When April 1st arrived you may have been like most of us and said, “Yes! Finally we’ll get some spring!” Well, as you know April has definitely fooled all of us. By this time of year we are used to having our landscapes with many bushes in full leaf, flowers popping and grass growing. Instead, we have had two major snowfalls, huge amounts of rain and cold temperatures. During our most recent snow storm, the Eagleson yard had 5 inches of snow on the porch, 3 inches on the ground two feet away, and none a few feet from there! We are used to Indiana weather being a roller coaster but this “spring” takes the cake.
What does all this up and down mean for your landscape? Patience. Not only with the weather, but with how the weather affects your yard. The fact is that jumping the gun with maintenance, planting or even large landscaping projects may end up biting you in the end. When the ground is too wet, you can end up doing more damage to your yard than good. Moving a piece of landscaping machinery across very damp grass could be a disaster for the rest of the season and beyond. Planting flowers before the end of frost season could end up killing them. Patience is needed this year to ensure your efforts are not wasted.
The weather has put Eagleson Landscape Co. behind on our regular seasonal work because we cannot get into yards. Our typical spring is much dryer, so we usually have made a lot of headway by this time. However, those averages we hear about are based on situations like we’ve had over the last two years; ’16-’17 we essentially had no winter, and ’17-’18 we are having winter forever! Put those two seasons together and you get your average. In our business, we have to pay attention to what is actually happening rather than the expected, so if you are waiting on us, we ask for yet more of your patience.
We are finally seeing daffodils blooming and buds on trees, so we are almost there. The typical rule of thumb for the Indianapolis area is Mother’s Day weekend marks the end of frost season. Last year it was earlier, and this year it could be later! So, even though the warmer days may have you itching to start your gardening, we suggest you give Mother Nature more time to release us from winter. In our family, Elizabeth is gardening inside! Our kitchen table is covered with plants, as is our porch – talk about frustrated gardeners. Our plants are just waiting to go to their eventual outdoor homes once it is safe.
What you can be doing right now is finalizing your landscape plans for the year. If you intend to complete a good-sized project, you need to consult with your landscaper now! We’d love to help, of course. Send us an email or give us a call at (317) 997-4803 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
Eagleson Landscape Company provides landscape and hardscape services in the Greater Indianapolis area, including Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, Fishers and Geist.
