March 8th

By Mutt Mulligan

TurfMutt’s tips for “springing forward” in your family yard

On Sunday, March 11, most of the country springs forward into Daylight Saving Time. TurfMutt has three reasons why you should spend the day getting backyard ready for spring.

Spring planting season is just around the corner!
Despite the recent cold snap, spring will be here before we know it. If the weather is nice enough, start preparing your outdoor living room by cleaning up the family yard, prepping flower and vegetable beds for planting and mapping out planting plans for your living landscapes. Weather not cooperating? Head to your local nursery or do some research online to start planning what you’ll plant when the weather warms up.

Kids & dogs love to be outside (and it’s good for them).
Exposure to nature – including your family yard, community green spaces and schoolyards – benefits children (and pets!) in several ways. Natural settings may be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms in kids, and children’s stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces. For your furry kids, being outside is stimulating and offers a fun way to get exercise and relieve stress and boredom. If you’re doing chores with the family in your yard, take a quick break every now and then to throw the Frisbee for Fido or play a game of hide and seek. Or, simply take a family walk through a neighborhood park or nature area.

Pollinators & wildlife are counting on you.
Remember, nature starts at your backdoor. Your yard, our parks, community green spaces and schoolyards are vital to the world’s ecosystem. Grass, trees, shrubs and other plant life provide food and habitat for birds, small mammals and pollinators like bees. When you’re dreaming of spring planting, remember to consider how what you’re planting in your family yard will support biodiversity and wildlife.

For more information about living landscapes and how to be backyard ready for spring, go here.