You really can have a gorgeous yard in fall and winter and the pros at Southwest Landscape Management can take you there
By Patricia Nugent
In the CLE, the average first frost happens in mid-to late October, and the last frost is around mid- to late-April, which would leave your yard in a dormant state for about six months of the year. Why not make it look its best before the big chill creeps in?
Giving your yard a dose of TLC this fall will pave the way for weathering winter and looking lush and lovely next spring.
“Cooler, wetter weather here in Northeast Ohio is actually the perfect time to replace trees and shrubs, as it gives them a second chance to establish their root systems so they will flourish better in springtime,” says Steve Rak, owner of Southwest Landscape Management. “If you plant them now, you don’t have to water them as much as opposed to spring or summer. It’s also an ideal time to fertilize your lawn to prep it for winter and lay mulch. This month we’ve been getting calls from folks who may not have had time to keep their yard and lawn in pristine condition over the summer and need our help.”
Timing is Everything
“People are often surprised when I tell them that I mulch and edge the beds around my own home in late fall rather than spring,” he adds. “In most cases you don’t end up needing to mulch in the spring, and a nice plus is your home will look fantastic all winter long. Mulch is an effective way to protect your soil, too, as it creates a weed barrier and retains moisture.”
The freezing temps will be here before you know it.
“An important task in weatherizing beds and yards is to get all the leaves and debris out, so they don’t mat down and smother the grass or soil,” he says. “We can also care for your lawn’s health by reseeding thin patches and giving it the last mows of the season. Cutting down ornamental grasses and getting rid of weeds is also recommended this time of year.”
They Make it Look Easy
Steve says many of his residential and commercial clients enjoy the ease and convenience of getting on a monthly maintenance program. The full-service crews offer a full range of services such as:
• Edging beds
• Mulch application
• Weekly lawn mowing
• Maintenance of beds, weeding
• Shrub and tree pruning
“Luckily in our area, the home values are strong, and we see people wanting to spend more money to beautify their yards,” says Steve. “In addition to homes, we have earned a reputation for servicing commercial properties, office buildings, rental properties, apartments and homeowners’ and condo associations throughout the area. To us, every client is different. We never take a cookie-cutter approach.”
“We’ll Call You Back”
Steve says people tell him all the time that the landscaping companies they call for job estimates never call them back.
“That doesn’t happen with us,” he says. “We always call people back and will do any job, from small to big, from replacing shrubs and fixing spots in your turf, to larger and more complex commercial work. No matter the size of the job, we give every customer the same level of VIP customer service.”
He notes they’ve always been lucky to work with long-term, loyal customers.
“As soon as people start with us, they tend to stay with us year after year, and we really appreciate that,” he says.
Get on Southwest Landscape Management’s fall clean-up schedule now, before the leaves start falling.
Homeowners, commercial property owners and HOAs can get a free estimate for fall clean-ups and 2023 maintenance plans by calling Steve at 440-748-6000 or emailing him at steve@sw-landscape.com. Southwest Landscape Management is headquartered at 33593 Royalton Road in Columbia Station. For more information, go to SW-Landscape.com.