We’re diving headfirst into spring and I love how it’s another annual invitation for innovation and opportunity, but it’s also a time of responsibility if you’re a homeowner. After winter is in the rearview mirror, it’s great to bask in the sun and the green all around, but if your home is anything like ours, in the midst of rebirth and blooms, is a big ole mess. And where we live in North Georgia, even with our best and most timely efforts, we can’t really escape the “mess” stage until closer May, when we’re well past the final frost and when the yellow pine pollen has subsided. Seriously, before then, there’s not much use in adding new things or reintroducing things we’d weathered over from the previous year. But, here we are, and over the past week or so, we’ve started taking steps to reclaim our outdoor spaces. It can be overwhelming to inventory *all the things* so today, as we’ve made note and begun to progress our own spring spruce-up, I’m sharing a full, comprehensive Spring Outdoor Checklist, in partnership with Lowe’s.
*Posts on KelleyNan.com may contain affiliate links. While this post is created in partnership with Lowe’s, all opinions, concept, and creative are my own. Click HERE for full disclosure.*
And if you’re in the midst of tackling your outdoor planning, prep, and clean-up, Lowe’s has their SpringFest happening right now with lots of deals from most departments, including everything we need for the outdoors, from lawn and garden refreshers and tools to grilling and outdoor living.
Browse & filter SpringFest deals HERE.
See our annual checklist for annual/regular home maintenance and repairs HERE.
Spring Outdoor Spruce-Up Checklist
Depending on our homes, yards, locations, etc., we all have different responsibilities, chores, and maintenance when it comes to reviving and sprucing up our outdoors to beautify and enjoy the seasons ahead. While some may not apply to you, below is a comprehensive list for items that may need your attention that you can schedule/shop/plan for now…
- Remove faucet covers and store them where you’ll remember to retrieve them next winter.
- Power wash house. (THIS electric power washer is highly rated — and is currently on deal for SpringFest — and can handle all of the pressure washing around your home.)
- Power wash sidewalks and driveway.
- Remove sticks and debris from yard. (THIS cordless blower/trimmer combo is on deal!)
- Aerate lawn (if you aren’t sure about the best time for your specific grass, ask a professional as it will vary with different types of grass).
- Add new pine straw or bark chip mulch to faded areas. (We switched to bark chip mulch last year and I love how the black mulch complements the color of our home.) I also stayed paranoid about Copperheads being camouflaged in the pine straw, so that’s been an anxiety improvement.
- Refill plant pots/beds with fresh potting soil. (It’s imperative to incorporate fresh potting soil every year so that you’re starting with fresh nutrients for your plants.)
- Trim back ornamental grass. (THESE grass shears work perfectly in trimming back our Liriope grass.)
- Plant new shrubs/trees. Landscaping can be expensive so I try to add improvements/more of my vision annually, rather than trying to do everything all at once.
- Freshen plant pots/urns with new paint. (Re-painting plant pots/urns with the same color or a different color of fresh paint works wonders with little effort to your outdoor areas.)
- Spray wash deck/porch furniture.
- Wash outdoor pillows and cushion covers. (My preferred method is to scrub the cushion covers and wash the pillow covers with OxiClean.)
- Replace worn out weather stripping. This is SO much easier than it sounds and literally takes minutes.
- Clean out gutters.
- Wash windows.
- Clean outdoor ceiling fans. (THIS extendable ceiling duster is perfect for that and for removing outdoor cobwebs.)
- Clean outdoor light fixtures.
- Sanitize outdoor trash can.
- Add string lights. (We have two strands of string lights hung from the covered portion of our deck.)
- Re-hang or add outdoor curtains.
- Add a new outdoor rug.
- Add new house numbers to your house and/or mailbox. (It’s a small touch but really enhances the curb appeal of your home!) I also love THIS modern number style in black!
- Switch out door mats. (Browse a lot of door mats, including simple styles I love –many under $13 — HERE.)
- Add a spring wreath to the front door.
- Fill and set out bird feeders. (I’m loving the idea of getting a smart bird feeder like THIS ONE! It charges via solar power and identifies the birds as they are feeding.
- Evaluate if decks/doors need new coats of stain — we go through this every few years with our dogs and harsh weather…
- Paint faded/worn accents, planters, furniture, etc.
Don’t kid yourself by saying “I think our mulch still looks fine.” The difference is shocking.
Items That Will Benefit From A Fresh Coat Of Paint During Your Spring Spruce Up
When you look around and are maybe overwhelmed/disappointed in the appearance of your post-winter outdoor living items, decor, furniture, etc., first evaluate if it truly needs to be replaced or if can be given new life with a coat of paint. Here are a few things to take a look at…
- Plant pots
- Planters
- Outdoor furniture
- Mailbox
- House trim
- Doors
First of all, there is SO much power in a can of spray paint! THIS is the one I use (I prefer a flat finish for things like planters that will help them still have an earthy/stone look).
Black Spray Paint | Plant Urns
In general, if there’s something you’re considering otherwise tossing, definitely try a fresh coat of paint on it first. I re-spray our lightweight composite urns I purchased at Lowe’s over a decade ago (HERE) every couple of years and they’re still going strong. Check them out after my 5-minute paint job this year!
We had our raised planter painted last year to blend in with our fence, so this year we did the same. I love the natural look but just wanted the corner of our yard to be a little more subtle.
And speaking of stain, Dave’s smoker table has seen better days — especially after not using the cover as diligently as it probably should be. He stained it himself originally, and just picked up more supplies to start the grilling season off to re-sand it, stain, and seal it.
Paint Brush Cover | Brush Cleaner | Stain Paint Brush | Minwax Spar Urethane | Sanding Disc | Mixing Container
Spring Spruce Up Checklist — When Threat of Frost Has Passed
I’m not sure what the consistent temps are like where you are, but there’s several spring outdoor checklist items that are best left until after the final frost has passed. Don’t get too eager with these or you may have to redo them…
- Add ornamental plants to pots, planters and flower beds.
- Plant vegetable plants.
- Fertilize newly planted flowers and vegetables (THIS fertilizer is my favorite and I put it on flowers and shrubs!)
Full disclosure, I get really sloppy with this fertilizer and it’s still done really well for me! That said, of course, you should go by the instructions 😉
Items To Have On Hand For Your Spring Spruce Up
Whether you’re replenishing, replacing the old, or starting new, here are supplies and essentials to have on hand. As an FYI, Lowe’s has a bunch of deals on their outdoor and lawn & garden during SpringFest — you can purchase and pick up at the store, or, have them delivered (even items like mulch).
- Potting soil
- Plant fertilizer
- Plant support cages (We use the square cages for our tomato plants and the round cages for our pepper plants.)
- Watering can
- Water Hose
- Water Hose Sprayer
- Sprinkler
- Wheel barrow
- Power washer
- Blower/Trimmer
- Garden Spade
- Hand Pruner
- Loppers
- Grass shears
- Garden Scissors
- Rake
- Shovel
- Garden Gloves
- Spray Paint
- Scrub Brush
- Outdoor Cleaner
- Mulch
Extra Curb Appeal Projects
While not necessarily regular/annual maintenance, we do try to make our ongoing outdoor landscape and curb appeal home improvements during the spring. A few to consider that we’ve tackled in recent years…
Install Landscape/House Lights
We hired a professional to install our home landscape lighting but we picked everything out from Lowe’s — like THESE pathway lights.
Add a Few Bushes/Trees/Landscape Improvements Each Year
For the most bang for your buck when it comes to privacy, blocking, and adding statements, we love green giant arborvitaes (which go along our fence), and limelight hydrangeas (which grow exponentially each year and essentially form a bushy hedge. They are late summer bloomers, love sun, and are hard to kill. You can find limelight growing tips in THIS post.
We actually use emerald green arborvitaes in smaller/more narrow spaces for screening since they don’t get nearly as large as the green giant.
Switch Landscape Ground Cover (Straw to Mulch)
There is no right or wrong, just a matter of preference. And in Georgia, where we live, pine straw is an incredibly common landscaping ground cover.
This switch was a big deal when we did it, but when we installed the pool (see that renovation and reveal HERE) we felt strongly about having mulch and it made the most sense to switch out to it everywhere. If you’re overwhelmed or have a lot of ground to cover, consider making a switch in the front first, then the back.
Front Door – Re-Stain/Paint/Spar Urothane
What’s on your list this spring? Have you made progress? Anything you’re doing differently? I’ll be so happy when the yellow pine pollen has subsided here so we can work on getting our outdoors finalized and set. In the meantime, here are a few more deals to check out during the Lowe’s SpringFest.
Lowe’s SpringFest Outdoor Deals Going On Now
- Char-Broil Performance Series Gas Grill — $50 OFF (WAS $249/NOW $199)
- Greenworks 2100 PSI Electric Pressure Washer — $100 OFF (WAS $249/NOW $149)
- FREE Blower with Purchase of Trimmer — $100 OFF (WAS $299/NOW $199)
- Sta-Green 1-cu ft Garden Soil — 3/$10
- Select Planter Wall Block — 2/$5 (2/$6 in AK & HI)
- 1.50-GAL Boston Fern Hanging Basket — 2/$24
- Miracle-Gro 25-QT Potting Mix — 2/$16
- Miracle-Gro 1.5-cu ft Organic Raised Bed Soil — 2/$12
- 2.5-QT Perennials (One; Two) — 2/$10 or 2/$12 West Coast
- Select 1.00-PT Annuals (One; Two) — 5/$5 or 5/$10
- HGTV Home® by Sherwin-Williams paints and primers and Cabot® stains — Buy 2 Get 1 Free via Lowe’s gift card rebate
A Few More Lowe’s SpringFest Deals Going On Now
- Get up to 35% off select major appliances + Save an extra $150 on every $1500 you spend on all major appliances
- KitchenAid — 20% off
- Free Icemaker/Minifridge with purchase of Whirlpool refrigerator
- LG Smart Top Load Laundry Pair (Washer; Dryer; Gas Dryer) — Save $1,000 (NOW $1,296)
- Samsung French Door Refrigerator — Save $500
