Well I don't know about you, but spring can NOT come soon enough!! I feel like I am living the title, "The Winter of our Discontent!" It has been cold and wet and snow at times, and the dreary economy and financial picture every minute of every day makes me want to just go to sleep and wake up in 12 months! Oh well. At least spring is beginning to spring, and that is always a good thing (to quote Martha!)
With spring, comes cleaning of course! Today let's just talk about the outside. If you have a yard, and mine happens to be quite big, there is a lot to do. But never fear, it does not all need to get done today, so make a plan, and take your time.
Main things to consider--
the lawn
plants and shrubs
weeds
outdoor furniture
the bar b que
fix its
play structures
patios and walkways
fencing
fixtures
The lawn. If you are going to have one, it should look pretty good. Now I am a huge fan of the perfectly manicured lawn. Love it. But it does take work and may not be possible every day! So sometimes I settle for good to pretty good for my lawn to give myself a break. You will want to schedule your lawn care -- I use TruGreen. They fertilized and did the moss kill on my lawn. Lovely, I then have a huge part of my lawn that looks like it got the black plague--that is what happens to the moss. You must then rake it out. Tiring!! But you will be glad you did. In just a little over a week I can see the lawn greening up from the fertilizer. A nice change from the short, yellow, sorry looking lawn all winter. Probably just about time to give it its first mow as well. Trim it too. Now your lawn is ready to welcome those spring days. (Hopefully you took my advice months ago, and raked up all those dead leaves!)
Plants and shrubs. Perennials will look bleak, but they will be back soon. Prune them up a bit, like getting a haircut. If you have any annuals that managed to hang on, you might wait and see it they come back. I thought I had some, but after the snow, no way. So soon I will be buying some wonderful vining red petunias. If a plant is just not coming back, up to you ..pull it or wait? I had a couple of heathers, looked deader than doornails, but I cannot believe it, after like 1 year, they seem to have come around.
Weeds. Where do they come from? Everything else looks like it is hanging on for dear life, but these damn weeds are prolific, sprouting everywhere! I prefer to pull them out versus spraying them, because then you just have a bunch of dead weeds, and I don't like using so many chemicals..but sometimes I do. If you keep up with the weeks, you will have a handle on them. Beauty bark does help to keep them away, but I have seen weeds popping up through that as well.
Outdoor furniture. This is time to spruce it up again. If it can be spray painted, then get it on a surface that you can work on (and not ruin) put a large tarp down and spray away. Like painting a room inside, freshening up your yard furniture is such instant gratification. Hopefully you have stored away your cushions, and can now pop them back out, or if they are pretty bad, treat yourself to some new ones. Like everything, I don't believe in spending a fortune on cushions.
The bar b que. We bar b que all year, and never cover it (I have to say, taking the cover off and putting it back on all the time does seem like a hassle.) Get cleaner for it, and get going. I have a stainless one, and the cleaner makes it look wonderful. The grill can be cleaned with grill cleaner. A clean and shiny bar b que is much more inviting than some dirty old thing.
Do you have fix its? Broken pots, lights that don't work, paint that is chipping, etc..now is the time to address them. Make yourself a list.
Play structures. Our house came with one. My daughter loves it. I wish it was more of a gazebo or little summer structure, like an art room, or something like that, but right we are doing the play structure thing. If it is wood like ours, it needs to be tuned up every year. Scrape away the old chipping paint and then freshen it up (well it is a redwood stain not paint.) Amazing how every year it looks so weather beaten, terrible. I also clean all the swings etc, with cleanser. Mildew and other junk accumulates over the winter. I like to put some little potted plants for her on her little table as well.
Patios and walkways. Power washing may well be in order. If you live in a wet climate like I do, the winter really does a number on patios. I had mine treated a couple of years ago, so they look pretty good all year round--but it is expensive, and only lasts 3-4 years..Get all the leaves, pine needles, etc. up and make your hardscape or gravel or whatever come to life again.
Fencing. Fences can start to look pretty bad. Our fence is not stained, some of my neighbors have gone that route, but then you are going to need to keep it fresh, so I prefer the weathered look. But if your fence has boards missing, nails sticking out, etc..it needs to be fixed up.
Fixtures. There are so many from light fixtures to yard ornaments. Give them all a once over. Aged yard ornaments are wonderful and lend character to the yard. But if it is broken or falling apart you may want to junk it. If your light fixtures are on their last leg, you may want to think about replacing them. It is not expensive and totally changes the look.
I think of my yard as an extension of my home, but a little less meticulous, which I find refreshing for a clean nut like me. But I never want my yard to look ignored or abandoned or forgotten, especially the front yard, it is such a major impression.
Enjoy these first few weeks of spring (well it is actually about one month away :) )
With spring, comes cleaning of course! Today let's just talk about the outside. If you have a yard, and mine happens to be quite big, there is a lot to do. But never fear, it does not all need to get done today, so make a plan, and take your time.
Main things to consider--
the lawn
plants and shrubs
weeds
outdoor furniture
the bar b que
fix its
play structures
patios and walkways
fencing
fixtures
The lawn. If you are going to have one, it should look pretty good. Now I am a huge fan of the perfectly manicured lawn. Love it. But it does take work and may not be possible every day! So sometimes I settle for good to pretty good for my lawn to give myself a break. You will want to schedule your lawn care -- I use TruGreen. They fertilized and did the moss kill on my lawn. Lovely, I then have a huge part of my lawn that looks like it got the black plague--that is what happens to the moss. You must then rake it out. Tiring!! But you will be glad you did. In just a little over a week I can see the lawn greening up from the fertilizer. A nice change from the short, yellow, sorry looking lawn all winter. Probably just about time to give it its first mow as well. Trim it too. Now your lawn is ready to welcome those spring days. (Hopefully you took my advice months ago, and raked up all those dead leaves!)
Plants and shrubs. Perennials will look bleak, but they will be back soon. Prune them up a bit, like getting a haircut. If you have any annuals that managed to hang on, you might wait and see it they come back. I thought I had some, but after the snow, no way. So soon I will be buying some wonderful vining red petunias. If a plant is just not coming back, up to you ..pull it or wait? I had a couple of heathers, looked deader than doornails, but I cannot believe it, after like 1 year, they seem to have come around.
Weeds. Where do they come from? Everything else looks like it is hanging on for dear life, but these damn weeds are prolific, sprouting everywhere! I prefer to pull them out versus spraying them, because then you just have a bunch of dead weeds, and I don't like using so many chemicals..but sometimes I do. If you keep up with the weeks, you will have a handle on them. Beauty bark does help to keep them away, but I have seen weeds popping up through that as well.
Outdoor furniture. This is time to spruce it up again. If it can be spray painted, then get it on a surface that you can work on (and not ruin) put a large tarp down and spray away. Like painting a room inside, freshening up your yard furniture is such instant gratification. Hopefully you have stored away your cushions, and can now pop them back out, or if they are pretty bad, treat yourself to some new ones. Like everything, I don't believe in spending a fortune on cushions.
The bar b que. We bar b que all year, and never cover it (I have to say, taking the cover off and putting it back on all the time does seem like a hassle.) Get cleaner for it, and get going. I have a stainless one, and the cleaner makes it look wonderful. The grill can be cleaned with grill cleaner. A clean and shiny bar b que is much more inviting than some dirty old thing.
Do you have fix its? Broken pots, lights that don't work, paint that is chipping, etc..now is the time to address them. Make yourself a list.
Play structures. Our house came with one. My daughter loves it. I wish it was more of a gazebo or little summer structure, like an art room, or something like that, but right we are doing the play structure thing. If it is wood like ours, it needs to be tuned up every year. Scrape away the old chipping paint and then freshen it up (well it is a redwood stain not paint.) Amazing how every year it looks so weather beaten, terrible. I also clean all the swings etc, with cleanser. Mildew and other junk accumulates over the winter. I like to put some little potted plants for her on her little table as well.
Patios and walkways. Power washing may well be in order. If you live in a wet climate like I do, the winter really does a number on patios. I had mine treated a couple of years ago, so they look pretty good all year round--but it is expensive, and only lasts 3-4 years..Get all the leaves, pine needles, etc. up and make your hardscape or gravel or whatever come to life again.
Fencing. Fences can start to look pretty bad. Our fence is not stained, some of my neighbors have gone that route, but then you are going to need to keep it fresh, so I prefer the weathered look. But if your fence has boards missing, nails sticking out, etc..it needs to be fixed up.
Fixtures. There are so many from light fixtures to yard ornaments. Give them all a once over. Aged yard ornaments are wonderful and lend character to the yard. But if it is broken or falling apart you may want to junk it. If your light fixtures are on their last leg, you may want to think about replacing them. It is not expensive and totally changes the look.
I think of my yard as an extension of my home, but a little less meticulous, which I find refreshing for a clean nut like me. But I never want my yard to look ignored or abandoned or forgotten, especially the front yard, it is such a major impression.
Enjoy these first few weeks of spring (well it is actually about one month away :) )
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