Last week of February is prime time for the pre-spring walk — warm enough to be outside comfortably, cold enough that problems are still visible (no foliage hiding things). Here’s the checklist we run on every property we maintain, broken down so you can do the same one yourself.

1. Drainage fails

Find the low spots. Anywhere water sat for more than a day after the last rain, you’ve got either bad grading, compacted soil, or a drainage fault. Mark these with landscape flags — they’re your March fix list.

2. Ice-heave and frost damage on beds

Freeze-thaw cycles lift shallow-rooted perennials partially out of the ground. Look for plants that appear to be floating on a cushion of soil, with roots exposed. Gently press them back down and add a shovelful of mulch. Don’t do this on a day soil is frozen — wait for a 40°F+ afternoon.

3. Mulch thickness

Walk through every bed. Old mulch should be 2–3 inches deep; if you’re seeing bare soil in patches, you’re going to need a top-off this spring. Per VCE’s Springtime Mulching guidance, fresh hardwood mulch goes down 2–3 inches, wood chips 4–6 inches. More than that smothers roots.

4. Winter burn on evergreens

Boxwood, holly, rhododendron, laurel — look for brown or desiccated tips on the south and west sides where winter sun hits. That’s winter burn, usually cosmetic. Don’t prune it yet; wait for new growth in April to see what’s actually dead vs. just discolored.

5. Tree limbs from winter storms

Look up. Any limbs hanging at a weird angle, split partially at a crotch, or piled up in the canopy after a wind event? Those come down now, in the dormant window, before spring growth adds weight and makes them a falling hazard. Big stuff gets an arborist.

6. Edges

Walk all your hard-surface edges — driveway, sidewalks, patio. Grass creeps over the edge all summer, dies back in winter, and leaves a tired fuzzy border. A sharp mechanical edge cut in early spring resets the look for six months. We do this on every mow; if you’re DIY, a half-moon edger and two passes does it.

7. Hardscape and fences

Loose pavers, cracked concrete, leaning fence posts, split rail boards — winter freeze-thaw exposes everything. Write it down. Some of it you can DIY; some of it (fence staining, deck work) stacks onto a spring service visit.

The short answer

Twenty minutes, a notepad, a cup of coffee. If you find one problem, you saved yourself from finding it in April when you’re busy. Find five problems and you’re weeks ahead of your neighbors.

Want us to do the walk for you? We’ll come out, walk the property, flag everything we find, and write up what we’d do and what it’d cost — so you can decide what goes on the spring list. Reach out to schedule a visit.

Sources

• Virginia Cooperative Extension — Springtime Mulching