With the governors of many states still having stay at home orders in place, homeowners can’t count on hiring a lawn service or landscaping company to help them tame their yards. In some areas, the law even prevents people from handling some of these tasks themselves. What’s a desperate homeowner to do? The National Association of Landscape Professionals has tried to seek clarity by publishing a state-by-state guide.
However, even the guide is not official as some city and county governments have made their own rules about what is and isn’t an essential service. Homeowners who want to tame their own yard without waiting for further clarification can take certain actions on their own. We outline some of these below.
How Homeowners Can Care for Their Yards without Leaving Home
For people who live in a state with a current stay at home order or where they’re unable to buy the supplies they need, the good news is they can still complete several yard care tasks. Here are just some examples:
- Weeding the yard: It doesn’t take more than a butter knife to pull weeds out of the lawn. Instead of throwing the dandelion greens and buds away, this would be a great time to get creative and use them in a new recipe.
- Edge the lawn while mowing it: It’s common to set the lawn mower on high at the beginning of spring. With the dial already set there, homeowners can mow more often and have a sharp-looking lawn all summer long. It’s also a good reason to get outside and enjoy some fresh air when there isn’t much else to do.
- Spring clean-up: Even in states that don’t get much winter weather, patios and gardens are likely to have accumulated a lot of debris. Sweeping and pressure washing the patio will make it more enjoyable for the family to use and more presentable for guests once in-person restrictions lift.
- Plant vegetables: It only takes a small container to plant cool-season crops like kale, lettuce, peas, and sweet peas. It’s even okay for homeowners to reuse old potting soil if they can’t get to a store to buy a fresh supply. It will work just as well when mixed with compost and plant food.
Grab Some Trash Bags and Take Back Control
Despite the best intentions of homeowners, yards can become quickly overrun with their own items. Toys, broken lawn chairs, and missing pieces of outdoor games are just some of the things that might be lurking in the grass just waiting to break a lawnmower. Before doing any work in the yard, it’s a good idea to walk through with several empty trash bags first. Anything that can’t go in the trash can go into a wheelbarrow and stored in the garage until the homeowner decides what to do with it later.
While many people have more free time on their hands than ever to tackle yard projects, it’s crucial for homeowners in Grosse Pointe Park to avoid overwhelming themselves with tasks. Rather than succumbing to pressure, creating a list of tasks and then hiring a reputable lawn maintenance company can instill a sense of control and accomplishment over their property. This approach not only aids in effective lawn maintenance in Grosse Pointe Park but also ensures a balanced and manageable approach to enhancing one’s home.