Planning
Preparing your Outdoor Space for Spring
Story Highlights
The trees are budding, flowers are sprouting, and the birds are singing. These signs mean it is time to start getting your outdoor living space ready to enjoy without missing a single day of good weather. The days are getting longer and it’s exciting to get outside, shake off the winter dust, and enjoy this wonderful time of year.
Spring has sprung!
Pull Weeds
Whether you’re seeing left-over weeds from last year or new ones that sprouted in cool weather, eliminate them now when the ground’s still soft from winter. It's important to jump on weeds early before they have a chance to deeply root and have a chance to go to seed.
Rake Matted Leaves
Leaves that have piled together and matted should be cleaned out of flowerbeds, shrubs, and off the lawn. This doesn't have to be a meticulous clean-up; some leaves, in modest quantities, can be mulched over and left to compost for additional nutrients.
Cut Back Perennials
If you didn’t already cut back your perennials in the fall, rake or clip off the browned foliage before the new foliage appears. If you notice that any perennials have worked their way partly out of the ground due to winter freezing and thawing, tamp them back down so the roots aren’t exposed. Water them and add an inch or two of mulch around them.
Divide Perennials
If your perennials are outgrowing their spot in the landscape, consider dividing them. Just before new growth appears is an ideal time to dig and divide most perennial flowers. Replant divided clumps as soon as possible, and water them well in their new home.
The exceptions to this are early-season perennials that are already blooming – or that are in bud and ready to bloom soon. Early spring blooming perennials are best divided after bloom or in early fall.
Inspect Trees & Shrubs for Winter Damage
Prune off any broken, dead, or storm-damaged branches. Also, snip the tips off of any evergreens that have suffered tip diebacks from winter’s cold.
Prune Summer-Flowering Shrubs
End of winter to early spring is the perfect time to prune shrubs that flower from late June through fall. This includes abelia, butterfly bush, beautyberry, caryopteris, clethra (summersweet), rose-of-sharon, St. Johnswort, crape myrtle, and summer-blooming spirea. All of these bloom on wood that grows in the current season, so there’s no danger of cutting off flower buds that formed last year.
Wait until right after flowering to prune spring-blooming shrubs, such as azalea, rhododendron, weigela, lilac, forsythia and viburnum.
Clean your Deck and/or Patio
Following the winter months, you should clean your deck and/or patio thoroughly, as there may be a build-up of organic growth as well as general dirt and debris. Spring is also a good time to check the joints between the paving slabs of your patio, which might need re-pointing.
Fertilize Flowerbeds
Once the ground thaws, apply granular fertilizer around the trees, shrubs, and perennials. Match the particular product to the plant type and to any particular nutrient needs spelled out by a soil test.
Edge & Mulch your Flowerbeds
Whether you use a long-handled, edging tool or a power edger, end of winter is a good time to cut sharp edges along all garden beds. This not only neatens the landscape, it creates a “lip” to contain mulch that can be applied once the soil warms consistently for the season.
And finally...
Clean your Furniture & Cushions
Knowing what your furniture is made of will help you determine what you’ll need to do to best get the cleaning accomplished. For most everything, a simple bucket of warm water, a little liquid dish soap, and a soft sponge or brush work great.
Before scrubbing your cushions, consider quickly running a vacuum over them in order to pull out the fine pollen and dust that has settled over the past year. Extracting this out of the cushion fibers prior to washing can help promote longer life.
Preparing your Outdoor Space for Spring
Preparing your Outdoor Space for Spring
Trees are budding, flowers are sprouting, and the birds are singing. These signs mean it is time to start getting your outdoor living space ready to enjoy the season without missing a beat. The days are getting longer and it’s exciting to get out, shake off the winter dust, and enjoy this beautiful time of year. Spring has sprung!