Simple Spring Yard Clean Up

Remove Debris and Holiday Decorations

Winter storms usually leave a messy path of broken branches and sticks. Gather up the larger debris first. This will allow for much easier raking. Empty any potted plants that didn’t make it through the winter or that you might have forgotten to pull out in the fall. If you haven’t already, remove any holiday decorations that may still be lurking around. I’m totally guilty of the last two, I had a few garlands and dead potted plants lingering.

Break out the Rake

Rake out your garden beds and lawn. Either compost the debris or dispose of your leaves according to your town’s guidelines. Also, make sure you have a good rake that isn’t missing any tines. Once your lawn is clear of leaves your grass will thank you. It will green up in no time and your buried perennials will begin to thrive.

Fertilize

Unless you live in a warm climate, your grass is looking tired and more tan than green. Fertilizer is a great idea. It gives your lawn the nutrients it needs for strong roots and a lush green appearance. Depending upon your location and the time of year, your fertilizer/schedule will change. Talk to your local True Value expert as to which fertilizer will fit your needs best, and to suggest a fertilizing schedule. For me, a 20-5-10 mixture is what I need right now. Choose a spreader that works for your yard size. I live on less than a quarter acre, so this is the spreader I use.

Prune and Trim

Last summer may have been very kind to your shrub and tree growth, so now is the time for a “haircut.” Trim back any branches and shape shrubs. I recommend doing this before raking if you have a lot of trimming and are going to make a mess with clippings.

Edge the Beds

This is my favorite part of clean up. It is kind of like the “eyebrow wax” of the makeover… it’s a little thing that visually makes a huge difference! Grass naturally grows into your flower beds leaving a messy unruly edge. This is the step that defines a crisp line between the two and helps keep your mulch contained.

Here are the tools I use to create neat edges:

• The Half Moon Edger is really the star of the show. You will use this 95% of the time. I prefer its rounded edge because it allows you to rock side to side and loosen small stones that might get caught up on a straight edge.
• A Hula-Ho Weeder (love the name) and a 2 Prong Weeding Hoe are the backup support. I use them if a lot of grass has overtaken an area. Use their flat edges to peel the grass and weeds back from the soil. The 2 prongs are great for stubborn roots and stones.

Mulch

Mulching serves many purposes. It helps your plantings retain moisture, it creates a weed barrier and prevents soil erosion. It also gives your beds a finished look. When mulching a bed for the first time it is wise to lay a preventative layer, like a weed blocking fabric, or several layers of newspaper between the mulch and the soil. This prevents any growth of seedlings/weeds that might be lurking in or under the soil from coming to the surface.

You can use leaves, wood chips, compost or even stone for mulch. Spread your mulch 2-4″ thick, but go sparingly around tree and shrub bases. Too much mulch in these areas can actually cause rot and prevent water from getting to the roots. It is best to remove old or excess mulch first in these areas before applying new.

Repairs/ New Projects and Planting

Last step! So you cleaned and surveyed your yard. If all went well, congratulations… you can put your feet up and enjoy your oasis! If you’re like me, you might have created more work for yourself by coming up with new projects or ideas for your landscaping. I’m actually always adding new things to my list so I don’t think I will ever be finished.

In my case, I kept noticing pea stone that had traveled out of our patio and into our yard. We put the patio in a year ago and never gave it a retaining edge. We had high hopes that the grass would suffice, but obviously we were wrong. I have always loved the look of cobbles as edging, but the thought of digging a trench and setting them kept me from going forward. I decided it was time to suck it up and do it, and to my surprise it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. I managed to complete the task in a weekend with just a few steps.

Weather permitting (we had a slow start to spring with lots of rain), this clean up took us a few weekends.

The hard part is done and we are now ready to make use of the yard and relax! And there is nothing more rewarding than doing it yourself, don’t you think?