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Today was one of the nicest days we’ve had here in the Midwest that didn’t include rain. That meant I spent a large majority of the day outdoors cleaning-up from the wet and windy winter (sadly, not much snow here). With warmer weather on the horizon and a busy spring season, I need to plan ahead to get everything done. With that in mind, I started making my outdoor spring clean-up list.

Just like indoor spring cleaning, the notion of getting everything done can feel overwhelming. I remind myself to do what I can when I can. My end goal is to be finished by June 1st.

Little by little I whittle away at my to-do list knowing that before long I will be enjoying the fruits of my labor drinking a cold beverage and enjoying the summer sun.

Trim Ornamental Grasses & Bushes

To get started on my outdoor spring clean-up, I trim the ornamental grass around our house and yard. I love the privacy that the grass provides in the summer and fall so I don’t cut them down until the springtime. The problem is, the grass blows everywhere on windy days and becomes messy. Strands of ornamental grass decorate our yard and it makes me crazy.

Trimming the grass is not the hard part because I use an electric trimmer and go straight across the grass. The messy part (and scratchy part!) is picking-up the grass and putting it inside the yard waste bags. I am always so grateful when this job is done because the timing of trimming the grass comes when the weather is unpredictable and our calendar is full.

Now that the grass is done, I get to look forward to my least-favorite spring clean-up task…trimming the 23 boxwood bushes that surround our house. Twenty-three!! Twice a year I trim these bushes and it is exhausting. I usually break it up into two days to make it less overwhelming.

Tip:

When I trim the bushes, I place a sheet around the base of the tree to catch the trimmings. I simply pick-up the sheet carefully and dump the trimmings into the yard waste bags. It initially takes a few more minutes but it will save you tons of time afterwards and it will save your mulch from looking green and messy.