We may be living with a sense of uncertainty as to what life may look like after this period of stay-at-home social distancing is over but there are some things we can do to ensure that the grass will be greener – literally! – on the other side of quarantine. This would be the perfect time to give your lawn the attention it needs to grow lush and green all season…as well as to prepare your gardens – or flower boxes, if you don’t have a lawn or garden to work with – for beautiful blooms.
Keeping in mind that staying home is the goal at the moment, the following suggestions are limited to things that can be done without the need to shop at a store for supplies. All these activities are also great ways to get outside, safely and responsibly, for fresh air and exercise!
- Clean up dead leaves and twigs, from both your lawn and garden…think of it as the real-life version of a game of Pick-Up Sticks (with the perks of fresh air and exercise)!
- Rip out those pesky weeds before they have the chance to multiply and grow. If you happen to have mulch on hand, now is a good time to lay it down to keep down future weed growth.
- Aerate your lawn. No aerator? You can put on a pair of cleats or golf shoes. Take a nice stroll around your yard to punch holes in the soil. These holes will allow water and oxygen – and fertilizer, if you already have it on hand – to enter the soil more effectively.
- Prune bushes. Before they start to bloom and grow out-of-control, take the time now to trim back and shape bushes and hedges.
- Divide the plants you have. Do you happen to have propagating-friendly flowers or bushes in your yard?, separate them for additional pops of color
- If you already have your fertilizer or weed control products at home, taking a walk around the yard with the spreader would be a great stretch of the legs as well!
- If you don’t have a lawn or garden to work with, you can still turn over and weed the soil in your flower boxes to get them ready for seeding. Plant your seeds if you already have them. You can purchase seeds online from many companies including Burpee and Amazon
Spending some time preparing your lawn and garden for the growing season is sure to pay off…just as April showers bring May flowers, a well-prepared lawn is sure to be lush and green all season! It is also worth mentioning that studies have shown maintaining a lush lawn has proven health benefits; including stress reduction, improved air quality and allergy relief.
There are many additional resources available online to help answer your lawn and garden questions. You can even find sites that provide suggestions for future projects! for example, Home Depot and Lowes. Penn State even offers a hotline
Happy Gardening!
