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Since you’ll likely be digging a trench to install your yard drainage system, this is a good time to complete other tasks that involve digging up your yard, including: Sprinkler system installation Lawn reseeding Regrading your yard Redesigning your landscaping If your drain is under a walkway or driveway, your contractor must also remove those materials. This is a great time to consider upgrading your hardscaping features, especially if they’re nearing the end of their life span.

While you can leave roots in the ground, if you don’t want the shrub to regrow again over time, it’s best not to leave any roots behind. Ensure you remove as much of the shrub as possible, including the root ball and any main roots you can see, to prevent new growth. Some gardeners opt for using a chemical treatment to prevent the stump from growing back, but this can kill beneficial microorganisms living in your soil.

The truth is, there really is no such thing as a 100% deer-proof plant. Deer will decimate even the prickliest flora if they’re hungry enough. However, there are plenty of beautiful plants that deer don’t necessarily enjoy. These include thistles, wisteria vines, sword ferns, and beautyberries.

Deer are herbivores, and they love vegetable gardens as much as Peter Rabbit. If you don’t want to fence in your entire property, consider creating an attractive raised-bed veggie garden with mesh fencing around it to keep out deer and other critters.

While both fall and spring are suitable times of the year for planting trees, fall is typically the better option. Soil stays warm long enough to allow tree roots to establish in fall before they go dormant, while spring might give way to intense summer heat before spring-planted trees have time to grow strong roots.