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!