Are you thinking of spring already? I sure am. Though I am not considering the warmer days, we had warm days this winter. I am thinking about all the tasks I need to do this spring. It can get overwhelming. To help you and me with the planning, I constructed this list to jumpstart your organizing tasks before gardening season. Here we go.
Jump to:
- 1st task: Decide on your plan for your garden.
- 2nd task: Clean Out the mulch beds.
- 3rd task: Go through your shed.
- 4th task: Go through your garage.
- 5th task: Go through your lawn seeds and pesticide bags.
- 6th task: Schedule the drop-off times for mowers and other equipment.
- 7th task: Pick out new plants for different areas of your yard.
- 8th task: Seed the lawn.
- 9th task: Trimming trees and shrubs.
- 10th task: Clean and clear off your lawn tables, chairs, outdoor fabrics, and umbrellas.
- 11th task: We can't forget our beautiful birds and animals.
1st task: Decide on your plan for your garden.
You may want to do seedlings. You may want to get help with moving dirt or getting rid of a rotted tree. All of these require planning so making a detailed plan will give you a better idea of what you want to do and complete outdoors. Get a calendar just for gardening. Start when you want to finish and work your way backward to today. Add all the tasks you need to get done.
2nd task: Clean Out the mulch beds.
Remove debris from the wintertime. Clear out under open deck areas like steps. Animals and rodents love to hide under those piles of old leaves.
3rd task: Go through your shed.
Go through your garden tools (affiliate) and ensure they are cleaned and in good working order. Some tools can get rusted if not cleaned properly, so checking them out now will save you time and money. Here is a post about What to Keep in Your Shed: List of Things to Keep in Your Shed.
4th task: Go through your garage.
Not everyone has a shed (affiliate) big enough to hold all the items they use outdoors. That's where the garage (affiliate) storage comes in because these items are likely stored there. Here are several posts where I talk about efficient garage (affiliate) organization. Feel free to visit them.
- How To Make An Effective Garage Organization
- Organizing Small Sports Equipment
- Organizing Tools Tips
- 4 Areas of Your Garage to Keep Safe
Visit our other garage organization DIY posts!
5th task: Go through your lawn seeds and pesticide bags.
Decide what you need to replace and what you need to remove. Be sure to get rid of pesticides properly. Not all of them are allowed to be placed in the trash. Keeping them in a locked cabinet works nicely. I like to place these items in a cabinet so they are out of sight.
It can also be stored in a labeled 5-gallon bucket (affiliate) to keep it even more organized. Just cut the instructions and tape them to the bucket lid to remember the measurements needed.
6th task: Schedule the drop-off times for mowers and other equipment.
This task is the one job people don't often do enough until it's too late. Stuff will last a lot longer when you spend the time doing maintenance.
Some items that you may need to service are Mower, weed trimmer, blower, and powerwasher.
7th task: Pick out new plants for different areas of your yard.
There may be some areas plants were killed by the frost this winter. Refresh these areas by adding new younger, and more durable plants. Arbor Day Foundation has a Best Tree Finder page to help you find the right tree for your area; check it out.
Depending on your area, you may want to create a list of all the annual plants you buy each year. Herb gardens are one area that may need replanting each year. Below is a list of some you may need to buy for herb gardens.
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Thyme
When you create a list, keep it in a safe (affiliate) place so you can refer to it each year.
8th task: Seed the lawn.
This task will keep filling in the bald patches and other areas on your lawn. It also helps enhance the lawn’s ability to fight insects and diseases.
Pick the right one for your area and lawn. Nature's Seed has a great resource to help you figure out what to buy.
9th task: Trimming trees and shrubs.
This area is what I have done every year since we moved into our home. It helps them strengthen at the roots if you trip the branches back and remove any cross branches. I also find that the tree looks healthier and can withstand the windy weather in our area. Having several different pairs of cutting scissors helps keep your hands from fatiguing. Over the years, adding scissors or saws with extension poles measuring 8-10 feet were helpful.
10th task: Clean and clear off your lawn tables, chairs, outdoor fabrics, and umbrellas.
DIY Network says the best cleaning mixture for outside fabric garden furniture (affiliate) is one teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, 1-quart warm water, and 1 tablespoon of Borax in a bowl or spray bottle. Be sure to saturate the corners and folds of the fabric.
Some fabric can be cleaned in the washer but can't be placed in the drier. Just hang it on a clothes line or clothes rack to dry.
You can also add to this task by cleaning the siding. It makes a world of difference when the furniture (affiliate) and things around the outside of the house are cleaned, and the siding is clean too.
11th task: We can't forget our beautiful birds and animals.
Cleaning out your feeders and making sure they survived the winter is also an important task. If you had feeders that were put away for the winter months, pull them out and inspect them as well.
One final note, as you go around the outside and examine and organize your outdoors, make sure to have a piece of paper and pen or at least your phone. Write down all the things that need repairing. You can even take a picture of the space that needs repair by snapping an image and creating a visual to-do list in your favorite notebook app. I like to use Microsoft OneNote, but you can also use Evernote or any app that probably came with your phone.
Well, there you have it. I hope this helps you get your outdoors organized before you plan on using it. Please comment below telling me about what outdoor areas you organize before spring. I would love to hear from you.
If you need additional information, here are a few other articles that may help you get your outdoors organized this easily.
5 Ways to Get Your Garden Ready for Spring by Real Simple Magazine
Spring Gardening Checklist by Better Homes and Garden
Visit our other Outdoor Organization Posts for more inspiration!
Sarah Soboleski says
I just bought a gorgeous faux fiddle leaf fig and arranged some fake flowers on my mantle, so I don't think that counts as prepping for garden season! I have a black thumb and am not an outdoors person, but your points make good sense to get off on the right for planting season. And I like that you didn't forget about the birds - I at least do one thing on your list! Lol!
Hilda Rodgers says
Great tips Sabrina! We tend to not get gardening weather here until May, but I love cleaning up my gardens before then so they look nice when all my perennials come through in April and early May.
Linda Samuels says
Spring is a very busy time of year for the yard. We tend to keep it pretty simple and also enlist help when it comes to some of the larger maintenance pieces. One of my favorite things is going to the nursery to pick out some seasonal flowers that I plant in the glazed outdoor pots. I'm not much of a gardener, but I do enjoy doing that one simple thing...selecting plants and planting them. It makes me so happy and makes me think about my grandmother who loved her garden.
Seana Turner says
The first thing I need to do is get rid of the snow! We had a mild winter, and now it seems to be taking revenge. Each year I feel that spring is getting longer/colder, while fall is warmer. I'm trying to wait patiently, because I can't wait to get outside!