farmhouse or cottage.

Maintain and Repair Existing Stone Elements

Spring landscaping is important even if you’re not doing any updates or installations this year. Brick or stone walls and patios need repointing to fill in where the mortar has worn away, or fresh sand between paver joints. Materials like concrete and natural stone require cleaning and sealing. Repairing a worn brick patio costs anywhere from $10 to $20 per square foot. Natural stone repair runs from $14 to $17 per square foot. For concrete, you’ll typically invest between $5 and $20 per square foot in repairs.

If you do your own surface cleaning and joint filling, it will keep costs lower. However, if you don’t complete your spring landscaping checklist, you may have a hefty repair bill the following year.

Get Your Spring Landscaping Projects Started

Early planning and material sourcing will keep you on track for a refreshed home this spring. Visit Stone Depot early in the season for the best selection of stone, gravel, and landscaping materials before peak demand hits later in the season. Reach out now for more information on what’s on stock and when you should come in.