One of our clients in the Portland, OR area reached out to us about their landscape beds and told us they needed some help getting them cleaned up and trimming the plants. We were happy to come help restore their landscaping to its former glory. At J&C Lawn Care, we provide seasonal cleanups for clients throughout the Portland area, including Gresham, Happy Valley, and Troutdale.

Below, check out a couple of photos from the project and learn about the services we performed for this client, including bed reshaping, plant trimming, and mulching.

Why Landscapes Should Be Regularly Trimmed

Freshly trimmed bushes and shrubs at a Portland, Oregon home property.

First, we worked to trim the landscape plants so they wouldn't look so overgrown. Our team came in with the proper trimming tools and trimmed the shrubs back to their proper size. Keeping plants and shrubs trimmed is key to their overall health, as it can help prevent insect infestations and plant diseases from taking hold. When a trimming professional checks out landscape plants, they can easily spot signs of these problems.

Proper trimming also helps the plants look shapely and maintained, thus increasing this homeowner's overall curb appeal. An unkempt landscaping area can be unsightly and is not a desirable look, so their recently trimmed plants will help with that.

Importance of Properly Mulching a Landscape Bed

Portland, Oregon home with fresh mulch bed and landscape design.

After trimming the landscape plants and reshaping the edges of their landscape bed, we replenished their existing mulch that had become worn down and ineffective. It's important to replace mulch once a year so that landscape beds can reap maximum benefits from mulching. For their beds, we chose a chocolate brown hardwood mulch. Benefits of mulching include:

  • Prevention of soil erosion: Mulching stops soil from washing away in rain or snowmelt, so long as the right amount is installed. At least 2-3" of mulch should be placed on top of the soil to prevent erosion. This is especially important when you've invested money into applying fertilizer or weed control to your landscaping soil.
  • Blockage of weed growth: A thick layer of mulch can help block weeds from growing in your landscape beds. Mulch stops nutrients such as light, air, and water from getting down to the weed roots and keeps them from growing. Weeds grow quicker than landscape plants do, which means they can take away their nutrients without proper weed control and mulching.
  • Retaining moisture: Keeping moisture in your soil is key during the hot summers when the sun can otherwise cause water to evaporate from the area and take water away from the plants.
  • Insulating soil: When we get extreme temperature changes, it can have adverse effects on landscape plants and trees. Keeping soil insulated is important as it protects plant roots from being subjected to the temperature change, and proper mulch ensures the soil stays insulated.

We also replenished the river rocks they had in the middle of their landscape beds, as that area can help with drainage and provides a nice visual to break up the brown of the mulch.

If your landscape or lawn needs a cleanup, we can help—give us a call today!

At J&C Lawn Care, we can help clean up lawns and landscaping across the Portland, OR area, including Gresham, Happy Valley, Troutdale, and more. Give us a call today to learn more about our services and set up an estimate at (971) 284-2035.