As spring slowly shows itself, I start getting excited about turning the grungy, winter covered outdoor space into a beautiful summer oasis. The first step is to check on the gardening supplies and see if anything needs to be replaced.

Use some time this week to get spring ready by going through your gardening supplies and make sure your tools are ready to be put to work!

Assess your gardening space

Maybe the gardening stuff got shoved out of the way when winter hit. Move things around so that you can get quick access to your gardening stuff for when you need it. We do a seasonal exchange of stuff in the rafters of the garage. Up goes winter stuff and down comes spring and summer stuff. We make sure to exchange the supplies at the beginning of April so that we are ready for Spring, and because, in Canada, there’s often that one last snow storm in March and sometimes even April!

Assess your supplies

Check on your gardening gloves and knee pads. Check on the bags of fertilizer, grass seed, and soil if you still have any bags of them left from last year. Check for any holes in the bags – that way, you won’t pull it off the shelf and end up seeding the garage instead of your lawn! Check on your flower pots, hanging baskets, and watering cans – you can even take some time to clean them all in the tub if you feel like they need it.

Assess your tools

Clean up your tools and ensure they are ready to use once spring really kicks off. Wipe them down, oil them up, try to scrape away any rust, or simply replace them if they are too far gone. Check over the lawn mower and the blades. Make sure there is no major damage to the blades. Check on the bag attachment, and check for holes. Examine your edge trimmer and fill it with line if it’s empty. If you have gas yard tools, double check the status of your gas or maybe get a space ready for a filled jerry can. If you have battery operated yard tools, make sure the battery is charging.

Assess the decor

If you bring decorations in and out during the different seasons, clean them up before putting them out so they look fresh. It’s amazing what a bit of soap and water can do for some of the fun summer signs and decorations! Test your pathway lights to make sure they work, then clean them up so they shine bright. Freshen up your outdoor cushions by tossing them in the wash, or hand wash them in the tub. At the very least, look them over for holes and stains. Use some of the warmer days to wash down some of the outdoor furniture as you uncover it.

Assess the toys

After pulling stuff down from the rafters, we get to examine truly how fast the kids are growing! The toys they once played with and swore we should not get rid of because they are ‘going to be so fun next year’ are now a ‘meh, I don’t really want that anymore’ kind of toy – which I totally predicted LAST YEAR! Anyway, it’s a great way to go through some of the toys and even post a few on social media to sell or give to another mom who can get some use out of it. Most toys get dirty but still have tons of life left! Might as well make a few bucks getting rid of them!

Everyone loves those first days that promise a warm, sunny summer. Get your outdoor space ready to enjoy right away by decluttering and organizing your stuff now!

Thanks for coming home!