6 Ways to Spring Clean Your Garden and Patio for the Summer

Good news, home owners and lovers of the warm weather! Spring is in full-swing, and that means it’s time to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you’re planning a vacation or trip, or planning on enjoying some quality time-off from work in your backyard, this is the season to take full advantage of the comfortable temperatures. Article by David Cruz

By Edvin Brobeck

Why It’s Important to Spring Clean Your Garden and Patio for the Summer

Winter can be quite harsh on your home, garden, and patio. The cold temperatures, combined with bitter wind can cause weathering on your equipment along with damage to your soil and lawn. So by prioritizing a comprehensive spring cleaning session, you can get a gauge on what is still in good condition, what needs some tender love and care, and what needs to be replaced.

Additionally, if you’re planning a family staycation in your backyard, it’s going to be much more difficult to achieve peak relaxation with a messy yard, or an incomplete patio. Better to knock it out in the early stages of the season, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all summer long.

Lastly, backyard cleaning activities such as gardening are good for improving and preserving a healthy mindset. The more time our bodies spend outside absorbing vitamin D and other nutrients from the sun and nature, the better our wellness will be on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, working in the backyard doubles as a productive task that also can help teach patience, acceptance, and allowing us to appreciate things in life as they are.

So if you’ve got big backyard plans this summer, these 6 steps will help you prepare your garden and patio for another season of life.

IDEA ONE

Treat your lawn

Before the weather fully turns, take some time to rake up dead grass from your lawn, aerate, seed, and fertilize. Just be sure you get the right products, or you may risk damaging your lawn.

You may need a crabgrass treatment, or a pre-emergent weed killer, if necessary. However, make sure you do not hit spots that are freshly seeded.

IDEA TWO

Clean up old leaves and branches

While you make your way through your spring maintenance checklist, don’t forget to clean up the clutter around your yard. Trim down overgrown grasses and pick up old branches or leaves that have fallen.

Once your yard is free of old foliage, your grass and plants will be able to take in any fertilizers and nutrients you offer them.

IDEA THREE

Prepare your soil for summer

garden shovel filled with soil and pair of scissors

As the weather gets warmer and plants start coming back to life, it’s important to have the right soil and pH levels for your garden to thrive.

Most plants prefer neutral soil with a pH between 6.2 and 7.2. If you’re unsure about the condition of your soil, you can find a testing kit at a hardware or home improvement store.

TIP FOUR

Freshen up your landscaping

garden with green grass, flowers, trees and a greenhouse

The cold weather and exposure to the elements can cause landscaping to thin out throughout the year, so most people need to add mulch, stone or gravel to their landscaping by the time spring arrives.

If you’ve mulched a few years in a row, consider scraping out old mulch and completely replacing it in order to avoid suffocating your plant life. Also be sure to mulch around any trees, shrubs and perennials you have in your yard to control weeds and retain moisture, as well as flower beds and planters.

IDEA FIVE

Prune and weed

overgrown garden and abandoned red brick house

Trimming away dead tree limbs and pruning your bushes will help rejuvenate them for a new year of life. Weeds will also squelch out your garden, so take some time to remove them.

If you pull the weeds in your garden, pull from the root so they don’t grow back, and don’t forget to check the cracks in your driveway and sidewalks as well.

IDEA SIX

Power wash

You’ll be surprised what a good power wash can do for your patio and exterior. Blast away the old dirt and debris from your patio space to make way for a new year.

You can also wash off your patio furniture with some warm water and dish soap. Consider cleaning out your gutters as well in order to prepare for the rainier seasons.

THE FINAL WORD

Garden and Patio Spring Cleaning Wrapped Up

Preparing your garden and patio for the summer can give you peace of mind and help you ease your way out of the colder months.

Studies show that the more time a person spends outside, the less likely they are to experience severe symptoms of anxiety or depression due to the increased levels of Vitamin D we get from sunlight. Vitamin D also helps boost the immune system and allows our bodies to fend off sickness much easier. Once you’ve gotten through the big spring clean, you’ll be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your lawn for the summer.

Design • 30 June, 2021 • 10 min read

6 Ways to Spring Clean Your Garden and Patio for the Summer