Skip to content Accessibility info

Members Insurance Center Blog

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Insurance

Landscape Maintenance Tips for Your Yard

Backyard landscaping
Backyard landscaping by iriana88w

You've worked hard to create a beautiful garden for your yard, but there is more to yard maintenance than simply mowing the lawn and watering the plants. There are plenty of other tasks you'll need to complete in order to keep your yard looking its best over the years. Here are a few yard-care jobs you may have overlooked.

Trimming Large Trees

Pruning tall trees can be a daunting task, but it is an essential one. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, it needs to be done each year. For most trees, fall is the best time to prune, as the trees will come back even stronger when the weather warms up again in the spring. In addition to keeping the trees as healthy as possible, this will also prevent wayward branches from scratching against the side of your house or top of your roof, potentially causing damage. Be sure to keep them away from power lines as well.

Cleaning Your Gutters

If your home is equipped with gutters, they'll need to be cleaned out periodically. This is especially true if you have large trees on your property, as their leaves can clog up your gutters. When your gutters are full of debris, they can't do their job of directing water away from your house properly. This can lead to water pooling in the gutters, which can cause damage to your eaves and roof over time. You should expect to clean your gutters at least once a year, though you may need to do so more often in heavily wooded areas. Check them a few times a year, and clear them out as needed.

Keeping Plants Away from Your House

When you first planted your bushes or shrubs, they were likely much smaller than they are now. Over time, they can grow and spread, bringing them closer and closer to your house. This can provide homes for rodents and other pests, and eventually, they may try to come inside. Keeping the plants at a safe distance will enable you to see any damage to the structure of your home so you can repair it as quickly as possible.

Keeping Your Yard Clutter-Free

Finally, piles of yard waste, old garden equipment, and other debris can also create homes for pests, so do your best to keep your yard as clean and tidy as possible. After all, you've done a lot of work to keep your plants looking great, and you don't want a bunch of clutter distracting from their beauty!


Discussion

Eve Mitchell

Monday, August 29, 2022 at 2:52pm EDT

Thanks for the reminder that untamed bushes can become a haven for pests! My husband and I have a row of shrubs on the front of our house that is getting really unruly. It’d be nice to hire a landscaping company this week to come and trim them so we don’t invite pests to our home!


Elle Jones

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 5:32pm EDT

I’m happy you mentioned how untamable shrubs may turn into a bug refuge! The row of bushes in front of our house that my husband and I have is becoming quite unkempt. To prevent inviting pests into our home, it would be excellent to engage a landscaping firm this week to come and trim them. I appreciate you sharing this!


Leave a Comment

Required fields are marked with

Comment

Your name, comment, and URL will appear on this page after it has been reviewed and approved. Your email address will not be published.