So, what have you been pondering during this wintry month of February? Did you check up on Punxsutawney Phil? Is spring on its way? Will you celebrate Lincoln’s birthday or Valentine’s Day? Do you become more and more aware of the longer days and the shorter nights that are naturally part and parcel of this often cold and snowy month? Or like many of us here in the colder climes, do you just focus in on the fact that February is always the shortest month of the year. Yes, even when its leap year it’s the shortest month, and at the end of it we’ll be that much closer to spring, right?
February is a great month to plan for most water gardening and landscaping enthusiasts. February is just too cold for most people to be spending a lot of time outside, but many of us find ourselves dreaming of spring and the things that we will do when it gets here. While you’re pondering your way from winter into spring, it’s a great time to be planning any changes you’d like to make in and around your pond and landscape. This is really the perfect time of the year to plan out any type of landscape improvements you may be dreaming of. It’s tough for some people to motivate themselves to think about their pond and landscape while there is snow on the ground, but let me tell you, from a landscape professionals point of view, the added time that we have and the frantic race that each spring becomes makes this an ideal time to plan. The people who wait for the ground to thaw to contact their landscaper regarding a design project are probably looking at mid summer or fall at best for an installation time. Motivate yourself today, stroll through the yard, call your landscaper and start the process. That way, when the spring race starts you’ll already have your position on the schedule. Whether you’re envisioning a new pond, patio, stream, planting beds or even total yard renovation, now is the time to plan it all out.
Should I do it myself or hire a pro? This is where many homeowners get stuck, they want to get some work done on their landscape, but they can’t decide whether they should hire it out or do it themselves. They know how to plant flowers, they know how to spread mulch, and they know how to clean a pond, why should they hire a professional? If your landscape visions and plans are real straight forward and simple, or if you are the kind of person that likes to perform manual labor and has plenty of time to do it, then by all means, you should do it yourself. It can be good exercise. But, if you only really enjoy doing things that you are good at and don’t have much time left after work and family commitments, then you would better serve yourself and your family by doing what you do best and hiring a competent professional to do what they do best. It only makes sense to apply your efforts where they are most effective. If you could make more money working at your regular job than you will save by hiring a professional then why dirty your hands and strain your back to lose money? Not to mention that if you hire a reputable professional, you will have a warranty should anything go wrong.
So, call now and plan it all out while we still have time before the whirlwind spring is upon us. As you know, when spring hits, there never seems to be enough time to get the entire to-do list done.