Tips To Spring Cleaning: Yard Edition! | Mom So Hard

Spring will basically be here.... tomorrow!

It is one of my favorite season, everything feels fresh and happy! 

My family loves to be outside! Now that my girls are at the age where they can actually play, (instead of being in a stroller while we clean up or the other plays), I am really excited to get them outside this year! 

Before that can happen, my yard is going to need some work in order to be ready for all that fun!

I told my husband of my plans of wanting our yard to be a place we can all play and enjoy.  

My husband totally agreed. 

He encouraged me to create a checklist or a to-do list. (He knows me so well! I love a good list, and I love even more, checking items off of it!)

I wanted to share some of our list with you, and elaborate a bit on it!

Everyone's list is going to be a bit different, since everyone's house and land is different. 

We are blessed to have enough land for the girls to run and explore on, but it does require a bit different maintenance than a suburb house. Land was one thing that Justin wouldn't give up when we were house hunting! 

Getting the house and yard ready is important to us, as we host a couple of different parties at our house through the year. And oddly, we enjoy yard work. Crazy- I know! 

So, here is a list of where to start!

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Clean Up Debris

Before you can dive into your checklist, the first thing you should do is clean up debris. Clean out your gutters, first (That way you are not creating extra work for yourself!). Then you want to clean up all down limbs, any limbs or saplings (small tress that have come up on your own) that need to come down, leaves, and any other trash that may have blown into your yard over the winter. 

We don't have harsh Winters very often here in Georgia, so we sometimes get lucky and can do some maintenance on this part during January and February!

Clean Up Your Driveway/Sidewalks,
Porches and Any Pavers

There is just something so satisfying with a freshly cleaned driveway and porch! Every year me and my husband fight over who is going to pressure wash the porches and even outside furniture. It is so deeply satisfying to watch the winter be washed away, resulting in a nice clean and fresh surface. If your not into pressure washing yourself, definitely find a reputable company to use, it is totally worth it!  

When it comes to your pavers, though, I strongly recommend finding a company to handle those, especially if they are a permanent part of your outdoor living. Pavers should be taken well care of, and a company who specialized in the care of them know exactly how to help you maintain their health. 

If you are local to Georgia, there is a company based out of Winder that specializes in just that- cleaning and maintenance of pavers, called Georgia Paver Restoration. They have a "specialized cleaning process" that is more in depth than we could do ourselves with equipment from our local hardware store. 

Georgia Paver Restoration's process includes a deep steam cleaning with hot water and flat surface equipment. Their process of cleaning the pavers, really helps to prevent damage from occurring to the pavers and help keeps the sand from setting poorly under the pavers. 

In the same sense, they are able to keep your pavers safe for your family and guests, By removing growth such as mold, dirt, moss, weeds and more, you are preventing anyone from slipping on those growths that may become slippery when wet! 

Here is a link to more information about paver cleaning from Georgia Paver Restoration! 

Prep Garden or Flower Beds/Pots

My other favorite thing to do outside is keeping plants alive! This has not always been an easy feet for me! In the early part of spring I re-dirt or add dirt to any pots on my porch, replace any pots that may be broken, or add more to my collection! 

I have my eyes on these to add to my porch this year!

Also, if you are having a vegetable garden, start the planning for it now. Be thinking about where you will put it, what size it will be and what tools or equipment will you need to start this project. 

Clean Out Your Garage or Shed

This is definitely my least favorite task. Mainly because of spider webs, bugs and who knows what else might have made its nest in my favorite gardening gloves. This part of my to-do list, though it is not my favorite, has to be done. Thankfully, my husband and I both love to throw stuff out, so there is that!

You want to make sure you get rid of any broken or rusted tools, garden equipment, sport items you are not using, unfinished DIY projects (guilty!). 

This is also the perfect time to do some maintenance (or pay to have it done) on your yard equipment- lawnmowers, leaf blowers, etc.

For some reason, this is also the day that I decide my rocking chairs need a couple of fresh coats of spray paint. I can spray them down, let them dry while I am going through more stuff in the barn, and come back and apply more coats, if needed. 

Both of these shelves would be great to add to your garage or shed. The first image (left) would be ideal to store things in your shed, like car washing items, etc. The wooden shelf is one I have had my eye on for some time to be in my gardening area, a place to re-pot plants, and keep gardening items! 

What is on your to-do list this Spring for your yard?