Have you ever stepped into your garden, only to feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of junk lying around, or how disorganized it feels? Maybe you want to maintain a beautiful garden, but it’s contrasting with all the random items strewn about. Or perhaps you’ve been meaning to get some work done on your fences or furniture, but the only thing you see is the remnants of a long-abandoned DIY project! 

There’s a very specific kind of stress that hits when somebody says they’d love to come over and sit outside, and the garden technically exists, sure, but “guest-ready” isn’t exactly the first phrase that comes to mind. Like, maybe you have some nice and affordable landscaping done at best, but it’s still not welcoming like something you’d see in a Martha Stewart magazine, like one of those luxurious oases.

Start by decluttering your garden and designating some storage spaces

While it might seem depressing to see lots of seemingly random items placed around your garden, it’s not exactly a bad idea to use it for storage at times. After all, your garden is a large open space that has plenty of room, so storing a few boxes and large items won’t really detract from the overall experience and design. However, it is important not to place things around in random locations, as it can feel like a complete mess.

The solution is simple: start decluttering your garden and designate storage spaces. For instance, you can keep your hedge trimmer and other power tools in a shed or even your garage instead of leaving them outside leaning against your fence or walls. If there are gardening tools and items lying around, consider installing shelves, hooks, or pegboards to add extra storage to the exterior walls around your house. This not only looks neater but makes those tools more easily accessible for when you need them in a pinch.

Decluttering may also involve throwing away items that you don’t need anymore. For example, some people might have old children’s toys and bikes that they’ve grown out of. You might even have things like an old basketball hoop that nobody uses anymore, or soccer goalposts that haven’t seen use for years. These kinds of items are distracting and could detract from the overall feel of your garden. If they’re not being used anyway, there’s nothing wrong with removing them. If you have space, you can always keep them in your garage or garden shed. Alternatively, you could even consider selling them or donating them to someone else.

Create A Polished Look With Boundaries

With well-defined and solid boundaries, your garden will feel organized, protected, and together. The likes of hedges and planters can be used to create borders, but subtle fencing is a much more powerful way to create distinct, separate zones. Thoughtfully chosen enhancements like these make your garden instantly tidier. The entire place becomes more inviting and significantly easier to maintain over the years.

The Shelter Should be a Part of the Setup

Which could very well be pretty obvious here. But a garden feels a whole lot more usable when there’s some kind of protection from the elements, because okay, warm weather is lovely until the sun gets a little too aggressive or a random drizzle happens in the middle of a conversation. Sure, a parasol or an awning is nice, but they’re still not exactly the most useful when there’s rain, wind, or even cold weather. 

So maybe it’s time to invest in a real shelter, like a timber frame post and beam pavilion, for example, or maybe even a greenhouse (though it gets super hot during the summer), a pergola, or even a gazebo if you wanted to. Basically, you’ll want to think about the weather and the temperatures, and when ideally you’d like to host. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with summer, and you just need to make sure you have a sturdy roof.

Arranging your furniture strategically

Outdoor furniture can be a wonderful addition to any garden space, but it’s important to consider how you’re arranging things like tables, chairs, and benches. If you place them randomly on your patio or on your lawn, then it can look rather chaotic and won’t create the cozy relaxed vibes that you’re looking for.

The goal here is to create areas with a purpose. For instance, if you’ve got garden furniture on your patio, then it’s probably for the sake of creating an outdoor social area where you can relax, socialize, and maybe even enjoy some snacks. As such, your garden furniture chairs should be pointing at each other to create a more social atmosphere, and there should be a coffee table where you can place items like food and books.

You also have to consider the weather when it comes to designing an outdoor space. Don’t overlook the importance of things like shade to keep the social area cool, and don’t forget that uncovered areas will be exposed to rain and debris. This will require your garden furniture to be cleaned and maintained more often, hence why many people prefer to place garden furniture in covered areas.

Too many plants are a bad thing

Another step to helping you regain control over your garden is to declutter the plants themselves. If you haven’t been maintaining your garden carefully then it’s not unlikely that you have plants growing in areas where you don’t want them to, and you might have too many different colored flowers which creates a confusing mess of tones and themes. This can lead to chaotic scenes which will turn you away from spending more time in the garden.

If this is the case for you, then it’s time to take action. If plants are no longer thriving or serving their purpose in your garden, it’s time to clean them up and let them go. Not only will this lower the amount of maintenance required to keep your garden looking great, but it’ll also provide more space for healthier plants to grow.

If you don’t want to get rid of certain plants, then it’s always an option to pot them and grow them indoors as decorative elements, or separate them by forming more flower beds. Alternatively, you can also introduce large planters that are great for creating more visual interest and even forming borders around your lawn.

Removing excess plants and maintaining a consistent color theme around your garden will greatly enhance the visual appeal and also be easier to maintain. While it sounds like a lot of work, it’s a crucial step in helping you regain control over your garden space.

Deadhead Flowers and Clean up Garden Debris 

One of the first priorities for tidying up your garden is to do some regular deadheading. Additionally, garden debris might make your outdoor space look messy, but it’s actually a great opportunity to create natural mulch. Before you gather up everything and throw it in a compost bin, you could consider repurposing it as natural mulch. Whether it’s fallen leaves or grass clippings, everything can be used to enrich your garden soil and suppress weeds.

After mowing your lawn, gather up all of the grass clippings and recycle them as mulch. Bag them up together with your fallen leaves, and shred anything large such as twigs and branches. Layer it around your plants, but be careful not to pile it up against stems and trunks. This will help suppress weeds, retain moisture, and even regulate soil temperature.

The combination of small wood pieces, grass clippings, and leaves will promote healthy plant growth, and it’s a sustainable way to reuse a lot of the debris around your garden.

With these tips, you can tidy up your garden for spring and help promote a healthy and sustainable, chemical free garden!