Spring is officially here — and you know what that means! Now’s the perfect time to get started on your spring cleaning. While you’re at it, give your lawn and garden some attention, too. Keep these tips in mind as you get started:

• Pick up the obvious stuff first. Once the snow is all gone, you’ll likely need to go around your yard and pick up litter, dog waste, and larger plant debris (like fallen branches) left behind over the winter. Be sure to use a pair of gloves and beware of broken glass. Leaving debris on your lawn long after the snow has melted can prevent new, healthy grass from growing in.

• Take a rake to your lawn. You may have thoroughly raked your lawn before the winter to prevent snow mould, but giving it another good once-over after the snow melts will help get rid of any remaining dead leaves, twigs, and pinecones and help keep your lawn nice and healthy going into the spring.

• Clean up your garden beds. Use a pair of scissors or small garden shears to remove dead leaves and stalks from perennial plants and ornamental grasses, and pull out any dead annuals you plan to replace. You could also fertilize more established perennials by laying down some compost around the roots.

• Take a good look at your tools. It’s a good idea to carefully inspect your landscaping tools (like your lawnmower, your hedge trimmer, and your whipper-snipper) and clean them up before growing season hits in full force. Make sure all blades are sharp and rust-free, look for cracks and other signs of wear in visible belts, and if everything looks like it’s in good shape, swap out used oil for new oil and follow the maintenance directions in the owner’s manual.

• Prune dead branches from shrubs and trees. Look up pruning guidelines for your perennial plants, shrubs, and trees and prune the ones that should be tackled in the spring — but be careful not to start trimming and shaping live branches on flowering shrubs and trees, as they won’t bloom nicely in the spring if you cut off living buds.

• Get your shed together. If you’re planning on installing a new shed this year, why not get started in the spring? Take a little time to learn what’s involved in installing a new shed on your property before you break ground.

Written by Stephanie Fereiro | Published on: March 20, 2018