As winter loosens its grip, your lawn is already starting to wake up—even if you don’t see much green yet. In our mountain region, most lawns are made up of cool-season grasses like tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. These grasses begin growing from the roots up as soil temperatures rise, which makes late winter and early spring an important time to support long-term lawn health.
What you do now doesn’t just affect how your lawn looks in April—it influences how well it handles summer heat, drought, and wear.
Feed the Lawn Gently
A light feeding in late winter or early spring helps support early root activity and gives lawns a healthier, more even green-up. The goal is to encourage strong roots, not push rapid leaf growth that can weaken the turf later. We base our feeding program on soil tests from a lab to ensure just the right treatment of your turf. If you are fertilizing your own lawn, contact your local extension agent to learn how to conduct a soil test.
Key takeaways:
Apply a light dose of nitrogen in late winter or early spring, based on laboratory soil tests
Avoid heavy fertilization that causes fast, tender growth
Strong early roots lead to better summer performance
Repair Thin or Damaged Areas
If winter left your lawn thin or patchy, spring overseeding can help fill in bare spots. While fall is always best for seeding, spring planting can be successful with the right care.
Key takeaways:
Seed cool-season lawns as soil warms (mid-March to April)
Keep newly seeded areas consistently moist, but not wet
Stop Weeds Before They Start
Many troublesome weeds, including crabgrass, begin to germinate in early spring. A pre-emergent treatment applied at the right time prevents these weeds before they ever appear.
Key takeaways:
Pre-emergents block weed seeds from sprouting
Timing is critical—apply before soils warm
Fewer weeds now means a cleaner lawn all season
A Strong Start Makes the Difference
Late winter and early spring is all about setting the foundation. Light feeding, soil care, smart seeding, and early weed prevention give your lawn everything it needs to grow thicker, greener, and more resilient through the rest of the year.
If your lawn struggled last season or needs a boost after winter, our team can help design the right program to get it off to a healthy start this spring.
We recently attended the Eggs & Issues – Economic Development breakfast hosted by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. This well-established business forum brings community leaders, entrepreneurs, and local professionals together to discuss key issues shaping our region’s future.
A Panel of Local Economic Leaders
The conversation centered on economic development and what it means for businesses, residents, and the broader community. The panel featured distinguished experts from multiple sectors who shared their perspectives on growth, collaboration, and innovation:
Brian Hamilton, Economic Development Director, Montgomery County Economic Development
Katie Boswell, Executive Director, Onward New River Valley
Leo Priddy, Representative, New River Valley Regional Commission
John Provo (Moderator), Executive Director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic & Community Engagement
These leaders offered practical insights and real-world examples of what’s working in our region — and where challenges still need thoughtful solutions. The panel discussion examined strategies for attracting new businesses, supporting existing enterprises, and enhancing the quality of life that makes our area an appealing place to live and work.
Why This Matters to the New River Valley
Economic development affects everyone from long-time residents to new entrepreneurs. By uniting voices from county, regional, and innovation sectors, attendees gained a deeper understanding of:
How local organizations are collaborating to strengthen economic opportunities
The tools and resources available for business growth
Ways the community can stay competitive in a shifting economic landscape
Events like Eggs & Issues are more than breakfast and conversation — they’re a chance for business leaders to connect, learn, and influence the future of our economy. Back to Nature was proud to participate in these important discussions and walk away inspired by the collective commitment to progress in Montgomery County and the New River Valley.
We are incredibly honored to share that Back to Nature Landscaping and Construction has been voted a 2025 Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave.
This recognition means the world to our team because it comes directly from our neighbors. Being named a Neighborhood Fave tells us that the people we serve every day trust our work, value our professionalism, and feel confident recommending us to others in the community.
Nextdoor’s Neighborhood Faves awards highlight the most loved local businesses, based entirely on community votes. According to Nextdoor, neighbors are far more likely to support a business that has earned this designation, making it one of the most meaningful forms of recognition a local company can receive.
For us, this award reflects what we strive for every day at Back to Nature. We believe great landscaping is about more than curb appeal. It is about showing up when we say we will, doing the job right, caring deeply about proper horticultural practices, and building long-term relationships rooted in trust and reliability.
From landscape design and installation to maintenance, turf care, and outdoor construction, our goal has always been to create outdoor spaces that feel like home while being good stewards of our local environment.
To our clients, neighbors, and community members who took the time to vote, recommend us, and support our work, thank you. Your trust fuels our team and pushes us to keep raising the bar.
We are proud to serve the New River Valley and grateful to be part of a community that values local businesses and the people behind them.
If you would like to learn more about our services or start a conversation about your outdoor space, contact us.
Here’s to growing, building, and giving back together.
Ms. Merrix has always taken great pride in her lawn and gardens, finding joy in tending her flowers and maintaining a healthy, welcoming yard. In February 2025, a devastating flood washed nearly 3,000 tons of gravel from a nearby storage site into her property, damaging her home and burying her lawn and garden beds.
With the generous help of friends and neighbors, Ms. Merrix has made meaningful progress restoring her yard, but she has been unable to reestablish a healthy lawn or safely mow what little grass remains. Seeking further help for Ms.Merrix, a coworker nominated her for the Yard Angels program, describing her as dedicated, hardworking, and always friendly to those around her.
Our crews came in to remove as much gravel as they could from her yard, add topsoil and compost, then seed and straw to give her a great start toward reestablishing her lawn.
Bill and Linda Hopkins
Bill and Linda Hopkins have enjoyed their home alongside the New River in Blacksburg for 20 years. When Hurricane Helene swept through the area, the river rose an astonishing 32 feet, sending six to seven feet of water into their single-story ranch home and devastating their landscape.
While insurance and FEMA assistance will eventually help to rebuild the interior of their home—now stripped down to the studs—none of the damage outside is covered. Undeterred, Bill and Linda have worked tirelessly to clear debris from planting beds, remove damaged outbuildings and their contents, and tackle fallen trees. Still, the scope of work remained overwhelming.
Through our Yard Angels efforts, we were able to assist with some of the most challenging tasks, including removing massive logs from a tree that came down in the storm and were stacked. Those trunks were transported to a local mill, so that Bill can use the lumber for future projects. Clearing this material will also allow construction crews safe access to begin rebuilding the home. Additional work included removing brush and damaged shrubs, as well as power washing the patio and walkway.
Riner Fire Department
The Riner Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary envisioned a memory garden at the fire department to honor firefighters who have passed away, as well as the auxiliary members who faithfully supported the department throughout the years. Their goal was to create a meaningful space that recognizes decades of service and dedication to the Riner community.
Central to the design is a patio featuring engraved bricks bearing the names of firefighters who have passed away, offering a lasting tribute to their service and sacrifice. The memorial also incorporates a piece of one of the towers that fell on September 11, along with a bench purchased in honor of a beloved auxiliary member who has passed away. Together, these elements create a place for reflection, remembrance, and gratitude.
The Auxiliary reached out to Back to Nature for assistance in bringing this vision to life. While the project was larger and more complex than those typically completed through our charitable program, our crews were eager to help. We worked closely with the Auxiliary and Fire Department to develop a thoughtful design, finalize the scope of work, and present the plan to our teams for approval. With the budget in place and strong crew support, the project moved forward.
We are especially grateful to Chaney Enterprises for their generous donation of brick, which helped make this memorial possible. Our crews completed excavation and bed preparation on Wednesday, installed the base and monument on Thursday, and laid the pavers on Friday. Throughout the project, members of the Ladies Auxiliary kindly provided lunches and remained on-site to support the crew.
We are honored to have played a role in creating a space that recognizes those who serve and protect their neighbors every day. We hope this memory garden stands as a lasting tribute and a meaningful gathering place for the entire community.
Kathy Grouber
Kathy Grouber was one of James Ulmer’s earliest clients. She still remembers when James worked on her property as a Virginia Tech student, earning money to support his studies. As he began dreaming of starting his own landscape company, he shared his ideas with Kathy—including the name Back to Nature and early thoughts about the logo. Over the years, she has watched James grow from a student to a small business owner and, ultimately, to leading a thriving company.
During that same time, Kathy experienced significant life changes. She lost her husband and later developed health challenges that now require her to use a wheelchair, making it difficult to care for the beautiful country property she loves.
Our crews were honored to help restore her landscape by cutting back ornamental grasses, trimming trees and shrubs, edging and mulching beds, and installing a simple fence to create a safe outdoor space for her sweet dog, Polly. The fenced area allows Polly to go outside when needed while staying close to home.
We are grateful to continue the meaningful relationship James began with Mrs. Grouber many years ago and to play a small part in making her property beautiful and manageable once again.
With our hilly terrain, it can be challenging to fully enjoy and safely access every part of your yard. Thoughtfully designed retaining walls and walkways can transform steep or uneven properties into functional, welcoming outdoor spaces.
Retaining walls help reclaim usable yard space by leveling areas for entertaining, gardening, or play. They can also terrace hillsides, creating ideal conditions for vegetable gardens or ornamental plantings. In addition to improving usability, retaining walls make routine maintenance easier by reducing steep slopes and absorbing changes in grade—often simplifying mowing and upkeep. On some properties, retaining walls are essential for stabilizing hillsides and protecting homes, driveways, and other outdoor features.
Walkways play an equally important role in how you experience your landscape. Well-placed walkways can create safer, more gradual routes through your property, making it easier to move between outdoor spaces. Consider how you and your family naturally use your yard—worn paths in the lawn often reveal where people walk most often. Are there areas you avoid because they’re muddy, uneven, or steep? Thoughtful walkway design can improve access not only for daily use, but also for visitors, especially older friends and family members or those with mobility challenges.
If you plan to age in place, it’s especially important to think ahead about accessibility. Incorporating solid walking surfaces, gentle slopes, or ramps can help minimize trip hazards and support long-term use of your outdoor spaces. Making a list of improvements that would enhance movement and safety now—and in the future—is a great place to start.
Walkways can be constructed from a wide range of materials, including stepping stones, pea gravel, pavers, natural stone, or concrete. The right choice depends on your budget, terrain, design preferences, and current or anticipated accessibility needs. With the right planning, retaining walls and walkways can make your landscape easier to navigate, safer to enjoy, and more functional for years to come.
We recently stepped out of the field and into the classroom for a change of scenery! Owner James Ulmer was invited to guest speak to a Virginia Tech Horticulture class focused on estimating, and the conversation was exactly what we hope for when we get to connect with students: practical, curious, and grounded in what happens on real projects.
Because estimating is where planning meets reality, James shared real-world examples of how we think through scope, labor, materials, timelines, and the details that can make or break a job. The goal was simple: help students see what estimating looks like beyond a worksheet, and how those skills translate directly into stronger projects, smoother operations, and better outcomes for clients.
What stood out most was the student engagement. The questions were thoughtful and specific, ranging from day-to-day decision-making to bigger career considerations. James enjoyed sharing:
Industry knowledge and hands-on experience from landscaping and construction work
Different career paths in the green industry, including how people grow from entry-level roles into leadership
The mindset behind building a successful team and delivering consistent quality
James also gave students a look at what we are working toward at Back to Nature, including future plans like business relocation and a new development project here in Blacksburg. It was a great opportunity to talk about how growth shapes the way we estimate, plan, and invest in the systems that support high-quality work.
At Back to Nature, we are always excited to help connect the dots between what students are learning now and what they will be asked to do in the real world. We are proud to stay involved with Virginia Tech, support the Horticulture program, and invest in the next generation of industry leaders.
Thanks again to Virginia Tech for the invitation. We are already looking forward to the next opportunity to get involved.
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and the New River Valley.
