Sure, the work liberates and the type of work in your backyard is motivational, pure and simple, and good for your physical, as much as mental, well-being.
But, with the spring cleanup around the corner, you are becoming more and more aware of the yard that’s returning your concerned look – there is so much work to do after long and lifeless winter.
Or maybe you are just moving to a new place with a large backyard for the first time, and are looking to plan for some serious landscaping?
Whether you deeply enjoy yard cleaning on your own or hire professional help instead, a few easy and stimulating tips and tricks always come in handy to make your yard flourish.
Eat the Biggest Frog First
What is the first thing you notice after the snow is gone? Your lawn, of course. Not only it gives the biggest impression of the yard but it needs the biggest attention sometimes. What you should do is:
- As soon as the last frost hits and the temperatures stay above freezing, you should survey the yard first to notice the consequences of cold weather and neglect.
- Remove any rubble cluttering your lawn – fallen branches and twigs, leftover pet shambles, dry leaves, pinecones…Leaving debris can prevent new, healthy grass from growing in.
- You can rake leaves but only when the ground is completely dry because raking over wet grass can tear grassroots and that is not what you’re fighting for. You can use a leaf blower also (although it is best for freshly fallen leaves in the autumn) and a tarp which you can put under the trees, in case you are an advanced thinker.
- Instead of sacking leaves and twigs and putting them to waste, use them as the base for a compost pile. Your plants will be grateful.
- In the case of bare patches on your lawn, use a combination of grass seed and fertilizer to scatter over the area.
Kiss the Dirt Away
Evidently, you haven’t cleaned your patios and pathways because you haven’t really used them during winter, but now is the time to spruce up dirty patio furniture, wooden decking, outdoor patios, or walkways.
While you can clean outdoor furniture with a mixture of dish liquid soap with warm water and a nylon scrub brush, mildew, mud, and grime are needing a little stronger ammo. The professionals behind these WhatShed reviews on patio cleaners suggest checking out professional-grade cleaning products to ensure these substances are completely cleaned out. It’s also best to remember that based on material, size, and dirt level, not all patio cleaners work the same or perform miracles. It’s wise to go through the best ones to decide which one is the actual best for you.
Ready For Pruning?
Not only trimming your bushes will make your yard neater, inviting, and opened up but it’ll also allow more sunlight and air to reach the center of shrubs.
When you don’t prune bushes properly and regularly, many will get thin and long, without the thick, full appearance that they ought to. Even worse, failing to properly maintain your bushes with pruning, can damage them permanently, and once out of hand, catching them back up may be more trouble than anybody’s prepared for. Therefore, give your shrubs a solid structure to build upon by clipping away any dead, dying, or diseased branches. Cut back any branches that overstep on walkways, so they don’t get accidentally broken, for example, or just be in a way.
Be careful not to trim and shape live branches on flowering shrubs and trees, and, by all means, look up pruning guidelines and techniques if you’re not sure how.
The same goes for the trees as well – prune dead branches so they don’t snap off during seasonal changes.
For a Flower to Flourish
We are finally ready to give attention to the flowers and flower beds.
Surely, we have removed fallen, dead leaves, unruly weeds and stems from perennial plants and ornamental grasses, and pulled out dead annuals as the initial cleaning phrase, before spring is in the full beat, as soon as the soil has softened and the last frost has passed.
But, for flowers to blossom, there are few more tricks you can do. The first thing to remember is that flowers need room and nutrition to grow, so besides dispersing, you could also fertilize perennials by spreading some compost around the roots.
Before roses and hydrangeas fully bloom, remove dead or damaged twigs or crowded stems. Moreover, you can shovel out last year’s mulch to provide a clean slate for a new layer. Adding mulch helps retain water and can actually save you a lot of time cleaning up. That’s because it prevents weeds from sprouting in your garden beds.
The Almighty Tools
Any job will be a job well-done thanks to the tools used. But before any grand cleaning, make sure you’ve cleaned them likewise. You should especially inspect your lawnmower and hedge trimmer, make sure all blades are sharp and rust-free, and remove old oil with new. It’s also a good idea to check the handy tools and, if needed, buy new ones for the season. If you don’t know what the right tool for your yard clean-up task is, or you are trying to do something that you have never done before, you can always ask for a professional opinion and help. But, without exception, be sure to use a good, quality pair of gloves, and a pair of scissors or small garden clippers, along with a rake and a trowel, should be the starting go for the win backup.
A Heedfulness Yard
A couple of extra tips to pay attention to and take into consideration for a yard fully operational and where you feel safe:
- Nevermind the size of the yard, the first smart thing would be to make a checklist. Following a plan and cross-checking, the list you can handle is surely going to affect the volume of overwhelmingness.
- Do not overlook the gutters – failing to clean them every year can cause damage to your roof, and lead to premature rot.
- While at it – careful – the highest risk of ladder injuries is when we clean gutters, hang outdoor lights, or do yard maintenance, for that matter.
- One of the most important things is to spot any problem early and act. Be sure to inspect your property often because prevention is tended and tended is safe and sound.
Cleaning your own yard can be quite a challenge, especially if you do not know what you’re doing. Instead of blindly testing out which methods would, its’ best to check the tips above to help you out. In doing so, you would get to effectively maintain your yard and make it last for a long time.