While it may seem too soon to be dreaming of spring, you can start prepping your yard now for warmer temperatures to come. Spring cleaning for outdoor spaces can help you get a jump start on a beautiful, well manicured lawn, planting beds and entertainment areas.
Clear Your Lawn
The easiest way to to provide a fresh look for your lawn is to clean up the visible leaves, twigs and natural debris that may have collected over the winter. With harsher winds and lower temperatures, remaining tree leaves as well as small branches likely have fallen onto your lawn and into your planting areas. Use a rake only if your lawn has had a chance to dry out from any remaining snow or rainfall, as raking while wet can damage the roots of your grass.
In addition, pet waste clean up is important to maintaining a clean and healthy lawn. Pet waste is actually toxic to your grass and does not naturally decompose. Do not place pet waste in flower beds as fertilizer or use for compost, unless you’ve done your research and will not be using the compost for edible plantings.
Trim Shrubs and Trees
There are many advantages to pruning your trees and shrubs, and most flowering plants can benefit from pruning in the winter or early spring. Removing dead or dying branches can help prevent the spread of decay on your larger plantings, as well as create room for newer, healthy growth. Pruning shrubs is also one of the easiest ways to enhance curb appeal, as it produces attractive shapes and clean lines for your yard. If you’ve had any branches break from ice storms or heavy snowfall, it is best to cleanly cut at the break so your tree or shrub can focus on healing the damage before the prime growing season begins.
Ready Your Flower Beds
Your planters and flower beds are typically in their dormant season, but you can get the spaces ready for planting now. First, you’ll want to weed the space and remove any unwanted weeds, grasses and new tree sprouts. In Texas, many of the live oaks produce mini oaks in your gorgeous flower beds, and they are much easier to remove when they are smaller. In addition to pruning, you will also want to remove dead plants and trim back dried plant material. Many perennials will benefit from removing dry and dead material now to allow the plant to prepare for spring. Lastly, you’ll want to rake, clean up and remove old mulch from your flower and planting beds. This will allow for a clean slate for your spring planting and the addition of new mulch.
Freshen Patios and Deck Spaces
Cleaning your deck or patio can be as simple as hosing off the surfaces, or as thorough as renting a power sprayer to power wash your patio. Make sure to understand the material and sealants you will be spraying, and use the lowest pressure setting that will still be effective to prevent damage to your deck. Similar to the aforementioned prepping for your flower beds, you should also ready your planters or potted plants for spring by clearing out dead material and re-mulching perennials.
Lastly, spruce up your furnishings by wiping down your outdoor furniture, chairs and table tops. If your patio furniture contains pillows or cushions, make sure to allow the cloth to completely air dry before replacing it on your deck. Home improvement stores and lawn and garden centers have begun stocking new furnishings, so it may be time to grab a few new throw pillows or cushions if the old ones did not survive the season.
Spring cleaning can be extremely cathartic and get you looking forward to warmer weather. If you need help with leaf clean up, pet waste removal, shrub trimming, mulching and so much more, OneNeighbor provides trusted and affordable home services that can be scheduled, booked and paid through a convenient mobile app. Our service area includes Dallas/ Fort Worth, TX, Tampa Bay, FL and Houston, TX.
