Easy Spring Yard Clean Up Routine I Swear By

As a single woman, I’ve learned that owning a home isn’t just about pretty paint colors and home decor projects. There’s also a very real maintenance side of things—and spring yard cleanup is one of those not-so-glamorous (but totally necessary) tasks that keeps everything looking good and running smoothly.

The other day, I spent hours outside tackling my yard work. And sure, it’s hard work—but I like to think of it as a free workout with a side of sunshine therapy. I popped in my earbuds, turned on a good podcast, and off I went. I’ll admit, my arms were incredibly sore for days, but the yard and front landscaping looks so good now, and I can’t wait to give it that first cut and watch the gardens come to life!

Here’s what my spring yard clean up routine looks like:

Bug + Pest Control: First up, I spray the perimeter of my house for bugs and spiders. I also do this in my basement and set mouse traps because… yeah, older home. I’ve had good luck with this Ortho Home Defense and I like the comfort wand.
Trimming the Gardens: Anything I didn’t get to in the fall, I tackle now—like my ornamental grasses and limelight hydrangeas. I leave the grasses because they look nice throughout the winter, and I wait to trim the hydrangeas until they start to bud so I can see exactly where to cut. I love my Fiskars pruning shears for this job.
Weeding + Bush Trimming: I pull weeds from my garden beds and trim any shrubs or bushes with obvious overgrowth. My Fiskars loppers come in handy here.
Mulch: I freshen up all my garden beds with a fresh layer of mulch—it instantly makes everything look clean and put-together. Home Depot usually runs a great mulch deal in early spring, and I make sure to stock up while it’s on. It brings the cost down to just a couple bucks per bag!
Weed Control: I spray for weeds that are already popping up along my driveway, front steps, and other problem spots like along my walkway. It feels like a never-ending process! I avoid spraying in my garden beds because I’m always nervous about damaging my landscaping.
Yard Cleanup: I rake up leaves and loosen up all the old, dead grass in the front yard. Everything gets piled into these big reusable yard bags. My local dump takes them for free, which is amazing! I ended up with six full bags this time. It’s wild how much comes up once you get going.
First Lawn Mow: When it’s time for that first mow of the season, I don’t bag the clippings—I let them stay as natural fertilizer. I mow on the highest setting to avoid stressing the grass.
Weed & Feed: I use Vigaro and my Scotts Spreader for this job, making sure to apply it evenly across the lawn. It gives the grass a great jump start and it’s also a surprisingly good way to rack up a ton of step! I don’t always get to this part in the same weekend, since it’s best to apply weed and feed right after a light rain. But you also have to be careful not to apply it if heavy rain is in the forecast, because it can wash the product away before it has a chance to work.
Seeding: I wait about 4 to 6 weeks after applying the weed and feed, I go back and overseed any patchy spots in the lawn.

Shop the entire Spring Clean Up Guide here!

There’s so much pride in homeownership, and putting in the sweat equity is where it’s at! I love driving up each night after work and seeing everything looking neat and cleaned up. And every morning, I find myself peeking at the gardens to see what’s growing.

This process may take time, but most of it can easily be knocked out over the weekend. It’s definitely not glamorous, but it’s all part of homeownership—and someone’s got to do it! I hope this has inspired you to get outside and tackle your own spring cleanup!

You can shop my favorite lawn and garden tools here! These are the same tools I use to get the job done faster and with better results, so you can spend less time working and more time enjoying your beautiful yard.