Spring Cleaning Checklist for Your Outdoor Living Spaces
For many of us, it’s been a long, hard winter. More snow than we’ve had in a while, colder temperatures, and of course, the havoc wreaked by COVID-19. We’ve been cooped up for a long time. That’s why the first sunny day in March, homeowners across the Mid-Atlantic will head outside to begin spring cleaning.
Depending on the size of your yard and how much help you have from the kids, completing all of the tasks on our spring cleaning checklist may take more than one day. No mask required if it’s just you and the family doing the work. And remember, with more and more people getting vaccinated, mask may be a thing of the past by summertime. Here’s hoping!
1. Your Lawn
The warmer days of March are a good time to go take a thorough look at your yard. Pick up any fallen branches or twigs, as well as anything your dog left behind.
When the ground has dried out, rake away the last of the winter leaves to allow the young grass get off to a great start. This is assuming you overseeded your lawn last fall. FYI, raking while the ground is wet can pull up grass by the roots.
2. Trees, Shrubs, and Ornamental Grasses
Cut ornamental grasses down as close to the ground as possible, Trim/prune any damaged foliage or branches from smaller trees and shrubs. Check out these tips for pruning hydrangeas if you have them.
You can also prune any branches that are hanging too low, sticking out onto the sidewalk or driveway, or rubbing up against the house. For larger trees, you may want to hire a tree service to trim and shape them as needed.
3. Garden Beds
There are few things as satisfying for a gardener as cleaning out the garden beds when the weather starts to warm up. Gently rake out or use your hands to remove leaves and trash that blew in over the winter. Now is also the time to remove dead leaves from plants such as gladiolus if you left them overwinter for the beneficial insects.
Trim back woody perennials such as Black-Eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, and chrysanthemums. This will allow the new growth plenty of room. Pull up or dig up any early weeds you come across.
You may want to hold off on dividing perennials or putting down new mulch until the weather warms up a little bit more. You can mulch when you put in new plants.
4. Patio and Walkways
Use a push broom or other broom to sweep leaves and debris off of your patio and walkways. Remove any early weeds that are starting to grow in cracks. Remove any moss that may have taken an opportunity to start growing near the foundation or in shady spots.
Hose down the patio and walkways until clean of mud and debris. You can use a clean push broom or squeegee to remove any standing water.
5. Consider Upgrading Your Landscaping
As you clean out garden beds, pick up branches, and clean your patio and walkways, keep an eye out for opportunities to improve your curb appeal. Did a specimen tree suffer greatly during the winter? Do some shrubs look a bit worse for wear? Do you have new cracks in your walkways?
Make note of these issues, and make a plan to make repairs or replace plants or walkways. Schedule a consultation with one or more landscaping companies to go over your ideas and get a quote. March is a great time to plan and schedule landscaping upgrades.
Create a Better Outdoor Experience with Lazo Landscaping
At Lazo Landscaping, we are dedicated to providing homeowners with affordable, attractive, and quality landscape design and outdoor living services. If you’re thinking about upgrading your landscaping or adding hardscape elements, we would love to hear from you.
Just click the button to schedule a consultation, or call us at 410-780-0870 to get started. We work with homeowners throughout the greater Baltimore area.
If yours is a commercial project, please contact our commercial team directly at 866-869-5317.