Just like us, humans are healthier when we get good nutrition from a balanced diet, regularly feeding your lawn with the right nutrients helps to strengthen the root system to spur root growth and help your lawn actively grow throughout the season.

A Tips to Properly Fertilize Your Lawn 

Fertilizing your lawn also helps to reduce how much lawn care and maintenance you need to do. It not only helps your lawn grow, which reduces the need for seeding, but a healthy lawn also keeps weed growth to a minimum.

The following are the best times of year to fertilize your lawn as part of an ongoing lawn care program. You should always use a broadcast spreader to apply the fertilizer evenly across your lawn according to the recommendations on the fertilizer packaging.

1. Early Spring – As the first “feeding” of the year, this is like breakfast for your lawn. The exact timing varies every year, depending on the weather. But, once the ground has thawed and there is no real chance for it to refreeze, you can plan to apply fertilizer. This is usually sometime in March or April in Toronto and the GTA. 
2. Late Spring – Your grass is probably growing and using energy more now than at any other time of year. Apply fertilizer in May or June, about six to eight weeks following the first application. 
3. Summer – Most summers are very stressful for your lawn. Not only are temperatures higher, and rainfall lower, but you may be using your lawn more too.
   
   Apply a summer fertilizer sometime between late June and early August, again, six to eight weeks from the previous feeding. 
4. Fall – Every lawn feeding is important, but this is the one that is arguably the most important of all. Fertilizing in the fall gives your lawn the nutrients it needs to recover from the stress of summer, prepare for winter dormancy, and emerge greener than ever next spring.
   
   Use fall fertilizer once between late August and early November, or about six to eight weeks after the last application. 

If you enjoyed this post, check out our article “Lawn Maintenance Tips For A Healthy Landscape”.

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But, especially recently, nothing could be further from the truth. Forced or not, our recent stay-at-home culture has put a renewed focus on our outdoor spaces, outdoor living, and gardening!

4 of the Biggest Trends in Gardening for 2021

These trends can be enjoyed by beginners or experienced gardeners; balcony gardeners, urban gardeners or country gardeners; everyone who wants to spend more quality time in outdoor living spaces.

1. Just Gardening – Gardening itself is a trend for 2021. More people are getting into gardening, even if only with tiny gardens, and long-time gardeners are trying new things, even seeking out professional landscaping services and advice, to kick their gardening up a notch.
   
   Gardening pushes all the trending buttons of the time. It’s healthy, eco-friendly, adds to the food supply, beautifies your landscape and your living room, and is virtually endless in its variety. 
2. Kitchen Gardens – With a renewed focus on food quality, many people are turning to grow their own vegetables, fruits and herbs as the best way to be sure of where their food comes from and what, if anything, has been added to it. 
3. Health Benefits – It’s not considered a form of exercise, but there may not be any exercise that offers a more all-around workout than gardening. Many people who don’t want to go to the gym, or aren’t inclined to do another regular exercising, are turning to gardening to get more active. Gardening is also known to boost your mood, reduce stress and enhance your overall wellness. 
4. Garden Design – While the advantages of landscape design are well known for improving the benefits you get from your backyard, gardening design hasn’t enjoyed the same attention. Until now.
   
   From creating vertical and hanging gardens on balconies and patios to planning a mix of plants, trying to always have something in bloom and full-on garden design software, more people are gardening with intent and goals in mind.

If you would like to get the right start in gardening or take your existing gardening to a higher level, MBL Landscaping offers professional landscaping and garden design, grading for gardens and lawn beds, and we can provide you with the right mix of flowers, plants, shrubs and trees, to make your gardening experience more rewarding than ever. 

To learn more about landscape design, check out our article “What Types Of Pine Trees Should You Choose For Landscaping?”

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Where do you begin?

Even if you have a green thumb, landscaping isn’t something that most people know how to do. And it’s not like redecorating the house, where, if you don’t like the colour you chose, you can always repaint. With landscaping, a lot of what needs to be done is not as easily fixed after the fact.

But fear not, we’re professional landscapers and we have you covered with the following ways for you to get your home landscaping project on track.

4 Ways to Get Going on Your Residential Landscaping Project

Knowing what you want to do is the main hurdle. After that, it’s just the small matter of getting it done. Here are our suggestions for getting a clear idea of what you want your landscape to be.

1. Interview Yourself – Pretend you are a professional landscaper and you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know what they want, or even what’s popular. The first thing you’d ask is “how do you want to enjoy your landscape”.  
   
   If you have children, you might want to have lots of open spaces for play. If you’re a gardener, maybe more flower beds would be nice. You could be looking for the “backyard oasis” vibe too. Or you might need to check all those boxes.

2. Spy on Your Neighbours – OK, before this gets out of hand, only do that to the extent that you see what they have done with their landscape, and start getting ideas about what you would like for your yard. Look at types of trees, shrubs and plantings, whether they have created a “rolling landscape”, or use lots of natural features, like decorative stones.

3. Talk to Family, Friends & Neighbours – Especially if they’ve had their yards landscaped. Even if they did things on their own, they will have lots of ideas and insights that can only come from experience.

4. Call MBL Landscaping – We mentioned knowing what’s possible and the only way to know that is to talk to a landscaping services company. There’s always something new you can do that you might not see anywhere else. Or maybe you have an idea that you’re not sure how to make happen. In any case, who better than a landscaper to answer your landscaping questions? 

For more background on landscaping, check out our article “4 Ways That Landscape Design Lighting Transforms Your Home”.

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Each one has its benefits, including the low cost of an asphalt driveway, and the natural beauty of a flagstone patio or retaining wall. 

Today, we’ll take a closer look at the advantages of one of the most popular options for all your hardscaping. 

The Benefits of Interlocking Stone

There is one big benefit of interlocking stone. When they were first introduced, they finally gave homeowners an option to the concrete tiles that were so notoriously difficult to keep level and in place!

But there are so many other benefits too. 

1. Lots of Applications – Of all the hardscaping materials mentioned, the interlocking stone is the one that can be practical, serviceable and beautiful in the most different places around your home. Want a stunning driveway? Interlocking stone. Walkway? Interlocking stone. Large patio and seating area? Interlocking stone. 
2. Low Maintenance – At worst, regular maintenance of your interlocking stone hardscape means occasional power washing and/or leaf blowing. 
3. Easy to Repair – In the rare circumstance that you need to replace or re-level your interlocking installation, stones can be easily removed and replaced without heavy lifting. 
4. Durability – If they are properly installed by a professional landscaping services company, your interlocking hardscape can last indefinitely. Each stone is incredibly strong, especially for its smaller size. 
5. Design Versatility – You’ll be amazed at the options for the design and layout of an interlocking brick installation. You are free to choose different colour combinations, different brick sizes, and different layout designs. So, in addition to giving you another way to enjoy your landscape, the interlocking stone will add a unique beauty to it also.

To learn more about landscaping around your home, check out our article “What Types Of Pine Trees Should You Choose For Landscaping?”.

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We thought we’d take it a step further in this post and actually look at some of the questions, those you may not think of off the top, that you can answer to find out more about how to improve your landscape design.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Begin Your Landscape Design

Really, there are too many questions to be listed here. Your budget, the size of your yard, your location, and more, can all have a bearing on your landscape design decisions.

The following questions may not come to mind right away, but they can be very helpful in deciding exactly how you want to improve your landscape.

1. Is It Windy in My Yard? Some homeowners don’t use their yards as much as others. That could be for a variety of reasons. But some of those reasons may not be so apparent. Like if you get blown away every time you try to relax in your yard. You might not realize it’s the wind and just think you can’t get comfortable, or you’re not “outdoorsy”.
   
   If your yard is more open, you may want to consider a gazebo or pavilion, or a row of pine trees, that can work as a windbreak to protect you from wind and sun as you relax. 

2. Do I Need More Privacy? Another reason you might not spend more time in your yard is that you’re surrounded by other homes. It’s tough to relax if you feel you may be watched.

3. What About the Nighttime? Nowhere does it say you can’t enjoy your yard any time of day or night. Unless it’s too dark in the evenings because you don’t have any or enough landscape lighting.

4. Is it for me? My family? Entertaining my guests? Or all of the above? Consider every potential way you want to enjoy your yard and make sure your landscaping services architecture and design team knows them.

5. What do I want from my gardens? Do you have the greenest thumb in the neighbourhood, or do you prefer a “low maintenance” garden? Either way, your landscape plans should take it all into consideration.  

To learn more about residential landscaping, check out our article “The Benefits Of Landscaping For Your Home”.

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If you live in a house and have at least a bit of a yard, you can have a proper flower and/or vegetable garden. But they can’t all be near your deck or patio. So patio plants give you the option to bring bright colours right to where you relax and entertain.

Of course, if you have a rooftop deck or a balcony, patio plants are just about your only chance to enjoy nearby greenery all summer long. 

Try These Patio Plants This Summer

The best plant ideas for patios, decks, gazebos, pergolas or balconies are the ones that suit your personal tastes, require the level of care you’re willing to give and have the best chance of flourishing in your mix of sun and shade.

Also, different plants are better suited for different sizes of pots, planters, window boxes, hanging baskets and trellises. 

While there are many plants that can fit the bill, the following are a wide-ranging sampling of some of the more popular options.

1. Cherry Tomatoes – We chose a vegetable (or is it a fruit?!) because many first-timers consider only flowering plants for the patio. New varieties offer compact growth perfect for smaller spaces. They need a spot in full sun. 
2. Roses – This may be another surprise in the list as roses are usually garden plants. But they can handle more than their bright colours, sweet scent and good looks let on. They will need pruning to keep compact, and you’ll need to place them in pots that can handle freezing temperatures. 
3. Begonias – Begonias tick off lots of “nice-to-haves”. They are hardy and easy to grow, needing little maintenance. They prefer full sun, but don’t mind the part sun, part shade. They bloom all season long, and they come in a wide variety of deep rich colours.

For more ideas to improve your outdoor spaces, check out our article “4 Spring Landscape Design Ideas”.

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Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your lawns and gardens healthier for the environment. One way that we have done so in recent years is by regulating the use of harmful chemicals in herbicides and pesticides, including for professional landscaping services.

Fortunately, there are other steps you can take to make your landscape even “greener”.   

How to Make Your Landscape Better for the Environment

Plant a Tree

After reducing, reusing and recycling, planting a tree is one of the most environmentally responsible things you can do. How so? In a way, it does more reducing, reusing and recycling for you.

First, trees reduce the energy you use to heat and cool your home. In winter, they protect your home against sharp, cold winds that can suck the heat right out of it. And, in summer, they provide shade that can lower your need for air conditioners.

They also reuse rainwater that you collect in a rain barrel, so you never need to use water from the tap to keep them healthy, and they recycle air pollutants, especially CO2, into fresh, clean oxygen.

Build a Pergola or Gazebo

Pergolas and gazebos aren’t just stylish backyard features where you can relax, work out and entertain. By giving you a place to sit outside, protected from wind, rain and sun, you will spend more time there. And less time inside depending on your AC to keep you cool.

Install an Irrigation System

Compared to watering by hand, lawn irrigation systems help the environment in many ways. First, by automatically regulating how much water is delivered to your lawn, an irrigation system can reduce over-watering. Second, by regularly and more evenly watering your lawn, your lawn is generally healthier, able to produce more oxygen and keep your home cooler. 

If you found this post helpful, check out our article “How to Properly Maintain Your Hedges”.

The post 3 Tips to Make Your Landscape More Eco-Friendly appeared first on MBL Landscaping.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and flowers. Your yard has just gone through a long winter and it needs some TLC. So we’ve put together this quick landscape maintenance to-do list to help you get started

4 Items for Your Landscape Maintenance To-Do List

Put the following on your checklist to get the most from your landscape and gardens this year.

1. Inspect Your Lawn – If you like a rich, green lawn, then you’ll be familiar with springtime raking, dethatching, overseeding, adding topsoil and fertilizing. But it’s a mistake to do any of them too soon.
   
   First, you can’t even think about any of those things until all the snow and ice are gone from the lawn and the soil isn’t frozen. Even then, if the soil has damp spots that are soft underfoot when you walk on them, wait until everything firm ups and is relatively dry. 
2. Check Your Garden Beds – If the threat of frost is past, you can remove landscaping fabric, leaves, or anything else you used to protect your beds and plants. Cut back dead perennials. Turn the soil and mix in some compost and/or topsoil when you do. Add a new layer of mulch when you’re done. 
3. Prune Trees & Shrubs –  This is one you can do sooner than later. But, if buds have sprouted, wait until after they have bloomed. In addition to pruning for shape and deadheading, look for broken branches and clean cut off the wound to make the exposed part of the branch smaller. 
4. Remove Leaves & Debris – Chances are that your yard is covered in leaves, twigs, pine cones and other debris. Clear as much of it away as you can and whatever you can to your garden composter.

If this is the year you want to get more from your landscape, to get more enjoyment from your yard and improve the curb appeal of your home, put the professional landscaping services of MBL Landscaping to work for you.

If you enjoyed this post and want to learn more about making your landscape healthier this summer, check out our article “Why You Should Start Thinking Now About Overseeding Your Lawn”.

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And for good reason. Heat and light are just two of the many benefits of outdoor fireplaces. 

3 Benefits of Adding Gas Fire Pits to Your Landscape Design

Most homeowners have been looking for new ways to enjoy their homes recently. Whether it’s a powder-coated, stainless steel fire table with lava rocks, a wood-burning fire pit, or a natural gas or propane stone fireplace, there are few single elements of your landscape design that offer as many benefits.

1. Extend Your Outdoor Season – We mentioned the warmth you get from an outdoor fireplace and that has the enviable extra benefit of helping you enjoy more time outside each year. Imagine sitting around a warm fire as early as possible every springtime, or looking forward to a crisp fall evening when everyone else is huddled inside. 
2.  Entertain Like Never Before – Outdoor fireplaces give gatherings of small groups of family or friends not just a focal point, but a gathering place with a warm, cozy ambiance. The more entertaining you do in outdoor spaces, the less you’ll miss entertaining inside – and you don’t have to vacuum your patio! 
3. Fresh Meals – When we said that no other landscape design feature has more benefits than fireplaces, the first thing that came to mind was swimming pools. It’s hard to top the fun and exercise you can get from a pool. But you can’t cook a pizza in one!
   
   Whether it’s a beautiful stone fireplace, or you go with a full-on outdoor kitchen, get ready for flavours that can only come from preparing meals and snacks in the fresh air of the great outdoors.

So the next time you’re looking for professional landscaping services, think about adding a gas fireplace to your landscape design.

To learn more about landscape design, check out our article “4 Ways That Landscape Design Lighting Transforms Your Home”.

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If you have a green thumb, you’re well on your way already. This year’s seedlings are probably well along, and you’ve got your garden plan all figured out.

But, if that’s not you, or you just want to double-check, we’ve put together the following list of things to do in the garden in early spring.      

6 Items for Your Early Spring Gardening Things To-List

Every gardener could probably put together their own to-do list and no two would be exactly alike. Here’s a general list to help you cover the basics.

1. Remove Protective Coverings – Once the danger of frost has passed, remove anything you put on your garden and or plants to minimize frost damage, including burlap bags and pine cones. 
2. Make Room for Growth – If your leaf mulch made it through the winter and is still covering your beds, move it away from the crowns around your perennials and wherever your bulbs will sprout. 
3. Prune Perennials – You can cut back any dead stems, old deadheads, down to where there’s greenery on the stems. Deadheading is best done shortly after blooms wither to keep the energy of the plant focused on new blooms. 
4. Plant Bare-Root Plants – When the soil is tillable, you can plant any bare-root perennials, roses, and fruit plants (like strawberries and raspberries). 
5. Secure Perennials – Depending on how much frost your garden endured over the winter, it may have pushed up perennial root bulbs. It will help improve their growth to press them down, level with the surrounding soil. 
6. Top-Dress the Beds – Once the ground has thawed and is tillable, turn up the soil while working in compost and/or topsoil.

If this is the year you want to redesign your landscape, with features like new garden beds, outdoor lighting or irrigation options, put the professional landscaping services of MBL Landscaping to work for you. 

If you enjoyed this post, check out our recent article, “What Types Of Pine Trees Should You Choose For Landscaping?”.  

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