Ryan’s Crossing will soon be bustling as spring arrives and our community works to bring its gardens back to life. The task of sweeping the bland appearance of winter away and replacing it with new colors, fragrances, and decorations is such an exciting time each year. Pittsboro is a prime location with access to several local businesses currently stocking their shelves with just the supplies needed to spruce up yards, gardens, and flower beds. Are you ready to welcome the return of warm days filled with sunshine and Carolina blue skies?
But where to begin?
An essential first step in landscaping is remembering that it is a process, rather than limited to a single weekend’s worth of activity each year. Trying to bring a garden from dormant to long-lasting in a single day is exhausting and will likely end with plants that may only last a month or two. By updating flowers or decor throughout the spring and summer, working in smaller increments will minimize the workload and maintain an ongoing fresh look.
Second, work within your own abilities. Not everyone is born with a bright green thumb. Still, almost everyone has the opportunity to offer a welcoming entry to their piece of our Ryan’s Crossing world. Designing around a theme is one way to make an overwhelming gardening project seem less intimidating. Pick a color, pick a texture, or even pick a visitor. Creativity can go a long way once you start thinking outside the flower box.
A simple way to make a huge visual improvement when moving from winter to spring is with a fresh layer of mulch. It is an investment worth making to retain your garden’s moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the soil cool. Before deciding which direction your garden will grow, select a mulch that compliments your home’s color and purchase more than you think you will need. At Chatham Farm Supply, you can buy mulch in bulk or deliver it right to your home. Once you see how nice it looks, you’ll be glad to have extra.
By focusing on a color family, the pressure of selecting just the right flower or plant can become a bit more straightforward. Head to B & L Supply and browse through endless options that will produce just the right tones to bring out the best in your homefront. Choose a taller, dark maroon flower for the back of your beds, such as roses. Slip some Coleus in the middle row to add some magenta shades, and then front those with a blanket of crawling pink Soapwort. Building a garden based on a color palette is easy to uncomplicate the planting process. With such a variety of plants available, you will never be short of options.
Suppose hardscaping is on the docket for this year. In that case, Pittsboro Landscape Supply has exactly the stone, sand, boulders, and aggregates needed to make an impact. This is yet another local, family-owned, and operated business that understands the climate and conditions of its surrounding neighborhoods, such as Ryan’s Crossing. River rock is a unique way to edge your flower beds, and stepping stones are a great way to create paths to connect them.
Perhaps your gardening goals are centered around birds, butterflies, or other warm-weather visitors. Create a cluster of birdhouses, and you might just hear from chirping hatchlings in a few weeks. Or, set up a few bird feeders and a birdbath to create a rest stop for our feathered friends. Don’t forget the butterflies! Pittsboro is just on the edge of the migratory path of the Monarch butterfly. Check out North Carolina Wildlife Federation to learn how to draw them to your yard. Most butterflies feed only on milkweed, which is nearly effortless to grow. Imagine sitting on the porch, ice-cold sweet tea in hand, rocking chair at work, watching while a family of butterflies dances around your outdoor creation.
As Ryan’s Crossing welcomes this new season, we look forward to seeing new colors, fragrances, and decorations throughout our stunning community.