The Easiest Way To Refresh Your Garden Before Spring Planting

Whether you want to prepare your garden for the spring gardening season or give it a complete makeover any time of year, it helps to start with a clean and tidy fresh slate. Unless you prefer the overgrown look, the easiest way to refresh a garden is to cut any grass, foliage, and branches away from paths, garden plots, and stepping stones. If you don't have any garden walkways, this might be the perfect time to install a DIY garden path that can suit any yard.

Taking just an hour or so to clean up the edges of your garden can instantly make it look neater and more manageable. Even if you don't plan on doing any other lawn care or planting, edge trimming alone can give your property a well-kept appearance — not to mention drastically increase the curb appeal of your home. Along with maintaining your garden paths, remember to also trim the edges of any driveways, sidewalks, garden areas, or other yard features like fountains or gazebos. Trimming the edges around garden features can be done easily with either a string trimmer or with handheld edging shear.

After clearing any overgrown ground cover from pavers and walkways, you should also take some time to clean these surfaces as well. It should be relatively quick work to tackle moss or caked on dirt with a power washer, but if the size of the job doesn't justify renting one, water and a soft scrub brush can also help to make your stepping stones and/or concrete slabs look like new. To tackle any man made messes, like those from food or mechanical grease, scrub the area with dish soap and hot water. And if you continue to find yourself in a cleaning mood, take the opportunity to clean and disinfect your gardening tools, too.

Clearing paths and walkways of dirt and debris is important for more than just aesthetics. Regularly inspecting your landscape to make sure there are no damaged or decaying elements can be a key step in maintaining a lush, healthy garden. Additionally, don't forget to look under any pavers or stepping stones to make sure they aren't hiding any problematic pests or fungi that could spread disease to the rest of your garden. For those who love to work with the earth, don't fret that this quick garden refresh is so simple — there are plenty of other tasks to tackle to get your yard ready for planting season.