The Ultimate Spring Refresh Checklist

Coming off the winter slump, we get another chance at a fresh start. Preparing for spring and planting on purpose will create the outdoor living space you’ll enjoy all summer long. Spraying pollen away and pulling weeds is my way of saying goodbye to the winter blues and soaking up the first bit of summer sun. Here is the ultimate spring refresh checklist!

Spring Refresh Checklist

1. Refresh Flower Beds & Yard clean up
2. Fertilize & Prevent weeds
3. Pressure wash outside areas & furniture
4. Design patio areas
5. Plant flower beds and mulch
6. Plan Garden & Plant Veggies
7. Grill Prep
8. Tidy Garage
9. Wash Car
10. Celebrate!

Preparing for the Spring Refresh

The week before your planned refresh, visit your local Home Depot to purchase supplies and tools, so you will have on hand anything you may need. Spoiler: You will not be buying one flower. I know BORING, but so smart. One step at a time, my friend.

• Yard tools: Rakes, shovels, lawn equipment, gloves.
• Fertilizer: This is the fertilizer we use.
• Weed preventer & Killer: Use what you are comfortable with, but we like this weed preventer.
• Top Soil & Good soil (More bags than you think) For a budget friendly option, mix 1/4 good soil with every bag of top soil. In flower beds, I only use good soil under and around the plants.
• Mulch or pine straw: Pick your favorite. Pine straw is cheaper, in my opinion, and easy to use; however, snakes hide well in it, so we are switching to mulch. Nobody invited the snake.
• Pressure washer soap if using. I pour diluted dawn dish soap on the ground or spray dawn power wash on stains, instead of using soap in the machine.

Refresh Flower Beds & Yard Clean up

I didn’t say this would be fun, but I promise it’s worth it. We begin the flower bed prep and yard clean-up around April 1st, however, we don’t transplant or plant anything until after the 15th. I know we get antsy and want to jump to it so spring comes faster, but in the south, we always have one more frost. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. Furthermore, I’m not one to fight with the pollen, so I wait for that season to pass.

Choose a beautiful evening or weekend to knock this part out. It’s the least fun, but so rewarding and a great workout!

• Clear out weeds and rake off top layer of mulch if needed.
• Trim bushes or plants as needed (However, I do this mostly in the fall)
• Weed the fence lines and any wooded areas
• Throw out or tidy any outdoor items. (Less is more.)
• Discard any yard debris and trash

Prepare your flower beds for plants

Before you purchase one plant, you need to prepare your beds. Again, not the most fun, but you will be thankful you did this. You’ll prepare your beds by sprinkling fertilizer on bushes and flowering perennials. Once you plant your spring flowers, you’ll give them a sprinkle too. Then, layer weed preventative throughout the bed. If you are transplanting anything, do it now.

Pressure Wash

The next weekend, I start after breakfast outside with the pressure washer. First, I begin on the back patio, spraying the walls and windows as well to remove pollen. Then, I wash all my patio cushions and furniture, followed by the patio itself. I start close to my house and move out to the outside patio area.

Lastly, I spray our front porch, front door, and walkway, washing any windows that are nearby.

Note: Be easy on your sprayer and wear shoes! I have removed paint off the house and even chipped concrete(Yeah, spring cleaning is aggressive). Learn your pressure washer and be easy with the spray.

Does anyone else love pressure washing?

Design Patio areas

You may be worn out by now, so pat yourself on the back and enjoy a yummy lunch. I reward myself by dreaming and designing outdoor spaces. If you are on a budget, this step is important before you buy anything, whether a plant or a patio set. You will save time and money by making decisions before purchases.

One of my favorite days of the year is the day I go get my plants! Buying flowers is exciting and fun, but you have important things to know first. Do you know which areas of your house get sun, and is that morning sun or afternoon sun? For practical purposes, what do you want to do in these outdoor spaces this summer? Taking the time to discover these will help you create a retreat of your very own.

Plant & Refill

It’s the best day! Plant shopping day! Make a list of the plants you need, grab a coffee, and go to your favorite plant nurseries. It’s ok to not have specifics just yet, but stick to your list. Also, don’t forget the bird seed, humming bird feeder, and mosquito light bulbs.

My List looks like this:

• 2 focal flowers for front walk: zinnias? (Morning Sun-1pm)
• Annuals for front beds: Purple, pink, yellow (Full Sun) 24
• Perennials for side of house 4 total
• Front Porch planter: Filler, Spiller, Thriller
• Annuals for back beds 12 (shade)
• Rose Garden trailing flower (Afternoon sun)
• Cutting Flower Garden 3-5 (Sun 1- sunset)
• Back patio flower planter

Plan Garden

You can do this step when you design your patio, but I find that focusing on one step at a time, makes everything come together best. Once my flowers are situated, I plan my garden. Ideally, I’ll start seeds in February next year, but I needed to skip the seeds this time. If you are planting your garden now, here is the list I follow to prepare the bed.

My Garden List:

• Add in new soil and compost
• Plant veggies/fruits that we eat all summer long.
• Fertilize plants and water well
• Keep chili on hand for bugs

If you are new to gardening or in a busy season like me, I suggest keeping your garden simple. Focus on a few plants and learn those really well. I like to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, bell peppers, and herbs. I find when I want to do all the plants, they go to waste, or I kill them.

Last year I did grow watermelon and that was really neat! But research that before you dive in. I’m really considering trying pumpkins again!

Grill Maintenance

We wear out our grill during the summer, so have your honey do this or quickly wash (and put in the sun to dry) your grill racks. Rinse off spider webs and prepare your grill for the summer. Refill your propane tank if needed and organize a grilling basket to make grilling easier and more efficient. If you have an outdoor table, rinse it off thoroughly to prepare for the summer dinners.

Tidy Garage

Now that it’s getting warmer, I like to tidy up the garage after the winter blues. We let clutter collect on the floor of the garage during the cold months, so take the time to trade out jackets for pool bags and get the yard things ready for Friday night yardwork. Most importantly, this is a great time to declutter.

Wash Car

I am not a poster child for a clean car, and I will not get out in the cold to do it. The kids clean out the car at the end of the week, but now that the weather is nicer, we do a post-winter deep clean, wiping down the surfaces and even shampooing the carpets if needed.

Celebrate

Preparing your outdoor spaces for summer is rewarding in itself, but you worked hard and earned a night of rest. Grill out, eat outside, have a fire and roast marshmallows, invite friends over, whatever fills your cup, do it.

You have created your very own retreat that you will use for months to come. Enjoy your hard work and spend as much time as you can outside this spring with a book or playing soccer with the kids.

Until next time,