Winter Landscaping Tips
If you’re not sure what to do with your lawn during winter, there are many opportunities for beautiful and useful winter landscaping. With the right trees, shrubs and other plants on your property, you can create a gorgeous winter aesthetic. Winter is also the perfect time for critical maintenance, like staking your lawn, which can help keep your lawn protected for the winter, and jumpstart your lawn’s growth in the spring.
Consider these top winter landscaping ideas to keep your lawn healthy and looking great during harsh Indiana winters.
1. Plant Winter-Friendly Shrubs and Grasses
One of the easiest ways to ensure your lawn looks good through the cold-weather months is to plant winter-friendly shrubs and grasses. Plants like evergreens, hellebores, reed grass and other ornamental grasses do particularly well in winter. You can also choose plants that flourish year-round, such as daphne plants and lavender.
Whichever plants you choose, make sure to read the plant label for details about their foliage and care requirements.
2. Focus on Bark and Berries
You can also add visual interest to your winter landscape by choosing trees with unique bark and colorful berries. Trees like dogwood and birch have unique bark that stands out and creates attractive focal points. Crabapple trees are also an excellent choice for a pop of color, as they retain their fruit during winter.
3. Protect Against Road Salt
Road salt is a must for safe travel during winter weather, but it can cause significant damage to your lawn. When road salt runoff is absorbed into your soil, it replaces the essential minerals that your lawn needs, altering soil structure, aeration and permeability. Runoff is especially detrimental in late winter and early spring, as it limits your lawn’s water uptake. Road salt spray that sits on the surface of your lawn can also cause grass blades to burn or die.
You can protect your lawn against road salt by covering shrubs and small trees, installing snow fencing, shoveling snow away from your lawn and flushing out your soil with plenty of water.
4. Winterize Sprinkler Systems
Any water in your sprinkler system can freeze during winter and cause burst pipes and other major damage. By shutting off the water supply, draining the pipes and insulating them, you can ensure no water remains in your sprinklers. Forcing compressed air through the system is also a great way to push out any accumulated water.
5. Trim and Prune
The dormant winter season is the perfect time to trim and prune trees, bushes and other shrubs. Without leaves or new growth, it is easier to spot and remove damaged branches, cut overgrown shrubs and trim ornamental grasses. Trimming and pruning in the winter help plants grow back faster and healthier for optimal lawn results.
Contact Ricci’s Landscape Management for Indiana Winter Landscaping
If you need winter landscaping in Indiana, Ricci’s Landscape Management can help. We offer lawn fertilization services which also include a winterization round to protect your root system and allow your lawn to green up quickly in spring.
For more information about how we can assist you, request a quote today.