Spring cleaning shouldn’t just be for your office or junk drawer, it’s a time to take stock, make repairs, and just generally freshen up. It’s also the perfect time to re-evaluate your lawn and landscaping needs after winter and prepare for new growth. Don’t leave those yard tasks for when you have an “open weekend”! Planning everything out ahead of time and making a checklist can reduce your yard work burden and give you a framework for moving forward.
Here are a few suggested steps to help you get started on your spring cleaning journey:
- Clean up winter debris
- Prep your flower beds
- Improve existing flower beds
- Order your mulch in bulk (brown mulch is a popular choice)
- Choose your flowers
Winter Debris
Whether your winter was full of snowfall or just dead leaves, the first thing you need to do once the weather warms up is get rid of any and all debris that’s built up over the season. No one wants to see litter or pet waste in their yard, but those cold winter days can bring out the worst in us, so it’s important to take stock of your yard and see what tools you’ll need. Break out the rake once more and gather up everything from any dead leaves you might’ve missed to the Coke can that got buried by the snow. This makes everything that comes next easier.
Prepping Flower Beds
Once you’ve cleared the waste up, it’s time to prepare your dirt and soil so whatever you choose to plant thrives. Prune any dead branches or old wood from surrounding trees and bushes. This not only frees up space, but it encourages healthy growth on whatever plants you choose to prune. Now is also a good time to start the search for weeds. It’s never too early to begin the weeding process, so remove whatever you find.
During winter, soil can become compacted in the ground. To prepare it for fresh planting, you should till or loosen the soil. You can use a tiller or spade to just work the soil and loosen it up – the warmer the day, the easier it will be.
Improving Flower Beds
This is an optional step that not everyone is going to take, but now is your chance to make improvements to the flowerbed. One improvement that can change the entire look of your garden or flowerbed is the addition of edging beds for a new garden border. You’ll need to dig a new trench around the border and fill it with a fabric or liner. Covering the liner with sand or gravel is a great strategy to improve the positioning of the pavers. Once that’s done, you can add new brick or concrete pavers.
Depending on how ambitious you’re feeling with your new project, you can take this a step further and elevate or adjust the shape of the flowerbed. These adjustments will take more time, effort, and material, but can add more dimensions to your yard.
Mulch Time!
Before you plant any new flowers or plants in the soil, you’re going to want to think ahead and prepare your mulch order ahead of time. Once you reach this stage of the process, you don’t want to be dealing with making trips back and forth to pick up more supplies. It’s a good idea to order your mulch ahead of time and in bulk so you aren’t left with any uncovered areas.
Mulch has so many benefits to your garden beyond adding another attractive element. Mulch suppresses weed growth, meaning less time spent ridding your garden of those pests during your free time. A layer of mulch also helps retain moisture in the soil, which is essential for any dry spells throughout the summer and reducing your need to water.
Make sure to do your research before buying any mulch. There are a variety of different types that offer different textures and different appearances. Choosing between black colored designer mulch and shredded hardwood will create a completely different aesthetic for your landscaping. Brown mulch is a popular and preferred option amongst many homeowners.
Flower Power
Finally, it’s time to choose what you’ll be planting. There are so many different plants to choose from for all different landscaping styles. Will you go for colorful pastel flowers to make your landscaping pop? Or is it time to enhance your already existing shrubbery? Different plants bloom at different times, so think about what time of year you want to admire your new garden. Lilacs, daffodils, and tulips all bloom in spring and will give you more instant gratification. Lavender and hibiscus bloom in the summer, so you’ll have to wait to see your handiwork bear fruit.
Whatever you choose, breathe life into your yard with some spring cleaning and enjoy your refreshed garden!