The first plants that come to mind when people think of the winter landscape are Pine Trees (Pinus), Spruce Trees (Picea), and Holly Shrubs (Ilex).  Along with Boxwoods (Buxus), Yews (Taxus), Arborvitaes (Thuja), Junipers (Juniperus), and Falsecypress (especially Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Gold Mop’) these plants are “the old stand-bys” for winter interest.  Evergreen trees and shrubs are an important component of any planting plan because they provide structure and weight to your landscape all year long, and most especially in the winter when your beds would otherwise be empty or “just sticks.”  Often overlooked in the summer, evergreen trees and shrubs actually deliver a nice splash of color during the winter when we primarily see a landscape of browns and grays.  Additionally, these evergreens provide important shelter for the birds that stay up north with us for the winter.  Many groundcovers, such as English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Vinca (Vinca minor), are also evergreen and provide a lush green carpet where there would otherwise be an empty mulch bed.

Although any discussion of winter landscape interest must begin with evergreens, it most definitely does not have to end there.  One winter interest plant that is gaining in popularity is the Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus alba) shrub.  Some cultivars of this plant have spring flowers, variegated foliage, and good fall color; but it is winter when they truly stand out!  As the weather gets colder you will notice the brown branches beginning to turn red, with the newest stems having the most vibrant color.  Varieties of this plant boast colorful stems ranging from bright red to orange-red to coral red.  Another interesting selection is the Red Twig Dogwood’s cousin, the Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Silver & Gold’).  The bright stems of the Red Twig and Yellow Twig Dogwood especially pop when planted in mass and surrounded by a blanket of fresh snow!

Planting trees and shrubs that maintain their berries throughout the winter is another way to add color to your winter landscape.  The familiar Blue Holly (Ilex x meservae) has a deciduous relative, Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata), that maintains clusters of bright red berries on its bare branches throughout the winter. The Winter King Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’) is a great ornamental tree that also has red berries during the winter. The berries can be especially striking when viewed against a backdrop of Spruce trees!  A less frequently used landscape plant that retains its berries through much of the winter is Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma).  If you have room for this sucker spreading shrub, you will enjoy the profuse clusters of lavender berries that remain on the branches through at least the first half of winter.  An added bonus to using these plant selections is that you will be providing a valuable food source for birds during a time of year when sustenance can be scarce.

If it is flowers that you long to see in the winter, your choices may be limited, but there are a handful of options available to you.  A popular practice in recent years has been to plant annual beds with Kale or, the somewhat paradoxically named, Hardy Pansies in the winter.  Kale is a crinkly leafed relative of Cabbage, Broccoli, and Cauliflower.  Although edible, the landscape varieties of Kale have been selected for their texture and purple or white color, rather than for their taste!  Pansies are low growing biennials that are available in a wide range of colors.  Hardy enough to survive winters in Zone 4, Pansies are your best choice if a multitude of colorful flowers is your goal.  One more winter flowering plant that should not be overlooked is the Vernal Witch-hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) shrub.  During the warm days of January, and February you may notice these plants unfurling small clusters of orange or yellow spider-like petals.  Much like us humans on cold days, you may also notice that these petals curl back up when the temperature drops.  This survival technique helps the flowers to persist until March or April.

Interesting textures are another way that you can add interest to you winter landscape.  The exfoliating bark of Oakleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia), Paperbark Maples (Acer griseum), and London Planetrees (Platanus x acerifolia) can be very eye catching at a time when there are fewer colors around to distract from this unusual feature.  The exposed white bark of the London Plantree can be especially striking on a night illuminated by a full moon!  The dried flower heads of Hydrangea shrubs and seed heads of a variety of Ornamental Grasses add another attractive texture to the winter scenery.  An additional interesting plant selection is Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’).  The distinctive twisty curlicue branches of this shrub make it a unique standout year-round, but especially in the winter when the leaves have dropped and the branching pattern is on full display.

Winter may not be the most colorful time of year, but your “Great Outdoors” need not be drab and boring.  The strategic use of a few plants that provide a burst of color or interesting texture can make your landscape really pop and stand out from the rest.  A few splashes of interest can be a reminder that spring is just around the corner, and that may be just what you need to help you endure the rest of the winter!

Giant Allium

White Tulips

Please don’t make your fall bulbs lonely. Bulbs are best enjoyed in groupings of at least five to seven bulbs per singular display. More bulbs per a given planting bed area, the more spectacular your display will be in the spring. Maximize the eye-catching effect of color with mass plantings rather than a few bulbs planted here and there. Even if you choose to plant only one variety of the same type and bulb color, you will achieve a much better satisfaction in your display if your plant en masse.

Dutch Iris

Which side is up? Bulbs typically have some dried roots appearing at the base of the bulb. This, of course, is the “down” part of the bulb. If you are uncertain with side is “up”, plant your bulbs on their sides and they will sort it out on their own with no problem.

Daffodils & Tulips

Typically bulbs will perform fine without much fertilization. However, the informed gardener or one that wants to make her spring flowering investment really pay dividends, will add phosphorous to the root zone of the bulbs during the planting process. All plants require phosphorous for healthy roots and flowers. Bulbs in particular grow with more vigor with the added phosphorous nutrient. Since phosphorous does not move too readily in the soil strata, placing this nutrient down around the root zone really helps the fall bulbs develop a good thick root system. An excellent source of phosphorous for planting is bone meal.

So make an investment in yourself and your landscape this fall. In the spring, you’ll enjoy envious onlookers and a grin on your face from ear to ear. Fall truly is for planting!

Unfortunately, if we do find ourselves knee deep in undesirable vegetation, the best method of eradication is by mechanical means.  No, this does not mean fire up the trusty weed-whip and whack away, beating your trees and shrubs mercilessly in the process!  This means that we must physically pull or dig out the deeply rooted weeds by hand.  Many varieties of weeds, such as the dandelion, can completely re-establish themselves from a small portion of root left below ground, so make sure to get as much of the plant and roots out as possible.  An assortment of hand tools are available that can help make this task a little less back-breaking including slicing hoes, winged weeders, hand cultivators, and hand rakes.

Any way you slice it, weeding is hard work!  A better plan is to try to prevent as many of those weeds as we can from popping up in the first place.  In our war against weeds, we have two great defensive weapons at our disposal; pre-emergent herbicide and mulch.  Pre-emergent herbicide works as our guardian at the gate.  Proper use of these products, such as Preen, is a completely safe way to create a thin herbicidal layer that inhibits or halts the germination and growth of weeds when they hit it.  If pre-emergent herbicides are the gate keeper, then a layer of mulch is the gate itself.  Mulch not only makes our beds look uniform and attractive, it also stabilizes root zone temperatures, helps retain moisture, and plays a vital role in the control of weeds.  A good mulch layer can prevent weed seeds in the soil from receiving the light that they need to begin germinating.  While weeds can and do germinate on the surface of the mulch, to continue to grow, these weeds will need to make contact with the soil.  If we have a good two to three inch layer of mulch, these weeds will most likely wither and dry out before the roots can penetrate the level of the soil.  A well timed pre-emergent herbicide application along with a layer of quality organic mulch can go a long way towards preventing weed growth in planting beds.

Spring activities, sports, and holiday preparations can easily steal all of our attention until we wake up one morning, take a look at the yard, and realize that we are WAY beyond the point of PRE-emergent herbicides.  Have no fear!  Enter the POST-emergent herbicide!  The most common post-emergent herbicide is Round-Up which contains the active ingredient glyphosate.  Since the patent expired in 2000, many other herbicides are now on the market containing the same active ingredient.  Glyphosate is a NON-SELECTIVE herbicide.  This is important to remember because it means that it will kill anything you spray it on, regardless of how could your intentions!  Do not spray when it is windy and always use in accordance with the directions.  When applied appropriately, Round-Up is a great product because there are no residual effects to the surrounding soil.  You can kill a dandelion right next to a tomato plant with no damage to the tomato as long as you avoid spraying the leaves.

As long as you armed with the correct cultural practices, the right gardening tools, and appropriate herbicides you should have little trouble controlling the 2011 battle against weeds.  Just remember, if you find yourself overwhelmed as you face down an invading armada of weeds, you can always call in a seasoned landscape maintenance company to bring on reinforcements!

Fortunately for all of us, the landscape industry has a solution that can lift our spirits as we pull into the driveway of a beautifully illuminated house.  No, I am not talking about a year long Clark Griswold light display; I am talking about low-voltage lighting.  Low-voltage lighting is one of the most overlooked and underutilized tools for bringing curb appeal to your home and the all important WOW factor to your landscape.  A simple low-voltage lighting system can accent important architectural features of your home and highlight your plantings.  Your landscape investment no longer needs to be invisible for half of the day, it can bring you value 24/7.  The light and shadow combinations bring added beauty during a time of day when your landscape might otherwise be unnoticed.  Additionally, the wide array of fixture styles that are available means that you are sure to find one that perfectly compliments your existing home.

Obviously the aesthetic factor is a major benefit of installing low-voltage lighting, but there are many other reasons to consider as well.  Lighting can improve the safety and security of your home.  Potential criminals are much less likely to attempt to hide in a well lit landscape than a dark one.  Path lights can highlight changes of direction along your front walkway so that visitors can safely navigate their way from the driveway to your front door.  A well designed lighting plan will also make your home appear warmer and more inviting to your guests than a home with a solitary front porch light.

Although I began by talking about the winter benefits of outdoor lighting, low-voltage systems can also be a positive addition in the summertime by extending the time you can stay outdoors.  Lighting on your patio and in the landscape can help you to continue enjoying your great outdoors long after the sun has set.  Another great feature of low-voltage lighting is just how easy it can be.  A simple transformer box (which will plug into any standard outlet), light fixtures, wire, and a creative mind are all you need to get started.  You can add analog or digital timers to your system so that the lights will automatically turn on and off at a time set by you.  A photocell can make things even easier by turning your lights on at dusk and off again at dawn.  Low-voltage lighting can even be green!  Many of the newest systems operate with LED lights that use much less electricity and save you the hassle of changing bulbs for years.

Low-voltage lighting is one of the fastest growing areas in the landscape industry and with so many great benefits it is easy to see why!  So as you drive home tonight, in the dark, take a look at some of the homes along your way that already have landscape lighting.  Imagine how great your home could look too.  After all, no one likes coming home to a dark house! – by Pete Marsh, Lead Designer Buck & Sons Landscape, M.S. Landscape Architecture.

Next Year’s Landscape Success Begins NOW!

As the weather turns cool and crisp, you might be tempted to think that your lawn and garden don’t need you anymore. But now is the best time to condition your landscape for a strong start to next spring. Your lawn and ornamentals will also reward you next spring if you give them a hand in making the most of the cooler months.

Don’t abandon the lawn!

During the fall, don’t be fooled as the top growth of your lawn slows. The real action is happening below ground, because this is the time of year when root growth goes into high gear. Fall fertility promotes healthy root growth especially when the soil has been opened through aeration. Roots that have nutrients, adequate moisture and room to expand can store more nutrients for better winter color and earlier spring green-up. Aerate and feed your lawn this fall!

Fortify your trees and shrubs with a good solid meal this fall

Trees and most all other ornamental plants need care in the fall be it pruning, cutting back, mulching or feeding. Fertilization is extremely important in the fall where root growth is building reserves for growth and flower production during the fall and winter. Investing in your landscape now will pay you back many times over next year. Be sure to call us with any questions or requests for quotations. Fall feeding of woody ornamentals has been proven as the optimal time of year to feed these ornamentals.

Spring spectacles begin now – Set yourself off from the crowd with spring flowering bulbs

The only game in town, as far as spectacular spring blooming displays are concerned, remains to be in fall planted bulbs. Of course we are talking about the ever popular spring bloomers such as tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, lily, iris etc. To most of us though that want instant gratification, bulb planting in the fall seems like such a waste of money, time and back-breaking effort. But after about four long cold months, your investment “springs” to life and rewards your efforts with beautiful and unsurpassed colorful displays. The good news too is that bulbs such as daffodils reward you year after year and there are hundreds of varieties and types of bulbs from which to choose. Don’t miss your fall opportunity to spring some life into your landscape investment. For bulb ideas, we have provided you with a link to one of our spring flowering bulb suppliers. SpringDisplays. If prompted for a password, enter ‘bulbs’.

Be sure to use our exclusive and completely free online calculator to determine exactly how many bulbs that you will need here

Lawn aeration, also known as core aeration is the process of mechanically removing small vertical soil “plugs” approximately 2”-4” in depth from the surface of your lawn. The diameter of these circular core plugs are usually around ½”. The plug itself contains a small cross section of grass, grass roots and thatch; but mostly soil.

Why aerate your lawn?

The main reason that we aerate our lawns is to reduce soil compaction. Over time, activities such as playing sports, lawn mowing, pet activity or simply just walking on your lawn creates soil compaction. Soil compacting forces are most severe in poorly drained or wet sites. Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold air. Roots require oxygen to grow and absorb nutrients and water. Soil compaction simply inhibits the roots ability to do these necessary, life sustaining functions. Aeration reduces soil compaction allowing for a healthy growing environment for your plants roots.

When is the best time to core aerate my lawn?

For Midwest, and northern lawns, the fall season is better time for lawn aeration.

• Minimal weed seed present to germinate into opened soils
• Soil plugs have all winter do disintegrate into the top layer of your turf
• Cool season grasses spread out and increase their root growth in the fall
• Your lawn will be ready for natural rainfall and nutrients in the spring

Core aeration can benefit your lawn by:

• Increasing the activity of soil microorganisms that decompose and break down any present thatch layer
• Increasing water, nutrient and oxygen movement into the root zone and soil levels
• Improving root development and overall plant health
• Enhancing the soil profile to allow for rainfall or irrigation to penetrate
• Helping prevent fertilizer and pesticide run-off from overly compacted areas

How can I get my lawn aerated?
Many local equipment rental services provide machine driven mechanical aerators. You may need access to a friend’s truck or utilize a small trailer to transport the machine. Also, not aerators are created equal. Some devices simply “spike” the soil and do not physically pull up core plugs creating the much needed air spaces. In fact, some spiking type machines can actually cause more compaction.

Most full service landscape companies and lawn services offer core aeration services if you find the prospect of doing it yourself too daunting.

Disease damaged dead spots are ideal for slice-seeding repair

Unfortunately, most people don’t think about seeding their lawns in the fall after drought, disease and insect damaged areas have been created throughout the summer growing season. Instead, most people think about spring lawn seeding which is much less than the ideal time to seed. The only other worst timing for seeding would be mid-summer in the extreme heat or late fall when the seed might germinate only to be killed by freezing temperatures.   

Thin lawn areas are renewed with slice-seeding

Does my lawn need to be completely torn out and start over? 

Depending on the condition of your lawn, there are a variety of ways to make your lawn one in which you can be proud. If your lawn is thin or has some smaller bare areas, you should consider slice seeding or overseeding. This can be done by a commercial contractor that has this specialty type of equipment or you can rent slice-seeders from select locations. If your lawn is a complete mess and you want to fix it immediately, perhaps sodding is your best option. If you want to choose the exact type of turf seed that will be called your future lawn, maybe a complete lawn renovation is in order for your more discerning turf palette. For spotty, minor lawn problems, spot seeding with a little topsoil might be your solution. No matter which option you choose to repair your lawn, your decision should be based upon its current condition, your desired quality of your lawn and your patience, the availability of irrigation and of course, your budget. Lawn sodding is much more expensive than lawn seeding.   

Slice-seeding in action. Note no damage to existing turf.

Why or why not use sod? 

 
Sod is an instant lawn. Adding sod to your home lawn is like going to the hospital to pick up your newborn baby without having had nine months of gestation and prenatal care. Instant lawn….instant baby!  Lawn sodding eliminates or at least minimizes any initial weed problems and reduces or eliminates erosion on slopes. Sod comes in different blends of grasses. The most common sod that you will encounter in the Midwest is grown from a blend of Kentucky bluegrasses. You should ask your sod supplier for the seed mix or blend from which your sod was grown. The downside to sodding is that you are not establishing the plant in the native soil from which it was grown. When you install sod, you are bringing in soil that is different than the native soil. This results in the root system wanting to stay in the soil from the sod and not move into your native soil. Many times, sodded lawns decline over five years due to the differences in soil types.   

Vertical trenches allow seed to make solid contact with soil.

Core aeration and overseeding
Don’t confuse core aeration with slice seeding or overseeding. Core aeration is the process of mechanically pulling up plugs of soil and thatch from your lawn. This technique reduces soil compaction, minimizes thatch accumulation, and will give you an overall healthier lawn. Core aeration combined with overseeding is an alternative to slice seeding because it combines aeration with the benefit of adding a select seed variety to your lawn. Core aeration combined with overseeding however will not produce the same results as a true slice seeding machine. 

Fall is the time for turf. Kentucky bluegrass especially loves the warm days and cooler evenings of the fall season. With proper care and the right seed mix, you can have your lawn looking its best by late fall. A thick, dark green lawn is a beautiful canvas to fallen gold and red leaves of October.

Summer is in full swing and hopefully you have planted or are in the process of planting your annual flowers.  Nothing accentuates the landscape more than a nicely placed, healthy grouping of annual flower color.  The question is, does your annual flower display explode with vibrant colors or does your flower display merely sit in your landscape and meekly exist without much notice whatsoever?

So what’s the secret to growing vibrant, healthy, explosive annual flowers? The answer is not as simple as you might think.  For any plant, annual flower or otherwise, location, location, location is the primary consideration.  How much sun, wind, reflective heat, shade, soil condition, slope and soil condition are all important elements to take into account before choosing your seasonal plants for color.

Never let your infant annuals dry out….ever!

First of all, annual flowers are grown in very small pots with a very small root system.  Allowing them to dry out can cause quick demise or at best, a stressful set back from which they may never completely recover.  Annual flowers dry out QUICKLY!  This is probably one of the top reasons why folks have mediocre flower displays in their landscape.

Know your Location

Be sure to choose the right type of annual flowers for the right locations.  Some plants such as the ever popular geranium require as much sun as you can provide during the day.   As more sun is available to the geraniums the flowers become more compact and full of bloom.   Some plants like begonias and impatiens can tolerate a wide range of conditions, thus their popularity.  Certain taller accent plants like large caladiums (elephant ears) or banana trees will be torn to shreds if placed in a windy location.  For an aesthetically pleasing annual display, make sure you plant in the correct environmental conditions.    

Prepare your soil

Spending extra time to prepare your planting soil will pay you in explosive dividends with any plant, especially when dealing with annual flowers.  Annuals prefer a rich, well drained soil.  Adding peat moss, comtil or any other organic compost material will loosen as well as enrich the soil with much needed nutrients.  Planting in heavy clay soil is a no win proposition.  Your annuals will have no chance to thrive or possibly live at all in such undesirable conditions. 

Clear out the old mulch

Another common problem that we see is that individuals don’t plant their new annuals properly.  Annuals need to be planted down into the soil level.  Plant beds over the years can develop a thick layer of mulch.  Many times the unsuspecting flower planter will diligently trowel out their planting holes but the annuals are planted high up in this thick layer of mulch and they never reach the soil. Again, this technique will cause an annual flower to fizzle at best.  In many cases, these annuals will die.

More is better!

Don’t let your annuals be lonely.  It is a waste of time and energy to plant solitary annual flowers spaced many feet apart.  This is the equivalent to painting a few lines on your walls inside your home.  Perhaps a better analogy would be to place a shrub spaced ten to twenty feet apart along the front of your home.  You just won’t get the impact that a grouping will provide.  Be sure to plant your flowers in groupings large enough to make a statement.  You may certainly mix varieties but still keep the grouping theme in mind. 

Annual flowers in mass

Feed your flowers!

The final key to success in having an excellent explosion of annual flower color is fertilizer.  Be sure to feed your annual flowers!  They grow fast and they require nutrients to do this.  There are several popular brands from which to choose from and just as many ways to deliver the nutrients as well.  We like to use granular slow release products when our annuals are first planted and then follow up in two to three weeks with a liquid fertilizer. Don’t forget to feed again in about another month to keep the fireworks going.  The granular slow release fertilizer will keep feeding them throughout the season while the liquid fertilizers can provide for quick explosive bursts of energy and bloom. 

The beauty and simplicity of annual color can bring any landscape to life.  Just a little splash of color can turn that pumpkin of a home or business in to an elegant and attractive chariot overnight.  By preparing your beds, correctly planting your annuals and by watering and fertilizing, you will have that beautiful summer oasis of which you have always dreamed.

First of all, lawn waste bags are an unnecessary waste of paper.  We may have to cut the grass, but we shouldn’t have to cut down trees to use for hauling away those clippings! Grass clippings are made mostly of moisture and nitrogen. You pay good money, in the form of fertilizers, to put nitrogen on your lawn to make it grow, be lush, and have a healthy green color. Why haul away all the fertilizer that you’ve paid for? Don’t waste more of your own money by bagging your lawn clippings which is a completely unnecessary process.  Leave it on your lawn and not at the local landfill.

The most common misconception that leads to homeowners bagging grass clippings is the thought that clippings contribute to lawn thatch. This could not be any more incorrect. Lawn clippings contribute less than 3% to a lawns thatch layer. The thatch layer is primarily made up of un-decomposed dead stems and roots that become matted. So what causes thatch you might ask? Stressing the lawn is the number one reason for lawn thatch build up. Ok, great you say, so, what stresses the lawn? The primary stressors are cutting your lawn too short or cutting more than one-third of the total height at any one cutting. Our turf lawns are not putting greens. Turf type lawns should be cut around two and one-half inches to three inches in height. Other stressors are too much water, too little water, too much nitrogen fertilizer or too much compaction, all of which can all lead to an unhealthy lawn.  Raising the height at which your mower cuts will make your lawn healthier by encouraging deeper roots which, in turn, make your lawn require less water and be more drought resistant. You’ll save water by cutting your turf higher!

Grass clippings are high in nitrogen and mulching them right back into your lawn makes great sense. You can save yourself the back-breaking effort of bagging, you can save the landfills from unnecessary yard waste and you can put those hard earned nutrients right back into your soil. The only time you will need to remove excess clippings is when you let the lawn go uncut and it gets too tall. Bagging your lawn clippings, on average, can add up to 30 percent more time to an already tedious chore. Often the lawn mower is left running while filling the yard waste bags. This adds fuel to the list of items you are wasting…in addition to time, money, paper, etc. etc. If you feel that you must bag your clippings, consider making a compost pile somewhere on your premises.

Yard waste makes up around 20 percent of all waste material at landfills. Also, bagged grass consumes far more energy by the need of large trucks to haul this unnecessary yard waste to the dumps.  You can be the envy of your neighbors by being a better educated and responsible steward of your lawn. Your overall lawn will be healthier, your lawn will remain greener longer and you won’t need to work as hard. All of these benefits and you’ll be helping our environment all at the same time. Dump the bag!

The biggest thing to do right now is simply take some time to look over and evaluate your lawn and landscape.  Because we had extended periods of low temperatures and excessive amounts of snow covering our landscapes, homeowners may start to notice damage to their turf and plants as the snow starts to melt away.  One such damage that may be noticeable to lawns may come in the form of snow mold.

Snow Mold is a fungal disease that can be caused by excess snow and ice build up on grass, which appears as circular, straw colored patches in your lawn.  Cultural controls are the best option for lawn recovery if such damaged occurs.  This can be done by raking injured areas with a hard rake or a leaf rake.  This not only helps promote air circulation, but will help allow sunlight to penetrate down into the canopy and encourage new growth in the spring.  If the damage is severe, seeding or sodding may become an option.

Although snow mold is a fungal disease, fungicides are not recommended are a curative approach.  Fungicides can be costly and your grass may recover with natural, cultural practices as the weather changes.  Preventatively applying a fungicide application in the early winter season will save you headaches as well as reduce your lawns’ probability of developing this disease.  If you’re not sure of what is wrong with your lawn, calling a professional is recommended. 

As you walk around your property, you may start to notice that your lawn was not the only thing that incurred damaged from the harsh winter.  Shrubs and trees may also have been injured from the excess snow.  As snow accumulates without time to melt, plants may droop or fall over and branches may break from the heavy weight of the snow.  Broken and damaged branches should be pruned to help speed up the recovery process.  This will also help prevent diseases and insects from attacking your plants later.  Even though you may have a broken branch in the middle of your shrub or an unsightly looking plant now, it may recover as the growing season returns.  So don’t fret yet.  If you’re unsure of what to prune or you’re not sure how to prune a particular plant, call a landscape professional.  Also, it is not recommended to try and prune broken branches high in trees.  You may injure yourself or someone around you.  You should call a professional arborist to assess your situation.

If you have assessed your plants and lawn closely without any noticeable damage, then you are one of the few!  In that rare case, making sure your plants and lawn are prepared is the next thing to do.  Apply a fertilizer with a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn to help control crabgrass and other unwanted weeds.  March 15 – April 15 are the approximate dates for pre-emergent herbicide applications in central Ohio.  You want to make sure the herbicide moves to the zone of weed seed germination, which is accomplished by rainfall or irrigation.  Weeds not only take away necessary nutrients and water but they deter you from having a healthy lawn.  It is almost impossible and naturally undesirable to have 100% weed control, but preventative treatments go a long way to having a healthy, visually aesthetic lawn in the spring.

Your plants and trees need nutrients as well.  Fertilizer is not plant food. Plants use water, carbon dioxide, elements from fertilizer, and energy from the sun to produce their own food. Synthetic (manufactured) and natural (sometimes incorrectly called organic) fertilizers provide nutrients for plant growth.   A balanced fertilizer applied in the spring will help encourage new growth and have your landscape healthy and ready for the upcoming season.