Tips to Prepare Outdoor Space for Spring

Spring is coming. It's time to spruce up outdoor spaces.

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

Here’s a list of  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 orstray 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.