Spring Landscaping Checklist for Central Indiana Homeowners

Spring in Central Indiana is short. You get a narrow window between the last frost and the summer heat to get your yard in shape. Miss it and you are playing catch-up all season.

Here is a practical checklist to work through in April and May. None of this is complicated — it is mostly about doing things in the right order.

1. Clean Up Winter Debris

Walk your property and clear dead branches, fallen leaves, and any trash that accumulated over winter. Rake out flower beds and remove matted-down leaf cover so the soil can warm up and breathe.

2. Edge Your Beds

A clean edge between your lawn and landscape beds is the single fastest way to make your yard look maintained. Use a half-moon edger or flat spade to cut a crisp line. Do this before mulching — it defines where the mulch stops and the lawn starts.

3. Assess Your Driveway

Freeze-thaw cycles are hard on Indiana gravel driveways. Walk your driveway and look for:

• Ruts and low spots where water pools
• Thin areas where the base is showing through
• Potholes from winter traffic

Most gravel driveways need a top-off every 1 to 2 years. A load of #53 stone spread and graded solves most problems in an afternoon.

4. Grade Low Spots in Your Yard

If you have areas where water stands after rain, spring is the time to fix them. Pulverized topsoil is the standard material for filling and grading. Spread it, rake it smooth, and seed if needed. The spring rains will help new grass establish.

5. Refresh Mulch Beds

April through May is the ideal window for mulching in Central Indiana. Apply 2 to 3 inches of fresh mulch to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and give your beds a clean look for the season. Pull weeds and plant anything new before you spread.

6. Check Drainage

Walk your property during or right after a rain. Where does water go? If it pools against your foundation, runs across your driveway, or erodes a slope, you may need to address drainage with stone. River rock and flume stone are commonly used for French drains, dry creek beds, and swale channels.

7. Top Off Decorative Stone

Decorative stone beds last longer than mulch but still thin out over time. If you can see landscape fabric or bare spots in your rock beds, add a fresh layer to bring them back to the right depth.

8. Plant, Then Mulch

Get your annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs in the ground before you spread mulch. Planting after mulching means disturbing the fresh layer and leaving gaps. In Central Indiana, wait until after the last frost (typically late April to early May) for warm-season plants.

9. Call 811 Before You Dig

If any of your spring projects involve digging — fence posts, new beds, drainage trenches — call 811 first. It is free, required by Indiana law, and prevents you from hitting buried utility lines. They will mark your property within a few business days.

The Materials You Will Need

Most spring landscaping projects come down to a short list of materials: mulch, topsoil, gravel, and possibly river rock or decorative stone. We carry all of them at our yard on US Highway 40, and we deliver across Hancock County, New Palestine, Greenfield, McCordsville, and the surrounding area.

Call (317) 538-7514 for pricing, or stop by to see our full product line. We can help you figure out how much material you need for your project.