It comes as no surprise that the National Weather Service ranked this year’s winter as one of the worst in U.S. history.

After all the snow, bitter cold, high winds, and frozen pipes in our homes, I’d say most of the east coast is ready to hide their snow shovels in the shed and start spring cleaning!

We may be a few weeks away still, but for those of you in warmer areas, it’s never too late to start getting your outdoor living spaces ready for the most wonderful time of the year! Here are some tasks to help you get ahead of the game so you can spend more time gardening and doing other fun things while the sun shines:

Kill Weeds
Forget the pricey weed killer spray! Try using a teakettle and pour boiling water over your weeds that grow in between slabs of pavement. Just remember to keep the kettle close to the weeds so you don’t burn yourself or surrounding plants you

Photo: thegreenbacksgal.com

Organize Your Shed or Garage
There are two kinds of people in this world. You are either the person who has a place for everything and keeps your area tidy…or you are like me and it doesn’t matter if your hammer is on the top or on the bottom shelf in the shed!

If you are the latter, it’s the perfect time to organize your shed or garage! The key here is to plan. Make sure to designate spots in your garage or shed where you want to organize tools, gardening pots, etc.

Fifthroom.com’s Cedar Storage Rack adds a functional and rustic touch that any boring storage spot could use. Its cedar aroma is also unique compared to the usual Ikea shelf we always see!

Inspect Your Wheelbarrow
Service your wheelbarrow each year as if it’s your car! If you are a gardener, think about how much you use your wheelbarrow and the work it eliminates for you!

Give it some tender loving care by maintaining tire pressure using a bicycle pump. A grease gun is also a good tool to have on hand to apply lubricant into an axle’s bearings. Every three months, fill the gun with lithium grease, fit the gun’s nozzle over the wheelbarrow grommet in the axle and pump just a few squirts of grease into it. Old grease may squirt out of the axle — just use an old rag to wipe it off.

Have Design in Mind
And, last but not least, make sure to plan out what you want your outdoor living space to look like this spring and summer. Do you want it to remain the same or do you want to update it with maybe more modern furniture or decor? If so, Fifthroom.com’s Beachcomber Fire Pit would turn the heat up in any backyard!

The pit’s orange steel conch exterior with nautical sea shell carvings adds a gentle, soothing touch — just what you need after one of the most harsh winters EVER!

As you think about your spring and summer landscape, head over to Fifthroom.com to view our wide selection of outdoor furniture, structures, lighting, decor and more!