So. Utah, Revamp Your Outdoor Space: Tips For A Beautiful Yard

We've talked about garages, junk drawers and general clutter. Today we've got to address the yard!

I grew up on the east coast and where I lived, every yard was pristine. The lawn was trimmed perfectly, flowers were healthy and the hedges were flat and beautiful.

When I moved to Utah, I was a little shocked.

Weedy lawns, wild rose bushes and various appliances, bathroom fixtures and even old cars sat in peoples' yards. I couldn't believe it. Didn't people have pride in the yards, their homes, their living spaces?!

Now I will say up front that not everyone is like that. There are plenty of well-cared for yards and lawns and I can even see the beauty in the desert landscapes of some yards. After all, we do live in a desert.

But plenty of people in our fair state don't seem to give a hoot about what their yard looks like.

Maybe it's laziness. Maybe it's lack of time. Maybe it's accumulation of too much stuff. Whatever the case may be, the biggest step to getting your yard pretty enough to be a source of pride starts with, well, caring about how it looks.

Once you admit that you want to make a change, the rest isn't really that difficult.

So here are a few tips to clean things up:

1. My catchphrase has always been "Chuck 'em!" and that's really the first step in yard clean-up. If it's not useful, get rid of it. That includes kids outdoor toys, old lawn furniture, broken fountains or statues, and yes, old cars.
2. Once the junk is gone, it's time to address the hedges and bushes. Buy or borrow an electric trimmer and get after it. Although be prepared in that whatever you trim off has to be picked up.
3. Whack the weeds and rake the debris and leaves.
4. At this point, if you look around you're probably thinking, "Hey, my yard looks great!" But don't stop just yet. You want to make sure it stays great and that starts with a healthy lawn.
   1. It's not that hard to aerate, top dress (add soil) and weed and feed your yard.
   2. Doing a thorough run-through with your sprinkler system is also crucial. A broken sprinkler head could end up killing a lot of grass.
5. Replace old lawn furniture and decorations with newer stuff. Watch yard sales and thrift stores as well as sales at new retailers. This stuff goes for cheap very often, especially at the end of the summer.
6. If you're physically unable or even unwilling to do a lot of this stuff, there are many local lawncare/yard maintenance companies in Washington County that will gladly help you for a monthly fee.

Bottom line is this: There's no excuse for a bad/ugly yard.

I've got so many more ideas to help you declutter your life, so look for them in future editions of "Decluttering your life with Mindee Neatnik."

* Mindee Neatnik is a St. George resident who takes pride in her married life, her neat-to-a-tee home and her thriving business (Neatnik's DC) of helping Washington County residents clean up their lives. Mindee is married (Brent) and has three perfect children. Well, at least she thinks they are. Reach her on Truth Social at @Mindeeneatnik.

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