Top 5 Things to Make Your Landscape Fit for Spring in Northern VA

Northern Virginia residential homeowners often ask us at O’Grady’s Landscape what should be done in the wintertime to have a lush and beautiful lawn and landscape for the spring. Now is a good time of the year to assess your lawn and landscape for upkeep, areas of concern and possible areas that you would like to enhance with plantings or hardscapes.

O’Grady’s Landscape recommends the following winter prep tips for your lawn and landscape so that you are off and running in the Spring with the outdoor presence your home deserves.

Fall feeding of grasses
Cut back roses
Trimming deciduous trees including their crossing branches
Clean beds and mulch
Address drainage concerns

Winter is a great time to transplant since plants are currently dormant. If you have a design or would like a planting design, now is a great time to get started. O’Grady’s Landscape designs plantings and hardscape year-round.

One of the areas of concern for many is that their lawn looks drab in the winter and this can easily be adjusted by adding key plantings to beds which can include bare-root trees and roses which can be planted before the spring. In addition, adding evergreens, Western Redbud, hollies, Boxwoods to name a few will bring color and depth to a yard in the winter.

Following are winter plantings that can bring texture and attractiveness to a winter garden:

Techny Gold has a gorgeous foliage with develops and deeps through the winter months. The golden variegation and texture bring excitement to your garden.
American Holly is an evergreen with little red berries that are festive and fun for holidays and bring color to your lawn all winter. The leaves are also fun with shiny leaves.
Sycamore Tree is a large tree that grows well in wet areas. The bark is attractive with mature gigantic branches.
Winterberry – These trees are easy keepers! They also have gorgeous berries to bring texture and color to your landscape.

Drainage issues often come up in the fall and winter with rain and snow that can cause havoc on your landscape if it does not properly drain. Creek beds are functional and look lovely too. Now is the time to assess your landscape and consider the use of a lawn renovation with drainage to solve water issues.

Winter yard clean-ups are a great way to keep your home looking its best. Pruning dead branches, cutting back overgrown bushes and thinning branches, removal of any leaves and debris that may be in your beds which can help with avoiding the growth of molds.

Hardscape designs and installations are often overlooked during the winter months; however, this is often a great time to build your outdoor living spaces along with walkways, driveways, retaining walls and other hardscape features. O’Grady’s Landscape has been serving Northern Virginia residential homeowners since 1991 and our team would gladly meet with you to discuss your lawn and landscape ideas and making winter fun! Contact us at 703-533-5001 or at [email protected].