It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you put into landscaping, mowing the lawn, and watering your plants, unless your yard is clean and clutter-free, you won’t be able to relax and enjoy spending your time there. While it’s easy to clean your living room, bathroom, or pretty much any room in your house, cleaning your yard requires a slightly different approach. If you’re hoping to host a nice outdoor dinner party and want everyone to have a good time in your neat yard, read our 4 decluttering tips which will help you achieve your goal.
Do it all at once
While you might think that tackling your yard one part at a time is a good choice, you’ll find it more difficult to focus after a break. Instead, you should just set aside enough time to get it done. The first time is going to be the most difficult, but in the future, you’ll know how much time you’ll need. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about your front porch, garden shed, or the garage, if you clean it all at once, you’ll be more likely to keep it clean later on. By the end of your first cleaning session, you’ll be able to find a place for everything and come up with your own system of organization.
Have a deck box
Deck boxes are handy and affordable, and they are incredibly convenient for keeping necessities out of sight when you’re not using them. Not only are the things out of sight, but they are at the same time close at hand if you need them. There will be no need to leave your guests in order to retrieve a blanket, a cushion, or a toy for your child. All your blankets and cushions should be kept in a deck box because that way you will protect them from the sun and the dust, ensuring that they last longer. Of course, this way your patio and deck will look cool neat and clean, thus being more comfortable, too.
Team up
Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can’t do everything on your own, especially if you have big landscaping projects in mind, such as building pergolas, paving, weeding, and planting. It’s a good idea to call a friend or a family member to help you, or even hire professionals to help you make your dream yard come to life. When you work with someone, it means that the project will take less time, but it also means that you can ask them for advice on plants, fences, weeding, or painting. Mulching and pruning are also activities which are better done in pairs, and what is more, you can always share a beer afterward and admire your work.
Hide your garbage cans and containers
We all have more than one waste receptacles, but when you look around and see your garbage can, your recycling container, and your yard waste container standing next to each other, you will notice that they make the yard look less inviting. There is no way to live without these items, but that doesn’t mean that they will look nice when you’re hosting a dinner party outside. Keep a privacy screen in your yard and keep the cans and containers behind it. You can also have a space inside your gate where guests won’t be passing by, so you can keep them out of sight there, or even build a tilt-out cabinet.
When it comes to decluttering a yard or a garden, it’s never a simple act, but rather a continuous and challenging one. You need to be prepared to get rid of items and plants alike, but you shouldn’t let the yard be bare and boring. Change the type of plants you have, keep all your furniture and tools in a spot designed for them, and every now and then do a small decluttering session – it will help you keep it under control and it’s also a great way to bring in vigor and new life into your yard without having to break a bank.
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
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