Field guide
A year in your yard
Yards run on a calendar older than ours. Here's what we're doing — and what you can do — season by season.
Spring
Wake the lawn gently: first mow high, edges recut, pre-emergent before soil hits 55°. Resist the urge to fertilize hard — roots first, blades later.
- Best time to: plan beds, divide perennials, start irrigation
Summer
Mow tall, water deep and rare, and let the clippings feed the lawn. Brown patches in August are usually thirst, not disease — check the sprinkler arc before anything else.
- Best time to: mulch beds, prune spring bloomers, enjoy the yard
Fall
The most important season nobody uses: aerate, overseed, and feed. Grass roots grow until the ground freezes — fall work is why spring lawns look effortless.
- Best time to: aerate & overseed, plant trees and shrubs, cut back beds
Winter
Blow out irrigation before the first hard freeze, keep heavy snow off hedges, and dream a little — winter is when the best garden plans are drawn.
- Best time to: plan projects, book spring work, sharpen mower blades