How To Prepare Your Lawn For A Labor Day Party
Summer won’t officially be over until September 22, however, most of us consider Labor Day weekend the end of the summer season. Because of this, many Americans will be having a last outdoor party or cookout this weekend. Keep your yard looking great before and after the party with these tips on how to prepare your yard for a labor day party.
The Preparation
Adding Aesthetics
- First of all, you can’t possibly make your landscape look like it came out of Home in Garden in 3 easy steps, however, here’s a few tips to spruce it up.
- Place plants in containers: Varying sizes of pots add an aesthetic aspect to the yard. Bring your indoor plants outside, placed in pots to match your outdoor plants. You can find some killer deals on annuals this time of year that are big and beautiful and you didn’t have to spend all summer watering them. Then you will be able to swiftly move them inside in case of an early frost.
Cleaning
- Consider power washing your hardscapes to make sure guests have a debris-free place to lounge, eat, and walk on.
- Pay special attention to patio bricks that can accumulate moss and mildew. They may become very slippery. We have a service that kills moss so if it becomes too much call us for that.
Mow!
- Make sure the grass is ready for Boccee, Slip and Slides, and more lawn games. You can get away with mowing shorter if the grass has enough water to make up for a drought stressed time period. So go ahead and mow short but water the lawn thoroughly the day before the party to ensure it’s ability to bounce back from the activity.
- Cover up with mulch
- Mulch is an easy and affordable way to make a landscape look nice in a hurry. We’ve been known to throw our schedule out of whack for a party so don’t hesitate to call us if you’re in a panic and need to call in the troops.
Pest proof the yard
- Mosquitoes are still likely to be hanging around so make sure you have a pest-proof plan in place. Continue to get rid of any standing water that they can grow in. Burn citronella candles and provide spray for your guests. You can also have your yard professionally treated for mosquitoes ahead of time.
The Cleanup
Determine the damage
- All of the party foot traffic can certainly wreak havoc on your grass. Sometime the damage may just be that the grass is flattened. You can try to lightly rake it to get back to normal. Give the lawn another thorough watering after the party and it should bounce back. Fertilizer will help that as well.
Give the grass time to heal
- If you find a spot with excessive damage, block it off from foot traffic, kids, and pets so it has time to heal. Aerate and seed to get it to recover. If the ground itself is poor adding some good quality soil can be done several different ways. We’ve been doing a lot of topdressing these days. It’s a great way to improve soil quality without doing a major renovation to your budget and the look of your landscape.
Prevent damage
- To prevent damage entirely, try to designate a social area. Get people to mingle there by offering plenty of seating, food, and drinks. Try our smoothie recipe and add rum. Dress it up with a slice of fruit for a healthy and delicious drink. Don’t labor too much about it and enjoy your day.
Pick up afterward
- Don’t leave things out that will cover the grass. The lack of sunlight will bleach it. A tarp covering the lawn for an hour during 90 degree heat can do a lot of damage.
Reseed if needed
- If the damage is too much, you may have to reseed. Add lime and fertilizer to get it to recover and don’t forget to water it.
We hope you enjoyed our tips on how to prepare your yard for Labor Day.
Naturescape, LLC
P.O. Box 56 Andover, CT 06232
860-742-0326
custserv@naturescapect.com
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