Well, it looks like spring has made its way to Kentucky. Yes, the low will be 27 degrees on Tuesday; but it should just be a one day dip and we’ll be back into the 70s by the weekend.
In the next couple of weeks we’re going to start some landscaping projects and cleaning up in and around our deck. Since we moved into this house in December, most of it hasn’t been touched yet.
Have you been “thinking spring” too? Here are some ideas from our projects last spring… and some of the items that are on my to-do list this year!
In the next week or two, I’ll be pulling out my Gardening Cheat Sheet from our last home {I left a copy with the new homeowners and kept the original for myself} to use when I go to pick out some perennials for this home.
I was really pleased with the growth and care of the Liriopes, Creeping Jenny and the Burgundy Wedding Train so they might be on my “to buy” list. However, this house does get more direct sunlight so I’ll have to look into more full sun perennials.
Last spring was the first year we did a lot of gardening and we learned a lot. You can check out our beginner tips beginner gardening tips here and then get an end-of-summer update with what we learned here.
We also grew some herbs in a couple large planters on our deck. This was so handy and a must-do for this season as well. I can’t wait to pick some up from the farmers market when it opens in a few weeks. Fresh basil on hand all summer long? Yes, please.
If you’d like to make some herb markers from wooden spoons, here are the how to instructions.
Since we knew we were moving by mid-summer, we didn’t invest in many flowers for the backyard. Instead we used a combination of large planters and inexpensive annuals for quick and easy “landscaping.” This is also a great solution if you are living in a condo or apartment, don’t have much time for lawn care or are looking for a more budget friendly option.
Those potted plants surrounded our deck, which was in pretty poor shape. It was structurally sound but the wood was splintered, cracked and faded. We painted it with Deck ReStore and loved the finished product. The deck in this home is in much better shape {woohoo!} so it’ll probably just need a good cleaning and maybe a coat of stain.
Though this won’t be a high priority {the bathroom must get finished first!}, I’m sure we’ll start working on some decorative touches too. I’d like to get our EAT sign and the patio lights hung out on the deck. They were both part of a quick patio makeover that we completed at the start of summer last year.
The most inexpensive part of that makeover was the DIY cushion covers. The color and pattern are such an improvement over the old solid red cushions.
I won’t be making another Split Pea Wreath this year; but I do want to put something out on those green wreath hangers. I’d like to make a wreath for my front door, too. Someone come craft with me!! I’ll make the food and drinks 🙂
Speaking of the front door, some painting might be in order too. The bright blue doors in our last home {here and here} made me smile; but I’ll probably try something different in this house. We’ll see!
Other items on our to-do list include growing some veggies, creating some play areas for the little guy and organizing our sheds for outdoor use. What is on your spring to-do list?
Craftivity Designs
Monday 21st of April 2014
I hope they help!! I'm definitely a newbie gardener as well; but was really pleased with how much we kept alive last year. It was a rainy summer though, so I think I may have that on my side. Good luck :)
*colette*
Wednesday 16th of April 2014
This post made me smile... thank goodness it's (almost) spring finally! We spent the last weekend prepping our garden and flower beds for new plantings. I'm going to check out all of your links in this post... especially your cheat sheet! I'm terrible at keeping things alive so I need all the help I can get!