The May To-Do List: 5 Home Projects to Save Your Yard -- and Lives, Too

Leah Lerner

It's green-thumb time, and we can help you find it! In the world of getting things done, May is all about making your outdoor living spaces come alive and thrive, from getting gleaming grass, to planting those last-chance fruits and veggies. Here are five things you can do to spruce up -- and safety up -- your yard.

1. Trim Trees for Safety

Fire departments recommend you check all around the exterior of your home to keep tree branches and any plants from touching your home. Smart fire prevention! Find a tree trimmer.

This is also the time to get ahead of hot weather, which can cause weakening limbs to come crashing down. Trim top-heavy greenery before it causes serious injury or property damage. Read more about What to Do When a Tree Falls.

2. Get More Green With Less Work

Fact is, it's just not that easy to maintain a beautiful green lawn. Between seeding, tilling the soil, raking, mulching, and watering (usually multiple times daily), the whole process can take up to a month, and requires a lot of babysitting. One missed step can mean a patchy, brown mess. Tired yet? Why put in all that sweat equity for uncertain results when you can hire a great local lawn-care pro?

3. Give Landscaping a Lift

Now's the time to show the neighborhood what a well-designed landscape looks like. Inspire a little jealousy — it'll feel good. This is an especially wise time to switch over to drought-tolerant designs, before the blazing sun has a chance to make a mockery of water-hogging grass. Find a good local landscaper to help you figure out which plants work best in your climate zone.

4. Save Some Cash

Want to do it yourself? Grab essential trimming and pruning shears, grass seed and spreaders, mulch, and more. Find hardware stores and garden centers near you.

5. Plant That Last-Chance Garden

While full-on planting season is about done by now, you can still squeeze in a few of the heartier, heat-tolerant fruits and veggies. Tomatoes and watermelon are good May bets.

Setting up successful plant beds takes time and consistent irrigation. But you can still get a good yield with some well placed buckets. Tip: For tomatoes, go with a 15-gallon bucket. Most people try to get by with 5 gallons, but it's just not big enough to let these beauties shine.

More lawn and garden ideas: