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Gardening

Put some pressure into spring cleaning

By MARY COLLISTER
Published March 31, 2006

There are a few spring chores you can complete now that take more time than money, but will give your yard a fresh look this season. Be ready to spend some time and a little elbow grease.

Start by taking a wide-angle look at your house. Step out in the street (carefully) in front of your house and assess the curb appeal.

What do people see when they walk or drive by? Are the beds clean, the grass cut, and the driveway and walkways swept? Look at both the small and large details with a fresh eye. Slowly look at the house, each bed, and each element that makes up your yard.

Looking at the house first, decide whether a little cleaning is necessary there. Maybe just sweeping off spider webs, or removing dirt that has splashed on the lower sides of the house will improve the looks.

Take a look at your house numbers, also. They need to be clean and visible so emergency workers can identify your home if necessary. As much as I hate to even mention it (it is one of my least favorite chores), clean windows do make a house sparkle. Also make sure your front door is clean and the porch is free of debris.

Many people never give their mailbox a thought, but it is often the first thing people see when visiting your home. Wiping it off with a cleaner may be all it needs, or perhaps a good coat of paint will improve its looks. Check the house numbers here also. If the mailbox is brick, look for mildew and scrub that off if necessary.

Next, complete the basic yard maintenance; mow the lawn, edge and line trim (weed whack). Clean up the grass clippings, as this makes for a neater appearance and also keeps the clippings out of the storm drains. Place your clippings in a compost pile or bag them up for the yard waste collector.

Make sure your beds are free of weeds and any dead or dying plant material is removed. If some of the plants suffered from the cold, remove them or prune off unsightly foliage. A fresh layer of mulch also makes the beds look better.

If you plan on adding any plants, do that before adding the mulch. If you don't want to add new mulch, just raking the old may bring up some fresh color and make the bed look nicer.

If your sidewalk or driveway is stained or dirty, you may want to pressure wash. If you don't have a pressure washer and don't want to rent one, or just want to use less water, use a stiff brush with a long handle (a broom will work) and scrub with a 10 percent bleach solution.

Rinse when complete, keeping the cleaning solution off your plants. The brush method is much more work than using a pressure washer, but the clean concrete will improve the look of your home.

Colorful annuals also dress up a house for spring but can be expensive if you have a large bed area. To get some spring color for less money, add a couple of large colorful containers planted with flowers to your lot.

This will concentrate the color in a small area for more impact then if a few flowers are scattered throughout the yard. Place them on the edge of the walkway to the front door or by the door. Containers are easy to care for. Make sure they are watered. To guarantee optimum growth, use a little water-soluble fertilizer a few times during the growing season.

If your yard is fenced, take a good look at the fence. Whether it is vinyl or wood, a good cleaning may be in order. A pressure washer will make the job easier, especially if the fence is made of wood.

After cleaning a wood fence, a good sealer will help maintain the clean look. It's amazing how much better a clean fence looks than one covered with mildew and dirt.

Once completed, this spring cleaning will enhance the look of your house and yard tremendously. If you choose to do nothing else all season, the improvements from this cleaning blitz will make your house stand out in the neighborhood.

[Last modified March 30, 2006, 14:16:41]