Spring Your Property Into Shape Before The Warm Weather Returns

Winter is one of the harshest months for plants and people alike to deal with – shorter days, cooler air, less heat – all a recipe for the winter blues. But with January behind us, we are one step closer to spring! Now is a great time to start thinking about your spring landscapes and what you can do now to make them as ready for the warmer months as possible. We’ve compiled a list of five things you should plan to do to prime your property for its best spring look yet!

Put Trust in Your Plants, They Know What’s Best

Hurricanes and violent thunderstorms aside, Texas is home to some of the mildest weather in the country, especially during the winter months, so your properties are already at an advantage. The mild weather is easier on your trees, shrubs, and flowers. During the colder months, most plants go into a dormant stage where they stop growing as a way to reduce their energy output. This, in turn, helps protect the plant’s cells from harsh cold temps and frost. This level of self-induced plant protection often turns them brown and almost dead looking – but have no fear, they will bounce back! This is all part of the plant’s structure to protect itself. It usually takes a few weeks to return to their original state, but we promise you that they will. Pansies are an excellent example of this and are a great winter flower to add a pop of color to your properties.

Get The Most Out of Your Foliage

If you prefer that your plants and foliage look the same year-round, we suggest adding plants, trees, and shrubs that don’t change throughout the year, such as dusty miller, oaks, and Italian stone pine. If you are looking for a great winter flower, we can’t recommend violas enough! They actually bloom in the winter, giving your property a great pop of color in the gloomiest season of the year. We also recommend adding a 4″ layer of mulch to beds for an extra layer of protection to the roots during the winter.

Winter Planting. Sounds Just Crazy Enough to Work!

Even though it goes against our gut, the winter is one of the best times to plant trees, shrubs, vines, bushes, or flowers. Planting in the winter gives plants more time to develop their nutrient-rich roots, which are critical to the success and lifespan of the plant. The longer the roots have to flourish, the heartier and better equipped the plants will be to withstand the hot summer Texas heat.

Brighten Up A Gloomy Day With Some Color

In nursery school, most of us learned the old adage “April’s showers bring May’s flowers” and have carried this with us through adulthood. So it may come as a shock to learn that not all plants and flowers bloom in the spring. Some of the most popular and colorful flowering plants such as marigolds, pansies, snapdragons, petunia, and violets are sturdy enough to survive frosty evenings as well as endure the Texas summer sun.

Hardscaping: The New Winter Pastime

If you are dreaming of warmer days to install planters, walkways, barriers, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, xeriscaping, decorative rock, or gravel, we’re happy to tell you that your dreams can become a reality now! It may surprise you, but winter is the ideal time to install these items on your property. Since plants go into their dormant state during the winter months, it’s much easier to install and maneuver hardscape elements around the barren trees, plants, and shrubs, ensuring as little disruption to the current landscape as possible.

What EarthWorks Is Doing To Best Prep For Spring

As landscaping experts, we are always one step ahead. Our team is actively on-site cutting back all perennials and ornamental grasses as well as pruning crape myrtle ( a flowering tree). This helps to prep your properties for a successful budding and flowering season. We strive to get by on two-color changes each year, but if bad weather doesn’t allow for that, we have another color changeout we can do in March. Your properties are also at an advantage as we have several greenhouses that grow beautiful plants for your properties year-round.

Don’t Delay, Call Us Today!

Don’t just budget your spring planting in April. Think about planting now to prevent any landscape project delays and beat the spring planting rush. To get a head start on your spring planting project, contact us today to speak to one of our landscaping specialists.