You may be in "back to school" mode now, weaving through store aisles and checking off items on your child's school supply list.

But are there any items on your lawn care and backyard to-do list that haven't gotten taken care of yet?

Are you thinking ahead to what needs to be done on your property this fall?

Maybe you don't know that there are things that should be done in the late summer and early fall.

Don't worry if you're not aware, we're all juggling a million things in life and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Here's a link to a helpful article by Better Homes & Gardens specifically about lawn care for the Midwest.

Some of the topics they suggest are listed below, but be sure to visit their site to get the full scoop:

For summer, depending on the heat and how dry it is, they say that you may only need to cut your lawn every two to three weeks--you want it to be about three inches high.

They offer some tips about letting your grass go dormant during dry periods--it will turn brown, but it won't die--in an effort to keep down the cost of your water bill. If you don't like the idea of a brown lawn, they offer some suggestions on drought-tolerant grass types and other tips.

There are several things to think about in the fall, which we'll touch on next month, but once the temperature drops to regularly staying below 75 degrees, it's a great time to "overseed." Overseeding is when you plant grass seed into your existing lawn. It's a great way to patch bare spots, increase your lawn's density, and it will enhance the color of your lawn.

Aeration is another thing to plan on doing when the temperature gets cooler, but we'll touch on that next time.

If you need assistance with any of these services, or anything else on your property, please don't hesitate to give us a call. We're always happy to talk or come out and give you a free, no obligation estimate.

Looking to add a little color to your landscaping? Trying to make it look more unified and "designed" rather than "eclectic"?

The Landscaping Network has 16 gorgeous examples of landscaping color schemes and themes that you can incorporate into your home's outdoor design--both with objects like furniture and fixtures, but also through flower, tree and other plant choices.

Maybe you know what you like already, and seeing it set out together on a palette of color chips will help solidify your plans. If you're in the browsing phase, you're sure to find some great color inspiration here.

We've included a few of the landscaping design and color palette options from their site. Do you like light blues, sage greens and grays? Take a look at the Coastal option. 

Like blue, lime green, and a pop of orange? Maybe the Modern palette is a great choice to achieve the look you want for your backyard.

Whatever your color and design preference, it's a safe bet that something will strike you as appealing as you browse these options.

If you need help transferring a theme from a caption and image on a webpage to a reality on your property, we're happy to help. Give us a call or send us a message. We'd love to come out and talk to you and give you a free estimate.

The worst of the April showers are probably behind us now, and we can hope for many sunny days ahead. Maybe it's been too rainy or cold for you to do much in your garden or yard up to this point, but now you're ready to spring into action.

...But maybe you're wondering where exactly you should start...

Your garden needs some annuals. Your yard needs some landscaping. Your grass needs some organic fertilizer. Your vegetable patch needs some vegetables.

Well, here are a few guides and checklists to get you started in the garden department:

Here's a May garden checklist from the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Here's another one from the Daily Chronicle.
And here's an all-around guide of when to plant what... appropriately titled "Is it Time Yet?"

In these guides you'll find tips like these:
1) Wait until after May 15--the Chicago area's average last frost date--to plant warm-season flowering annuals, herbs and vegetables.

2) If you want to play it safe, you may want to wait until Memorial Day to set out "cold-sensitive" vegetables (like tomatoes, squash, peppers, and eggplant) and and annuals (like impatiens and begonias).

3) After you've planted your annuals, wait two weeks before you fertilize them.


You'll also find general helpful tips on a variety of outdoor-related issues, like what you should do with your roses, and what you should do for your lawn.

If you need any assistance with your garden or yard--mowing, landscaping, spring cleanup, planting, or anything else, give us a call. We'd be happy to give you a free estimate.

Did you know, for us Chicagoans: "On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 20 and ends Oct 24, totalling 187 days"?

Besides giving that useful piece of information, The National Gardening Association has a great chart loaded with specific information about when to plant what type of vegetable...whether you're starting with seeds sown indoors, transplanting indoor seedlings to the garden outside, or sowing seeds directly outside.

If you're planting a vegetable garden in your yard this year, it'll definitely be worth a few minutes of your time to peruse this article.

If you need any assistance with gardening, landscaping, yard work, or lawn care, we'd love to help. Give us a call to schedule a free estimate.

Do you have an unwanted lake in your backyard? Maybe a gurgling stream that is anything but charming?

These April showers are certainly good for some things--like bringing the color back into our grass and nurturing the fledgling spring blooms poking through the soil... But it's only helpful to a point. A flooded backyard can cause many problems ranging from sloshy sod to flooding our homes.

If you're having property drainage problems, there are multiple approaches and solutions. 

You may need:

• A modified downspout
• Yard regrading
• An underground drain to collect and reroute the water
• A catch basin that collects the water and either reroutes it into the storm sewer or converts it to groundwater

Whatever the need, we can solve your yard drainage problems.

Fill out the form below or call us at (630)890-9387 to schedule a free estimate.

We are currently offering a 25% off sale on our spring aeration service.

With the discount, aerating starts at $40, depending on the property size.

At Revive Your Lawn, we delight in turning good lawns into great lawns.

Aeration is the process of removing plugs of compacted soil, which allows your grass roots to breathe deeply, and improves water and nutrient absorption. It makes grass roots stronger and healthier, and promotes a thicker, lusher lawn. It also speeds up micro-organisms that decompose thatch (the lower layer of your grass).

Aeration is one of the best things you can do for your lawn.

Contact us today for a free estimate.

There's a reason we're called Revive Your Lawn! 

The fertilizer we use is 85% organic matter.

It's safe for kids and pets.

It's good for grass, vegetables and shrubs alike.

It's slow-release design will enrich your soil with nitrogen and other nutrients for 10 weeks after application.

It infuses organically complex iron to your lawn--which is necessary to keep your grass a deep, vibrant green.

It won't burn your grass.

It's been around for 90 years--now that's a good reputation!

Want to know more? Visit the product website here.

Want to know more about our application process? Call us!

Want a free estimate? Call us!

We hope to hear from you soon.

Spring has been teasing us about its coming for a long time already this year, hasn’t it? It hints at its coming…then disappears…and then prances back in with sunshine and gusty winds. But now we know it’s really on its way—something we’re all probably pretty happy about.
 
If you were to dream about your property this year, what would you like to see? A new garden wall? Lush, soft grass your kids can run through with their bare feet? Maybe some new outdoor lighting for the summer parties you’re planning… The possibilities are endless.
 
We’d love to help your backyard dreams become a reality.
 
The first step to all that might be lawn maintenance:
 
We offer a FREE AERATION to customers who sign up for a 28-week package of full-service lawn care. Package includes mowing, fertilizing, blowing, edging, bush trimming, and spring and fall yard cleanup.
 
Please contact us for more details. And, we want you to know that though we may be a business, first and foremost we’re people... People who care about those in need. As such, we give a percentage of all pre-payments to charity.

 
If a full-service package isn't for you, you may want to consider a few individual services to jumpstart your lawn:

Organic Lawn Fertilization: There's a reason we're called Revive Your Lawn!  The fertilizer we use is 85% organic matter.
It's safe for kids and pets.
It's good for grass, vegetables and shrubs alike.
It's slow-release design will enrich your soil for 10 weeks after application.
It won't burn your grass.
For more details, visit the product website here.
 
Core aeration: Help your grass roots breathe deeply by removing plugs of compacted soil—it’s one of the best things you can do for your lawn.
 

Would you like a free quote for any of our services?
Please call or email us and we will bet back to you as soon as possible!
 
Oh, real quick before you leave: if you're already a customer, thank you for choosing Revive Your Lawn. We value you immensely, and we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to refer us to someone you know and leave us a review here.

And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook for outdoor project ideas, tips and tricks, and some great landscaping laughs!

When is it time to aerate my lawn?
When is it time to fertilize?
When is it time to plant bulbs?

If you have these questions and more, you should find the links below helpful. These articles give great outlines of what you should be doing when to prep your lawn and garden this spring.

(Note: As some of these articles include advice for multiple zones, please note that we live in Zone 5.)

Midwest Gardening
Tenth Acre Farm
Rodale's Organic Life

Have fun getting your hands back in the dirt!

If you need assistance with aeration, fertilizing, planting, spring clean-up or any other lawn care or landscaping project, please give us a call at 630-890-9387! We'd love to help.

There's not much to do outdoors in Chicago in February when there's no snow and it's crazy cold outside. But bundle up for a moment and step outside your door and look at your home and front yard from the sidewalk.

What do you see?
Do you like what you see?

Of course we know the lawn is probably kind of brown, and nothing is flowering, but imagine your home and property at every season.

What kind of curb appeal do you have going on?
What about the colors--interesting or monotone?
Is there any vertical interest?

Start planning any changes now so you're ready to hit the ground running when the weather warms up a little.

Do you need some new landscaping?
Do you need some hardscaping--a retaining wall, a patio, a sidewalk?
How about some new outdoor lighting?

Here's an article from Realty Times that will help you think about how you can boost your home's curb appeal.

If you need help with any of these landscaping, hardscaping, lawn maintenance or other exterior projects, please get in touch!