Garage and Yard Spring Refresh

I was overwhelmed by the amount of clutter that’s been sitting in my garage all winter. So much, in fact, that I couldn’t even park one car inside of it! Here is my guide to tackling your disorganized garage mess in 5 easy steps:

Think about what items you need to keep and what can be thrown away or donated. For the items you’d like to keep, think about the most efficient way to store them.

Take everything out of the garage so you can clean all of the dust that has settled over winter with ease.

Now that your garage is clean, sort the items you’d like to keep, donate, and throw away. I was previously using clear storage bins which created a false sense of disorganization as I could see the items inside, so I upgraded to solid colored storage bins [20597836] for a cleaner look.

To keep your garage organized, identify a designated area for each item. For example, create a space for gardening equipment, sports equipment, and tools. This will make it easier to find what you need when you need it. I upgraded my storage with a 4-tier Husky Shelf, which was incredibly easy to put together (no screws!). It’s heavy duty and can hold up to 2,500lbs per shelf.

Now that your garage is clean and organized, it’s important to maintain it. Make it a habit to put things back where they belong after you use them. Do a quick clean-up each time you finish a project in the garage. This will help keep your garage clean and organized all year round!

The front yard is the first thing people see when they come to your home or drive by, so it's important to make a good impression. Yard work can often be overwhelming given the amount of manual labor that needs to happen, but that shouldn’t be a worry when you have the right tools for the job! Here are the steps I took to give my front yard a facelift.

Start by cleaning up any debris that may have accumulated over the winter, such as fallen branches and leaves. I prefer electric lawn equipment because they are compact and easy to use/store. Given all the debris I needed to clean up, the Ryobi ONE+ 90 MPH Leaf Blower/Sweeper and the Ryobi 40V Vac Attack Cordless Leaf Vacuum/Mulcher were my go-to lawn toys! I never had to worry about the battery running out on either tool and they are both light in weight so my arms never got tired.

Once your yard is cleaned up, it's important to start preparing it for the growing season. Since I’m in Florida, I need to start mowing my lawn on a weekly basis in late winter. I’ve had my Ryobi mower for over four years and it is still going strong! The newer Ryobio Lawn Mower Models are sleek and have an even longer battery life! In my opinion, the key to having a top tier front yard is to showcase perfectly edged garden beds. I’ve started the process of weekly edging and over the course of the upcoming weeks, the lines between the mulch and lawn will become crisp. I prefer the Ryobi 40V String Trimmer as it cuts through the tough St. Augustine grass runners; however, if you don’t need something as powerful, you can always opt for the Ryobi ONE+ 18V String Trimmer. Clovers have become my lawn’s worst enemy, so I sprayed Southern Lawn Weed Killer Ready-To-Spray two days after I mowed.

Once you’ve got the lawn under control, the last step is to add new plants (if necessary) and a fresh layer of mulch. I added two small pygmy date palms and three small bromeliads to create a tropical feel as guests walk down the sidewalk from the driveway to the front door. When I moved, the garden beds were already layered with pine bark mulch, so instead of adding a different style mulch, I stuck with the bark! Mulch does a great job at retaining moisture and preventing weed growth.