One common mistake that Calgary homeowners make as they design their landscaping is to not consider how their yard will look over the winter. Here in Calgary, winter is generally about half the year (from the middle or end of October until the middle or end of April), so that’s a long time to have a barren yard with little or no appeal. Here are some things to consider as you work with your Calgary landscaper to improve your home’s curb appeal over the winter.

Texture.

While garden beds may lack a lot of their appeal when the flowers die away in autumn, fresh mulch beds and sparkling aggregates look beautiful in all seasons. As we come out of summer and enter fall, schedule some time to refill flower beds with a new layer of mulch — or if labour intensive chores don’t appeal to you, talk with our Calgary landscapers about having a team member come by to clean up garden beds and freshen mulch.

Plant life.

Not all green things fade to brown with the coming snow. There are many charming, low maintenance evergreen options to choose from. Any conifer will bring a beautiful, living charm to your yard when the world feels frozen and dead. Since most evergreens are adapted to low water and cool environments, they are also a natural choice for the Calgarian climate.

• Colorado Spruce are silvery blue trees that resist both pollution and drought.
• Norway Spruce are fast growing trees that like dry soil.
• White Spruce are tall trees that thrive with full sun. Like the Colorado, they don’t mind pollution or drought conditions.

Remember that moving a tree is no easy feat, so before you plant, it’s a good idea to seek a consultation with an experienced Calgary landscaper. We’ll be able to advise you on how much sun your tree needs and how much shade you can expect it to produce. We’ll help you consider things like how much cleanup to expect from shed needles and cones. Will your tree accidentally conceal a corner of your yard or your entryway where uninvited guests could linger unseen? By working with a professional landscaper, you get the opportunity to answer these questions before the tree’s in the ground.

Clean Up.

Perhaps the most important component of ensuring a beautiful yard throughout the winter is scheduling an autumn clean up. When leaves are left to rot and bushes are left dishevelled, it creates an entire air of disorder. As part of the Five Star fall clean up, our Calgary landscapers will blow out your flower bed and hedges, we’ll clean leaves up, and cut/trim anything that needs it. We’ll fertilize your yard to boost soil quality for the coming spring and aerate your lawn, to give your grass a head start when the snow melts.

It’s not inevitable that your yard must be underwhelming over the winter months. The right plant life, textures, and — of course — careful yard maintenance, can all come together to create a beautiful yard, regardless of the season. Call our expert Calgary landscapers today to get started.