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Spring is here – first day of spring!

first day of spring

 

Hooray – we did it! We survived winter and made it to spring! Are you as glad as I am that today is the first day of spring? After winter and the cold, dreary days there is just something magical about the idea that spring is finally here. (I’m sure some areas of the country are looking out their windows and thinking “Spring? Really?” So sorry but it is spring weather here today!) Don’t get me wrong, I like winter. I like so many of the fun things about winter – sledding, snowmen, hot chocolate, holidays and more. But after the fun things are done, winter is just cold and dreary. The first day of spring marks an end to the cold and dreary, even if it just a mental end not a real weather end.

The first day of spring is a celebration of so many things! If the weather is good, it means even more! Are you glad it is the first day of spring for a few particular reasons? I am – there are so many reasons I am glad it is spring!

 

Open windows
Spring brings warmer weather and the first day of spring seems to be a great time to start opening windows and letting some of that warmer weather into the house. Something about opening the windows just feels great.

 

No more parkas
Winter weather and activities bring SO MUCH extra clothing and shoes. There is something great about the first day of spring and the time when you get to take all the winter gear, wash it up and put it away. My mud room just got a whole lot less cluttered.

 

Easter
The first day of spring seems to usher in great spring holidays like Easter. You know what Easter brings? Cadbury Eggs, oh my, that is a wonderful part of spring.

 

Lighter colors
There is something about the first day of spring that makes me feel so very happy. Spring brings happy, bright and light colors back into clothing, décor and even makeup. Bright and light shirts and nail polish are fun ways to celebrate the arrival of spring.

 

Green returns
Something about the dead and dry winter landscape makes me feel sort of sad all winter. It is so nice when spring arrives and the green comes back. Green grass, green plants, budding trees and flowers poking up through the soil are very welcome signs of spring.

 

Baby animals
I don’t have much of a desire to own baby animals but it is sure nice to see them out and in other people’s yards. Baby animals are cute and seem to signal the arrival of newness and happiness. They are a great part of spring.

 

Spring cleaning
Yep, you heard me right. I get excited about the cleaning out and cleaning up that happens each spring. Our houses, garages and yards seem to get so cluttered and jumbled during the winter. The first day of spring is a great time to start planning that spring cleaning.

 

Do you have a favorite reason for loving the first day of spring? Tell us about it. We love to hear from you!

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Get your yard ready for spring! – Part 2

get your yard ready for spring

 

Yesterday I started telling you about how getting my yard ready for spring always seems like a HUGE task. It seems like it will be impossible to get done. Then I try to look at it differently. Getting your yard ready for spring seems much less complicated if you break it into smaller pieces. Looking at the parts individually make the big task seem doable and less daunting. I talked about some of the things I do to get the actual yard ready. I also talked about trees, bushes and plants. After you talk about and take care of the trees, bushes and plants, there is still so much to do. Like I said yesterday, I’ve made myself a list and it really helps. Here are the some more items on my get your yard ready for spring list:

 

Unwrap trees and plants
Wrapping trees and plants was a task that I overlooked for years. A tour of a local nursery opened my eyes to wrapping trees and plants. Not all trees and plants need to be wrapped but there are many that will survive cold winter much more easily if they are wrapped. Once the dangers of snow and deep freezing are over, you can go outside and unwrap your trees and plants.

 

Rake flower beds
Bark and other flower bed coverings can get compacted and settle over the winter. A quick raking will help your flower beds look better and help you identify areas that may need more covering added.

 

Prepare sprinkler systems
If you have a sprinkler system this is one thing you can do to get your yard ready for spring. Locate and inspect your above ground sprinkler system parts. Many times sprinkler heads get covered in mud and muck during the winter. Some parts of systems get broken from snow, ice, shoveling or snow blowers. Inspecting, cleaning and prepping now will save time later when you are ready to begin using your sprinkler system.

 

Uncover water faucets
This is a quick and easy item to check off your get your yard ready for spring list. Remember those outdoor faucet covers you put on last fall? Hopefully they did their job and guarded against frozen pipes. Take them off and inspect your outdoor faucets for damage. You’ll be ready to go when you need to use your faucets and hoses.

 

Check sprinklers and hoses
Did you leave any sprinklers or hoses outside this winter? It is really quite easy to forget about them and have ruined sprinklers and hoses in the spring. Check for items like this that were left outside. If you find any, check them for damage and repair or replace if needed.

Inspect toys and play things
If you have outdoor play equipment you can get your yard ready for spring by making sure these are in good repair. As soon as they can, kids are going to want to get outside and play. Winter weather can cause damage and dangerous situations on outdoor play equipment. Find it and fix it as soon as possible.

 

Inspect sidewalks and decks
Now is a great time to give your sidewalks, decks, patios, retaining walls, and other outdoor structures a quick inspection. Identifying problems now will help you set a plan to fix them. You will love already having your yard ready for spring once it is warmer and ready to be enjoyed.

 

These are just a few more of the many things you can do now to get your yard ready for spring. Have more ideas? Let us know – we love to hear from you!

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Get your yard ready for spring!

yard ready for spring

 

 

I love it when it starts to feel like spring outside. I love the greening grass, the warming temperatures, the buds on the trees, the flowers popping up from the dirt and so much more. I love being outside and enjoying the fun almost spring weather and surroundings. But when I am outside in my yard I realize there is something I don’t like about spring. When I look around my yard I tell myself “Get your yard ready for spring.” Ugh! That’s no fun. Fun or not, it has to happen.

 

Getting your yard ready for spring always seems like a HUGE task before I start. I dread it because it just doesn’t sound fun. Like so many other things, getting your yard ready for spring seems much less complicated if you break it into smaller pieces. Looking at the parts individually make the big task seem doable and less daunting. I’ve made myself a list and it really helps. Here are the items on my get your yard ready for spring list.

 

Trim trees
I actually like doing this once I start. Spring is a great time to trim and prune many trees. A simple internet search will yield many resources for instruction and tips on your kinds of trees. I think of it like giving a tree a haircut – go slow and don’t take off too much at first. You can trim the tree back further but you can’t reattach cut too short limbs and branches.

 

Trim plants and bushes
This is a lot like trimming the trees. Spring is usually a good choice for trimming. Another simple internet search or two and you’ll have lots of information on your specific plants. Many plants are much happier all season if they were trimmed the right way in the early spring.

 

Remove debris
Winter seems to be great at blowing debris into your yard and flower beds. A quick walk through the yard with a trash bag will help you get the trash, leaves and other debris out of the yard.

 

Clean out flower beds and pots
I’m always hesitant to do this job. Cleaning out the dead growth and the overgrown plants is a very important part of getting your yard ready for spring, especially if you didn’t get to it before winter. Make sure you know enough about your plants. Are they annuals or perennials? Don’t pull out the plants that are sure to come back in the spring. If you have plants you want to split or divide do another quick internet search. Many plants prefer to be split in the spring.

 

Rake the grass
I think this is one step in getting your yard ready for spring that is often overlooked. Don’t skip it! All winter the grass has gotten matted, muddy and mashed. The grass may have even served as a home for rodents and other icky wildlife. Yikes! Your grass needs help! Rake the yard deeply and get it cleaned out and loosened. It will be happier in the spring and summer if you rake it very thoroughly when you are getting your yard ready for spring.

 

 

This is only part of what needs to be done outside to get your yard ready for spring. Watch tomorrow for part two of my tips! Have tips to share? Let us know! We love hearing from you!

 

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