Spring Yard Walk

For those of you in the north, this is an excellent time of year to go outside and take a close look at your yard. It doesn't matter if there is still snow, water puddles or mud puddles on the ground , that is actually what we are going to look at. Take it from a landscape designer, these are things you should observe in the spring time to make best use of your property.

Ask yourself:

• Where does the snow melt away from first?
• Where does the water tend to flow and puddle?
• What areas turn to mud?
• Where does the snow stay the longest?
• Which plants did the wildlife and birds damage or destroy?

Jot all these observations down in a journal (you may have to start one if you don't have one). The answers to these questions will help you decide where your spring bulbs should be planted next fall, where you need to deal with drainage by grading (sloping) the land, which plants you need to protect next winter or totally get rid of. It's amazing what you can learn and observe about your property at this time of year. Go ahead and take a walk around and see what you can see. You never know, you may just make a interesting discovery, something you never even knew was there because foliage and snow hides it the rest of the year.