It's almost summertime, and our real estate agents couldn't be more excited to welcome the new season. Along with bringing warmer weather, summer is also peak gardening season in the Albany and Corvallis areas. Here's how to get your home and garden ready to enjoy all that summer has to offer! 

• Clean and Till Garden Beds
  Inspect garden beds and remove leaves, plant matter, and other debris, and pull up any weeds that have already started to sprout. If your garden has perennials that have returned or are still growing from previous years, cut back any dead stems or foliage. 
  
  In vegetable garden beds, now is a good time to loosen the soil before planting and add any mulch, fertilizer, or other organic materials. If you haven't had your soil analyzed recently, consider sending a sample for testing so you know what kind of amendments to add to the soil.
   
• Prune Trees and Shrubs
  Spring is a great time to prune (some) landscape trees and shrubs, but be cautious about trimming too much or at the wrong time. Evergreens like boxwood and arborvitae can be shaped and trimmed just about any time this season, but other plants require more caution. Rose bushes, for example, should be pruned after buds form to avoid damage from the occasional late frost. That said, it's also important to avoid cutting new growth. Certain flowering bushes like lilac, azalea, and forsythia should be trimmed after they finish flowering to avoid cutting off this year's blossoms. 
  
  
• Plant Annuals
  As we transition from spring into summer, many spring-blooming perennials like tulips and daffodils start to die. As they fade away, they make room in garden beds for a wide variety of summer annuals. Zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, petunias, and sunflowers are all well-suited to Oregon summer gardens. 
  
  
• Transplant Vegetable Seedlings
  Whether you grow your veggies from seeds under grow lights or purchase seedlings from a garden store, now is the time to transition them to your garden. The last average frost date for the Willamette Valley is typically in early May, and it's safe to say that by May 15, the chance of frost is virtually zero. To prepare your vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, let them spend part of the day outside in a sheltered space, gradually increasing the length of time and amount of sun exposure they get until they've become acclimated to outdoor conditions. 
  
  
• Wash Your Home's Exterior
  While it's not as fun as gardening and picking out plants for your home, you also need to attend to your home's exterior. Mold, mildew, and moss have a way of accumulation on roofs, siding, and other exterior surfaces. Spring is the time to wash your home's exterior thoroughly, though you might want to break it up into smaller chunks. Pick one day to pressure wash the siding, another to scrub the porch and patio, and another to clean out gutters and downspouts.
  
  
• Protect Against Pests
  Both your home and garden can get attention from unwanted insect invaders this season. For your home, caulking and weather stripping around doors and windows will help minimize points of entry, and trimming back shrubs will give bugs fewer opportunities to reach your house. For your garden, choose the level of pesticide use that you feel safe and comfortable with. There are plenty of natural options out there, with neem oil being one of the most popular. It also helps to keep up with weeding and pruning, so garden pests have fewer places to hide. 

Contact us today to learn more about life in Oregon. From Corvallis to Albany, our real estate agents are here to help find your dream home with space for a garden.