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Tips and tricks for ensuring a beautiful lawn all summer long

Local landscaper John Simpkins of Heavenly Creation Landscape has been in the landscaping business since he was 18 years old. Now, he shares some of those tips and tricks he has learned throughout the years for maintaining the perfect lawn all summer long.

Established in 2004, Heavenly Creation Landscape is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

“We basically are a full service company as far as your outdoor needs,” Simpkins said. “We do everything from your basic lawn maintenance and landscape maintenance, trimming shrubs and mulching all the way to irrigation systems and hardscapes.”

Simpkins said it is best to start early, and with Tennessee’s mild climate, one of the first places people can start if they would like to do some landscaping around their home or business is simply putting down some mulch in the weeks leading up to spring.

“We do quite a bit of mulching from the first of the year through March,” he said. “For us, we do it because it is a slower time of year and it allows us to get some things done before we get into the grass cutting, which tends to occupy a lot of our time.”

The spring months are also a good time to put down any fertilizer and weed control for lawns.

For those working on a budget, Simpkins said a lot of it comes down to what a homeowner can do as a do-it-yourself project. Some common projects are mulching and planting flowers or shrubbery.

“A lot of stores will run specials in the spring for mulch and flowers,” he said. “A lot of times they will buy it in bulk in the spring and then they will sell it cheaper for a few months just to make sure they move some of it and they are not stuck with a bunch of it sitting.”

When it comes to tackling a new landscaping project, Simpkins said there are a few things people should consider before grabbing a shovel and turning over some dirt.

“Always be aware of your utilities,” Simpkins said.

While electric lines are typically dug deeper than anyone would normally dig for landscaping, water lines can be 16-18 inches below ground and fiber optic and cable lines can be just below the surface in some cases.

It is also important to keep an eye on the upcoming weather before doing some planting.

“Especially here in Tennessee you want to try and wait until we know all our hard freezes are over with before you plant any type of shrubs or especially spring flowers because they will be susceptible to cold weather,” Simpkins said.

When it comes to deciding on what exactly to plant, there are several local options available from area nurseries that will do well in the Middle Tennessee climate. Some popular choices for shrubbery boxwoods and different kinds of holly bushes.

“The nice thing is that McMinnville right down the road is the nursery capital of the east, anything that any of those nurseries would grow would do fine around here,” Simpkins said. “They are going to carry stuff that is locally and regionally okay to plant.”

When deciding what to plant, Simpkins said it is a good idea to try and avoid plants that have thorns.

“I stay away from barberries, I don’t like thorns,” he said. “I am starting to stay away from roses because not only do they have thorns but they have diseases…you have to keep an eye on them.”

Spring is also a good time to take care of any tree trimming that might need done around a home or property.

“You wouldn’t want to do it once we start getting into the real heavy heart and sunshine,” Simpkins said.

Simpkins said the main thing is just for everyone to be able to enjoy their outdoor areas as much as possible once the nice weather hits and to enjoy it for as long as possible.