As a homeowner, either you’re currently trimming your hedges, or you're going to be doing it soon. Luckily, there are ways that you can ensure all of your bushes look great this summer, but you'll need to follow a few key tips to get the job done right. Here's what you need to know about trimming your hedges this summer.

1. Make Sure You Don't Chop Too Much Off

If you take too much off your hedges, it can take a long time to grow back. Furthermore, taking too much off can lead to an uneven appearance, which can be quite difficult to correct. You’ll end up having to trim the rest of your hedges to the same size, which will mean that all of your bushes are cropped too close. 

2. Pay Close Attention to the Needs of New Hedges

If you have any new plants, it's important to pay close attention to how they're currently growing. Of course, this means that you should trim hedges that grow faster more often, but it's also important to find a time that's right for all of the bushes in your yard. This will allow you to complete the job on one occasion.

3. Make Sure the Plants Have Access to Sunlight

To ensure that your hedges grow properly, it will be essential to ensure that all leaves have access to sunlight. Otherwise, they will not get the energy that they need to thrive. Therefore, it's necessary to ensure that your hedges are not blocking each others' access to sunlight. However, it's also important to be familiar with how much sunlight each hedge needs. Luckily, this information is typically available with the plant when you purchase it. 

4. Ensure That Your Plants Get Enough Water

If you want perfect hedging this year, it's important to make sure that all of the bushes in your yard get plenty of water. Unfortunately, conditions can get quite dry in many areas during the summer months, which means that you might have to set up a sprinkler system. This will allow you to water your hedges (and lawn) without having to go out with a hose every day. 

5. Consider Consulting an Expert

If you are not familiar with what you need to do to get the perfect hedges, don't hesitate to contact an expert gardener or yard care service. These experts will be able to perform any jobs that are necessary to maintain your hedges properly. Also, if you simply have some questions, consider consulting a master gardener. You'll often be able to find a master gardener at your local cooperative extension.

Honeybee populations are declining. This has a negative ripple effect on crops and the ecosystem. This is why homeowners need to be careful if they stumble across honeybee colonies while carrying for their lawn.

Are Honeybees Dangerous?

Honeybees and honeybee swarms are not exceptionally dangerous under normal circumstances. Before honeybees swarm, they are usually gorging on nectar honey. This means that they are not as likely to sting. Additionally, when bees are away from their nest, and away from their young, they are not as defensive, so they are less likely to sting unless provoked.

Honeybees are essential to agriculture. Fresh produce requires honeybees to pollinate crops. It is counterproductive to spray insecticide or wasp spray on a swarm of honeybees.

Create a Bee Lawn

Flowering lawns that attract bees add to the biodiversity of your landscape. They also make it, so your lawn requires less maintenance and is more cost-effective. A bee lawn is a turf that has a mixture of well-groomed grass and low-growing perennials. These can bloom even after they are mowed. You can care for this type of lawn like any typical lawn. They are comfortable to lounge and play in. They are also full of protein-rich flowers that give nutrients to bees.

Bee lawns do not require a lot of maintenance. Most of them have deep roots, making the soil healthier. Mulching is a great way to treat a bee lawn because its clippings add extra nutrients to the ground.

A bee lawn may be right for you if you hate mowing your grass. You can let lawn flowers grow, giving bees a natural habitat. This is a straightforward step that people can take to advance bee conservation.

Avoid Getting Stung When You Mow Your Lawn

No one wants to get stung by a bee. When you mow your lawn, though, there is the possibility that you might get stung. However, it is possible to embrace bees, maintain your lawn, and not get stung.

Become familiar with your lawn. Walk around your lawn each week and find where bees and wasps live. Knowing this in advance will prevent you from stumbling across a hive while mowing the lawn.

The vibration of a lawnmower can trigger bees. Their immediate response may be to attack the object making the noise. It is always best to become familiar with your property before starting weed eaters, chainsaws, or lawnmowers.

The best time to mow your lawn is around 5 p.m. Bees are out and about mid-morning. By 5 p.m., most bees have returned to their hives for the day. If mowing in the evening is not an option, you may want to consider mowing your lawn before 9 a.m.

Even if you follow the recommendations mentioned above, you still might get stung by a bee from time to time. However, using those recommendations can lower your chances of encountering bees while caring for your lawn.

Bees are essential for human survival. Therefore, humans are responsible for caring for bees and making sure their lawns are safe for these pollinators to visit.