15 Tips to Prepare Outdoor Space for Spring

By Darren Ryan

The bug has bitten!  Well, the spring bug that is.

Thinking about your spring plans now may just help you get through winter’s big push over the next month or so.

Here’s a list of 15 spring to-do’s for getting your outdoor living space ready for the great weather to come. There may be more or less depending on your spaces, but these are the main steps to getting your patio or outdoor space ready when that first hint of spring comes knocking on your door.

• Power wash the patio surface. It gets the winter muck off of your surfaces.
• Scrub your patio furniture cushions. No matter how you store them, they usually need to be freshened up or replaced.
• Uncover your patio furniture or pull it out of storage. Fold and store your furniture covers in your deck box or shed.
• Scrub your patio furniture with an environmentally friendly cleaner.
• If you don’t have aluminum furniture or if your aluminum furniture has parts made of other metals, touching up the weathered or rusty parts with Rust Oleum will keep everything in good shape.
• If you have teak furniture or furniture made from another type of wood, you can clean and oil wood surfaces.
• If you have stored away your outdoor rugs, now is the time to bring them out before you place the furniture. If your rugs have been outside all winter, a good cleaning (or even pressure washing depending on how sturdy the fibers are) will make it shine for spring.
• Check all of your landscaping lights for any needed repairs or bulb changes.
• Pull out and scrub your stored flowerpots with warm water. Don’t use any soap or any chemicals that will contaminate the potting soils that you will need to add. Dawn dish detergent works well.
• Give your grill a good spring-cleaning and tune up.
• Trim any shrubs or stray branches that may have grown into your patio or path areas. Be careful not to prune any of your spring bloomers!
• Fresh mulch in your flowerbeds and landscaped areas dress up your space and give your plants and shrubs spring protection against fluctuating temperatures and last minute spring storms.
• Be sure to really inspect your flowerbeds or landscaped areas for stray garbage or other foreign objects that winter storms may have washed into your garden.
• Treat your lawn and garden for late winter weeds and pre-emergent to keep weeds manageable throughout the spring.
• Freshen up your outdoor living space by bringing your outdoor accessories or by adding new lanterns, lights, pillows, flower pots, etc.

You can find everything you need for spring cleaning at Northeast Cobb's .

Do you have any spring planning tips for neighbors? Do you know of a local nursery with great deals on plants? Share in the comment section below.