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Do it now: 7 jobs to get your garden ready for spring

Garden job #1 -> Spoiling lawn

In early spring, the lawn can use extra attention, eliminating the dull color and moss or bare spots.

Practical:

Aerating the top layer of the lawn creates better air circulation. Prick holes in the soil with a pitchfork, especially in areas where the grass is more barren and worse. Remove old grass and moss with a wire rake. Bare spots can now be sown. First sprinkle some garden soil on the spot and spread and level it. Then sow the grass on the spot and rake it in gently.

Advice from the landscaper:

Have you cleared the lawn of debris, aerated it properly and reseeded bare spots? The final step is to fertilize the grass. The best choice for this is an organic fertilizer. Here, pay special attention to the proper composition of the fertilizer.

Watch the video of spring cleaning:

See how landscaper Henri Jansen gets the lawn ready for spring? Check the video.

Garden job #2 -> Cleaning up borders

Do you have borders full of plantings? This is the time of year when everything starts growing again. Time to get the border ready for spring!

Practical:

Remove all leaves from the border with a wire rake. Then loosen the soil well with a trident. This way, you aerate the top layer of the soil, allowing lime and fertilizer to reach the plant roots better.

Advice from the landscaper:

Spreading lime is good for acidity and it allows fertilizers to be absorbed better. Most perennials and shrubs tolerate lime well. But there are also species that require little or no lime. Species such as Astilbe, Kniphofia and Liriope can do just fine without lime. Roughly speaking, you can say that all heathery and evergreen shrubs need little or no lime.

Watch the video of cleaning up the border:

See how landscaper Henri Jansen cleans up the borders? Check the video.

Garden job #3 -> Pruning hedges

Evergreen hedges are best pruned now, so they will soon be fuller in leaf. This will also make the hedge denser.

Practical:

Prune away all dead and protruding branches. This makes the plants more compact and allows them to grow again better. Pruning also makes the plant stronger and healthier again. This can be recognized by fresh green and red leaves without dark spots.

Advice from the landscaper:

Photinia fraseri 'Red Robin' or Glossy Medlar is a colorful shrub that stands out for its beautiful, bright red young leaves. This evergreen plant is great as a hedge. Also consider the bay laurel. This shrub is also perfect for use as a foliage hedge. Like the Glossy Spurge, the Laurel remains evergreen and you can choose from several varieties.

Watch the video with pruning tips on the Glossy Spur:

See how gardener Henri Jansen prunes the Glossy Spruce? Check out the video.

Garden job #4 -> Tackling hydrangeas

Everyone knows the Plume Hydrangea: it is a feast for the eyes. Prune it now to enjoy the large conical flowers. Does your Hydrangea have many branches growing close together? Cut out branches in early spring. This will allow more air and light to reach the plant and allow it to rejuvenate with new, fresh shoots.

Practical:

Pay attention to how you prune the plant: if you prune off the branch whorls completely, it actually ends up promoting the growth of even more branch whorls. Over time, the plant will then produce fewer and smaller flowers. If you want to continue to enjoy the beautiful blooms that the Hydrangea is known for, remove the old dead wood now.

Advice from the landscaper:

One of the characteristics of Hydrangeas is that the flowers can change color. Did you know that these beautiful plants grow best in slightly acidic soil?

Watch the video with pruning tips on the Hydrangea:

See how gardener Henri Jansen prunes the Hydrangeas? Check the video

Garden job #5 -> Cutting ornamental grasses short

Ornamental grasses like Penisetum and Miscanthus, keep their ornamental value well into winter. Now is the time to cut them back considerably. This will give the plant more light and space, allowing it to develop better in the spring.

Practical:

Prune the ornamental grasses all the way back to the ground and root well over the remaining stumps to get out all the dead bits of stem. You can also go over the plant with a leaf rake to remove the loose bits.

Advice from the landscaper:

After pruning, see that there is a bare spot in the base of the ornamental grass? Scoop out the plant and tear or prune it in half. Put back the most vital part. This way you rejuvenate the plant.

Watch the video with pruning tips on ornamental grasses:

See how gardener Henri Jansen prunes the ornamental grasses? Check out the video.

Garden job #6 -> Providing or removing slate work on trees

Slate trees are often installed as yard fencing to hide a distracting view from view. But beware: slate work is only wise if the type of tree is suitable for it. And keep in mind that in some cases a trellis can be counterproductive because it attracts too much attention.

Practical:

With vertical slate work in, for example, Lindens and Hornbeams, you can get a nice partition and eliminate a distracting view. With horizontal slate work such as in the Dakplataan or Mulberry you get a natural parasol.

Advice from the landscaper:

If the tree species is not suitable for it, slate work can be too dominant. The trees then come into their own more beautifully without slate work. It also creates more peace and openness.

Watch the video with tips on slate work:

Watch in this video Why landscaper Henri Jansen removes slate work from trees.

Garden job #7 -> Catnip: prune now and again over the summer

Catnip is a strong crop that not only cats love to lie in, but is also popular with bees and butterflies. Pruning now means exuberant blooms in shades of purple, blue and white soon.

Practical:

In early spring, all the dead material of the Catnip may be taken off. Using sharp pruning shears, cut off all the barren plant material to just above the ground. You will then see the new shoots already sprouting just above the ground.

Advice from the landscaper:

Catnip grows quickly. When the main bloom is over in June/July, you may prune this plant back all the way to almost the ground. The plant will re-emerge and bloom again.

Watch the video with tips on Catnip:

See how horticulturist Henri Jansen prunes Catnip? Check the video.