Landscaping your yard to get it where you want it in appearance is the first step to care for your property. However, maintaining your landscaping on a regular basis will keep your hard work and investment intact, as long as you follow the right care practices. Here are some recommendations to help you landscape your yard for an attractive property.

Use Mulch

Mulch in your landscaping can make the difference from an average yard to one that has rich and nutrient-dense soil, lush vegetation and minimal weed responsibilities. Mulch is a great material that you can apply around your yard, and it provides multiple benefits at the same time. And you don't have to select and use just one type of mulch, as there are many types of inorganic and organic mulches that you can use.

You can add organic mulch made of pine bark or needles, wood chips, straw or sugar cane, which will decompose slowly to add nutrients back to your soil. You can also choose an attractive inorganic mulch made of sea glass, gravel, decorative rock or rubber mulch chips. And if you want to use your yard's own waste as mulch, collect your lawn clippings to spread over the soil, or use shredded leaves or pine straw as a beneficial mulch.

Provide Lawn Care

Your lawn is an essential part of your landscaping, so it is recommended to take care of your lawn to keep it looking its best. Having a lot of weeds will crowd out from proper lawn growth, so your lawn will become more shabby-looking as the weeds take over. When the weeds grow within the soil, they take essential nutrients and moisture meant for your lawn, so it will show in the health of your lawn. 

Be sure to trim your lawn each week when it grows enough length, and keep in mind you should only trim off no more than one-third of your lawn's length. If you trim too much of your lawn's length, you put your lawn at risk of heat stress and disease, especially during the heat of summer. If you cannot handle a regular mowing schedule during its growing season, arrange for a lawn care professional to manage it. Your lawn will look trimmed and neat-looking and also keep it healthy to help keep out weed growth.

At the end of the summer, trim your lawn shorter than you normally mow it. This will cut your lawn back short for when it goes dormant and will protect it from diseases that can occur due to your lawn's blades compacting over and upon themselves.