Yard work in Littleton is almost a year-round endeavor, and this seasonal landscaping calendar will help you stay on track so your yard always looks its best.

Spring

• Lawn Care: Start mowing when grass reaches 2 inches and temperatures consistently exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mulch: Add mulch to garden areas to protect new growth. 
• Planting: Plant annuals after Mother’s Day. Plant shrubs, trees, and perennials around mid-April, after the last frost. 
• Irrigation: Check sprinkler heads for damage and make sure the system is working properly.
• Hardscaping: Install patios, walkways, and stone garden walls, but wait until after Mother's Day to ensure there are no more frosts.
• Landscape Lighting: Install landscape lighting when the ground is soft enough to bury wires.
• Fencing: Maintenance projects like painting, staining, and repairs can be completed now. New fencing can also be installed when temps are 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

Summer

• Lawn Care: Modify your mowing schedule to accommodate dry, hot, or wet weather. Check grass growth as a reliable indicator.
• Irrigation: Set up an irrigation system for your yard that includes sprinkler heads in your garden beds and lawn areas.
• Landscape Lighting: Set up the new lights, but avoid doing it after heavy or prolonged wet weather. You want to avoid standing water in that 6-inch trench you must dig to bury the wiring.
• Fencing: It's time to demo the old fence and install a new fence. However, if you keep your wooden fence, repair, paint, or stain it.

Fall

• Lawn Care: Stop mowing when you see the first frost and the grass stops growing.
• Leaf Cleanup: Rake and/or blow your leaves, or hire a local leaf removal crew.
• Mulch: Spread mulch.
• Planting: Plant spring bulbs now. Cut your perennials back, except for the ornamental grasses. Enjoy the winter interest they provide. 
• Irrigation: Winterize your system before early October and temperatures hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Hardscaping: Hardscaping projects can continue if there is a prolonged stretch of weather where air temperatures are 55 degrees Fahrenheit or above. 
• Landscape Lighting: Install low-voltage lighting systems before the ground freezes. Remember you need to dig down 6 inches to bury wires.
• Fencing: Installation, repairs, and painting/staining until late September.

Winter

• Hardscaping: Use this season to plan a new patio, firepit or other hardscape in the spring. 
• Shrub Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to encourage new growth.

If you need help with routine lawn maintenance, flower bed weeding, shrub pruning, or hardscaping, look no further than LawnStarter's Littleton landscaping pros. You can connect with us in just a few clicks.