Summer is here! As you’re packing suitcases and dreaming of sunny days at the lake, don’t forget to plan ahead for your landscaping needs while you’re gone. Follow this handy yard care vacation checklist to ensure that you come home to a healthy, tidy outdoor space.

Looking to lighten your load? Great Goats provides a full array of yard care services—with a level of expertise and reliability that you can’t get from your neighbor down the block! Give us a call today to schedule services during your upcoming vacations.

✔ Plan for lawn irrigation

Check the weather forecast for the days you’ll be gone, and adjust your sprinklers based on expected rainfall. If you have a timed system, just set it and forget it. If someone will be watering the lawn by hand, consider drawing out a map of the spaces you’d like watered, and how often.

(Don’t have an automated irrigation system? Call us today to learn about installing one, and save yourself hours of hassle and gallons of water each month.)

✔ Mow and edge your lawn

Sure it’s a pain now, but the last thing you want to do when you return from vacation is tussle with overgrown grass!

✔ Weed and harvest

Give your plants a thorough weeding, and bring in any fruits and vegetables that will ripen while you’re away. Also consider adding fresh mulch to flower beds.

✔ Move container plants

Container plants tend to dry out quickly. You may want to move them to shadier areas before hitting the road.

✔ Clean gas grill

Turn off the gas supply and use a wire brush to clean your grill. Double-check that your propane is stored safely. While you’re at it, discard any used charcoal or logs from fire pits.

✔ Clean off patios and decks

Clear the decks with a leaf-blower or broom.

✔ Bring in cushions and rugs

Store outdoor fabrics inside while you’re gone, and move rust-prone furniture under overhangs.

✔ Cover water features

Batten down the hatches on pools and hot tubs. (You may want to add an extra dose of chlorine as well.) Consider draining and turning off the power to running fountains and other water features.

Give Great Goats a call today so you can kick back and relax, knowing your outdoor space will be well cared-for in your absence. And here’s to a fantastic summer, wherever the season takes you!