Owning a home is a great privilege, but it also comes with additional responsibilities when compared to renting a property. One of those responsibilities is taking care of the yard. Although you can choose to ignore it, the curb appeal of your home and even its value can be minimized because of an unattractive lawn. Plus, there may be local codes that mandate how yards must be maintained to promote community value.
If you plan to use your yard frequently for relaxing or hosting, then it is important to invest in lawn care practices. Sometimes, this may mean more than just maintaining the current aesthetic. Perhaps some patches are barren or unappealing and are taking away from the overall curb appeal of your home.
Homeowners in Hershey, Pennsylvania should be aware of some strategies to take care of these unappealing spots in your yard. Whether they are patches of dead grass, rocky areas, or unhealthy soil, here are some tips to deal with these unappealing features in your outdoor space.
Add Landscaping Features to Disguise Them
One of the more drastic steps you can take to hide an unappealing spot in your yard is to cover it up with a large landscaping feature. Perhaps there is a large patch of dirt that simply will not develop grass, and you hate how it always looks brown when the rest of the lawn is green. One landscaping solution you could invest in is putting a patio over that spot. Since the dirt is not healthy enough to grow grass, you might as well cover it up with something useful. A small patio and a firepit could easily cover up this blemish while also adding to the functionality of your yard. Another option is to add a water feature such as a fountain over the spot since it will not require healthy soil to function. This feature could be the new centerpiece of your yard.
Consider Synthetic Grass
Perhaps you have a smaller yard and you want the whole thing to have a uniform look. You can cut down on lawn maintenance significantly by investing in synthetic grass. This material will still achieve the green look you are craving in your yard, but you will not have to do nearly as much work to maintain it. Additionally, when you install turf on your entire lawn, there will be no bare patches since the grass is not dependent on nutrient-rich soil to maintain its color. Synthetic grass is also great for families who have many allergies, as it will cut down on the amount of allergens in your backyard.
Plant New Grass Seed
A bare patch in your lawn likely means that the soil does not contain enough nutrients to sustain grassroots. Simply putting some new grass seed in the area and watering it will probably not be enough to fix the issue. You might need to start over from the ground level to create a unified look with the rest of the yard. First, start by digging up the dirt in this area. Then, you may want to find a topsoil delivery service in Hershey that can bring some nutrient-rich soil right to your property. Lay down a thick layer of this soil over the bare patch, keeping in mind that it will settle over time. Then research the species of grass that covers the rest of your lawn and try to find grass seed to match it. Make sure the area receives enough water as the new grass develops.
Put Down Some Mulch
If you want a much faster solution to your unappealing yard patches, then you could always cover them up with some mulch. Although it may not match with the grass on the rest of the lawn, mulch can play an important role in restoring the health of the dirt underneath. It will retain moisture more efficiently, and as it breaks down over time, it will restore the soil beneath with more nutrients. Eventually, that mulch could turn into perfectly healthy soil after a few seasons where you can then plant new grass or even a garden. At the very least, mulch can be more aesthetically pleasing than rocks or hard dirt, so it will bring a little more color to the area.
Think of the Long-Term Effects When Dealing With Unappealing Spots in the Yard
Although temporary solutions can work for a season to disguise the lawn’s rough patches, it is a better investment to consider long-term fixes. Mulch may look a little jarring at first, but it is a slow process to restore the health of the soil in that area. If you do not have the patience to wait a few seasons, then you could always install landscaping features, put in synthetic grass, or plant new grass seed with healthy and fresh soil. Make your Hershey, PA yard beautiful again by restoring the unappealing spots on your property.