It’s tool time

As with anything else, good tools are your best friends when it comes to spring cleaning. Make sure you have everything you’ll need for the tasks ahead. I recommend the following: thick but comfy work gloves, pruning shears, both leaf and garden rakes, garbage bags, a garden fork, a garden hose, a power-washer, a lawnmower, hedge clippers, and a wheelbarrow. I know that’s a lot, which is why I also recommend cutting costs by buying supplies online with a Home Depot promo code, then picking up your order in-store to save on shipping.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Now that you’re armed and dangerous, it’s the time to make your masterpiece. And like all great masterpieces, there’s no better way to start than with a clean slate. That means washing down your walkways, deck, patio furniture, and even the siding on your house. You could wet things down with the hose and start scrubbing by hand, but if you’re lazy like me you’ll find a power washer an excellent alternative. Don’t forget the lawn itself; rake up any twigs or litter that may have collected in and around your lawn during the colder months.

Shear beauty

Time to get pruning. No, that doesn’t mean shaking up your dietary tract with dried plums; it means getting rid of all the unsightly overgrowth and dead vegetation that has taken over your property. Mow the lawn, trim the hedges, and prune the withered branches from your shrubbery and trees. If you have any long, ornamental grasses or perennial stalks that need a haircut, grab a good handful, pull them taut, then chop the whole thing down as close to the ground as you can. Not only does this make your whole yard a lot more pleasing to the eyes, it also encourages fresh growth.

Making the bed

Now that your lawn is clean and clipped, it’s time to start planting the seeds for something really special. And I mean that literally. If you already have an established, in-good-condition garden bed, make sure to kill any weeds that might have popped up and work some compost into the soil wherever you can. If you don’t have a flower bed, or want to add some new ones, pick your spot and then till the soil with a garden rake or fork. Layer mulch and fertilizer into the newly broken ground, then mix in a cover of dirt. Once the ground is ready, you can plant flowers, shrubs, or vegetables with ease.

Mr. (or Mrs.) Fix-It

You’ve exercised your green thumb; time to put your inner handyman (or handywoman) to work. While you patiently wait for your garden to grow, take a close look at your fence, lawn ornaments, deck, patio furniture, and walkways. You may need to do some repairs, or even outright replace a few things. Remove rotted fence posts and lattices, scrape off old flaking paint and sand the wood beneath to prepare for a fresh coat, and patch damage with wood epoxy. Fill in gaps between walkway stones with gravel and use waterproof sealant on cracks. In no time at all, your yard will be back to its old, gorgeous self.