C.J. Braden • 2 Minute Read
4 Steps to Tame An Unkempt Garden
If you want to make your garden look gorgeous, you may need to clear out and tame an overgrown yard first. This is common when you’ve just moved into a new property that has been neglected for too long, and it can feel like a mammoth task. Still, you want to spend lots of time in your yard, so no matter how hard it seems, it’s always worth it. Here are some tips to help you overcome your wild backyard efficiently to create the garden of your dreams.
1- Make a Plan
Try a heart shaped arbor in your garden
You should never go into any home improvement project without a plan, but if you’ve never faced a job as overwhelming as this, it can be hard to know where to start. Despite this, your plan will help you know what you need to do at the right time, as trying to transform everything at once could be a recipe for disaster. Instead, opt for stages. Look at what is the highest priority and whether you can improve it right now. If not, focus on making the garden safe before doing anything else.
2- Establish Your Perimeter
Vases add a nice decorative garden element
It's tricky to identify where your yard begins and ends, and you don’t want to overstep your boundaries and upset your new neighbors. Once you’ve established a plan, you can work out your perimeter and start working inwards.
Cactus gardens are great for dry environments
This perimeter is ideal for setting up a fence once you’re finished, which should deter critters and thieves alike, so it’s worth digging a fence post hole to prepare the edges for your boundary marker. Once you have established a perimeter, you know how much space you have to work with and can think about the best approach.
Here’s a quick and easy video idea on how to make your yard look better via my YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden”:
3- Clear the Debris
A tropical garden wall is a unique garden element
Neglected lawns are full of twigs and branches, leaves, and even garbage. You must clear this debris before you get to work mowing the lawn, otherwise, you could damage your mower and even injure yourself.
Walk through your yard searching for anything that could get in the way and make sure you dispose of garden waste properly, whether in garbage bins or a composting bin. Clearing the debris may also uncover any animal nests, but you should leave removing this to a professional as they’ll know the best way to deal with them.
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4- Use the Right Tools
Try stepping stones for your garden
Using the wrong tools can cause severe injury to you and anyone you’ve asked to help. You might think you’re just working with grass and small branches, but there could be sharp thorns that could cause an infection if you don’t wear gardening gloves to protect yourself. Similarly, trimmers, shears, and other garden tools are essential but don’t try to cut down anything too large, as you never know how or when it might fall.
It might seem like a jungle out there now, but it won’t be by the time you’re finished. Taming your yard will take a lot of sweat and effort, but it will be worth it when you can sit on your porch on a beautiful summer morning and admire all the work you’ve put in.
Do you have some tips or tricks you use to tame a wild garden fast? Leave it in the comments below!
C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.