December Winter Prep

 

December Winter Prep and Thinking Ahead to Spring

Prepare your landscape for the Chicago-area winter. We all need to prepare for the cold, harsh conditions winter brings.

Apex is here to share some of the ways we get our clients’ yards ready:

When the weather starts to get cold, one of the last things you might think about is spring color. This past month, Apex was out planting a variety of spring-flowering bulbs. Since bulbs are not yet in bloom when they’re installed, it can be a challenge to get the landscape design just right. We use our skill and experience to take into consideration the requested color(s), spacing, and what the plant’s future growth needs are. If you haven’t already, there is still time to add some color to your spring landscape!

You may have also recently been able to find Apex pruning back shrubs and trees. This is done in late fall (after a frost or two) to keep them protected from the upcoming bitter-cold winds and heavy snow. This helps encourage healthy spring growth. It is best to wait to prune and shape trees until after they have gone dormant. We harvest any fruit off the trees and ground to prevent it from rotting over the winter, attracting pests and diseases. We also will mulch around the trees to help moderate the soil temperatures and prevent moisture loss. Adding a good fertilizer will help promote root growth for robust new growth come springtime. In addition, our team will deep-root any trees that seem to be struggling. It is important to take care of the landscape and prepare it for the winter ahead of time! 

Once the lawn is taken care of, it is time to focus on decorative winter pots. Whenever Apex designs a holiday planter, we begin with selecting the type of greens, which are the foundation for the planter. Some of our favorite branches to add in next are white birch and red twig dogwood. Mixing tall and short branches offers a more dramatic look. Now that the branches are in place, it’s time to add your personal touches with your choice of decor.

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