5 Winter Decluttering Tips For Your Garden And Patio

Declutter To Reinvent: Cat Coluccio

February is one of those months where it’s easy to feel fed up.

Fed up with the cold, fed up with the snow, fed up with the grey skies and fed up with the mud being trekked through the house – right?

However, while it can feel like warmer weather is ages away, it’s just around the corner. This makes February the perfect time to get started on decluttering your garden and patio. This way, by the time summer rolls around, you’ll be ready to enjoy hosting gatherings and barbecues in your gorgeous, uncluttered outdoor areas.

5 Decluttering Tips For Your Garden And Patio:

1. Assess And Plan:

Before diving into any decluttering tips for your garden and patio, take a walk around your backyard. If your yard is still buried in snow, at least go out onto your patio or covered veranda. Assess which areas you can get to. Once you’ve done this write a list; or if you are visual, draw a plan that clearly outlines what you want to achieve. Pots full of summer flowers? A new vegetable garden? Fresh cushions for your outdoor furniture? Picture what you want and write it all down.

“Now is the time to start clearing your spaces ready for your guests or for those seeds to be planted.”

Since moving to a new property two years ago, I’ve made it a new habit to draw up two lists – for what I want to achieve outdoors in the last month of winter. One list has to do with entertaining, including items like the outdoor furniture, my grandson’s toys, the BBQ, and the outdoor furniture. The second list covers garden needs. Such as the flower gardens, pots and hanging baskets, tools, fertiliser, and plans for the vegetable garden and glasshouse.

2. Embark On Your Winter Decluttering Blitz:

Yes, some of the items on your two lists may not relate directly to decluttering (such as purchasing seeds for your new vegetable garden). However, now is the time to start clearing your spaces ready for your guests or for those seeds to be planted.

Obviously, if you are still experiencing snow or heavy rain, start where you can. Be it your front porch or covered veranda out back, your garden shed or your greenhouse. Using the same methods you would use inside. Sort your gear into piles labelled toss, donate, and keep. Get ruthless!

If there are rusted-beyond-repair tools or broken pots, toss them out. For those that are surplus, but still useful, donate. Wondering who on earth would want donated shovels or old pots? Many schools and pre-schools have gardens where such supplies would be appreciated. Even some retirement homes or neighborhood associations have community gardens where donations could be welcome.

The key thing to remember here is not to purchase anything new until you have thoroughly completed this step!

3. Set Up Your Storage Solutions:

If you haven’t already, this is the moment when you have my permission to hit up Amazon. Or, your local homewares store to get all of your outdoor storage sorted. For instance, if you’ve been keeping the cushions from your outdoor chairs in a pile in the corner of your garage, consider looking into some attractive weather-proof storage. At the very least, this will save you having to run inside with an armful of cushions every time there is a spring shower! Having the right storage is a key decluttering tip for your garden and patio.

Thankfully there are plenty of inexpensive ways of organizing both your gardening equipment and entertaining equipment. Our purchase last year of a large weather-proof chest sorted our pool noodles. Which was great since they seem to spread everywhere and disintegrate quickly in the summer sun! I’d certainly recommend something similar. Especially, if you have numerous grandchildren who have toys and sports gear in your backyard.

“Your husband will thank you if your gardening paraphernalia has been encroaching on his tools and car products!”

Want to get into gardening? Consider investing in an inexpensive shed especially for you. Having your own “she-shed” where you can keep all of your tools and potting supplies in the one place and protected from the weather will make gardening a pleasure. Your husband will thank you if your gardening paraphernalia has been encroaching on his tools and car products!

4. Refresh Your Garden Beds:

Speaking of gardening, now is the time to start working on your garden beds to prepare them for spring planting. Obviously, this exercise is one that you will need to schedule around your weather patterns. But dedicating time to do this will make your life far easier come planting time. This way, you won’t be trying to do everything at once and your soil will be of a higher quality, better for growing.

Let me own up at this point, I am not the gardener in my family. However, I am getting much better at flowers, with dahlias becoming a real favourite. My 85 year old father and my husband are both country born however, and for my dad in particular – having a productive vegetable garden is a must.

Hence, towards the end of the past few winters, my husband has gradually cleared the weeds and debris from wind and winter storms, dug in compost, added top soil, and prepared our large vegetable garden beds ready for my dad’s visit. My dad has then spent his two week visit with us happily pottering in the garden for a few hours each day, planning, planting seeds in the ground or into punnets and generally creating an amazing garden for us. My mother, in the meantime, has written down her tips and recipes and advised me how to preserve the various vegetables at harvest time.

If gardening and growing your own food is a priority, add prepping your garden beds to your February outdoor decluttering list – your summer gardens will thank you! (One extra tip – if you are a learner in the gardening department like me – find yourself an enthusiast from your parents’ generation – they will amaze you with their knowledge!)

5. Revitalize Your Outdoor Furniture:

Finally, it’s time to assess the condition of your outdoor furniture. This is the time to wash cushion covers and clean your umbrellas. If you have wooden furniture that is looking pretty worn, consider sanding it and re-painting instead of automatically tossing it. You might be amazed at how fabulous it looks after some TLC.

Replace or repair anything broken or completely worn out, and keep an eye out for sales for inexpensive citronella candles or lanterns that can make an entertaining space look so much more special. Once the worst of the weather is done, consider grabbing a water blaster and bringing your patio tiles or timber deck back to life.

So there you have it, 5 Winter Decluttering Tips For Your Garden And Patio that have the potential to set you up for a fabulous summer. By taking the time to do these steps while it is still winter, you’ll be set for planting time. And come entertaining season, you’ll be ready to welcome guests into your gorgeous oasis.

Did you enjoy this article? Become a Kuel Life Member today to support our Community. Sign-up for our Sunday newsletter and get your content delivered straight to your inbox.

About the Author: