Wonderful Spring Renewal Ideas

Springtime & Renewal

 

Spring brings ideas of spring renewal and I think most of us would say that this has been an incredible winter even if you didn’t deal with floods, being snowed in, and wind damage, we’ve had a La Nino winter. We’ve all wished or prayed for rain and rain is what we have gotten and we will still get more rain through April this year. It has definitely made for a lot of indoor time. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for some sun!

Springtime brings renewal to so many parts of our lives and we see it in Sonoma county in the baby lambs and calves being born, the mustard blooming, and a new freshness to the air. We share with you today some great ideas for bringing renewal to your home, garden, and being. Springtime is a good time to remember to fill your own well so you stay balanced and thriving!

Spring is a good time to let go of the old and make room for new in your life. Many of our ansestors participated in spring cleaning where all the rugs and drapes were taken down and the entire house was renewed. But spring also pertains to letting go of what is no longer serving you, grudges, resentments, and patterns that no longer serve you, it’s a time for turning over a new leaf!

 

Plant Flowers to Renew Your Garden

Spring is a wonderful time to plant flowers. Whether you make your flower bed part of your garden or just want a splash of color on your deck, flowers add so much to our lives. I love having cut flowers in my house, but cut flowers even from the Farmer’s Market can even be costly these days. There are many mini-raised bed kits that are inexpensive and allow you to grow cut flowers on your deck, porch or backyard. I love going out in the morning and cutting some flowers for the house or my desk that I get to enjoy their beauty all week in my home.

 

Plant an Herb Garden for Renewal

Having fresh herbs to cook with is such a treat. If you are thinking of planting an herb garden it doesn’t need to be large scale. Having enough fresh herbs to cook with can be as close as your windowsill. There are many windowsill herb kits to choose from and tended to well they can last for years or be transferred to outdoor pots or your garden. If you want to think in a larger scope you could always make herbs part of your landscaping, not only do they add beauty but you also have culinary herbs right in your own garden.

 

Add a Splash of Color to Your Interior for Renewal

There is nothing like a new dash of color being added to your interior design to spice up your home and give your interior a sense of renewal. Looking through design magazines or websites while we still have rain and coming up with an accent color that would brighten your interior is a fun activity. Adding a bright or even grayed color to your interior, such as plum, pink, yellow, red, or your favorite color in the way of pillows, a new rug, new tie backs, wall decor, or new dining seat covers really can renew your home’s interior and it’s fun!

 

Start a Vegetable Garden

Having fresh vegetables on hand is wonderful. From experience I know that food that kids help grow they tend to eat much better. Whether you are looking at adding an edible landscape touch to your garden, vegetable pots on your deck, or a full-scale vegetable garden, the process is fun and rewarding. Adding edible landscaping gives you the bonus of new landscaping but also landscaping you can eat. So many vegetables make for good garden accents and you can even use trellises with beans or snap peas as a divider in your garden.

Raised bed kits have really come a long way and are so easy to put together and make a vermin-proof garden nearly anywhere. Tre are even raised bed kits for decks. If space is an issue you can always buy a hydroponic vertical tower to grow your vegetables and they are even great for growing strawberries! There is nothing like getting your hands in dirt to ground you and bring down your stress this spring also.

 

Start a Walking Group

Our days are longer since daylight savings time and so there are a few good hours after work to get some walking in. A suggestion that we think fits with springtime renewal is starting a walking group either at work or in your neighborhood. It’s a great way to meet people, get exercise, and create community! Having exercise partners helps you commit to exercising on a regular basis.

Walking can be anything from a leisurely walk with a glass of wine to getting your heart pumping with some serious walking and climbing. I know a group of women who get together three times a week after work to walk their dogs and talk and it’s been a great activity, they look forward to that they started during COVID that still continues today.

 

Renew by Organizing Your Home

Doing some serious sorting of what you want to keep and what needs to go is a great spring activity. Freeing your closet of what no longer works, board games the kids no longer play, and books that have been read can free up space and also give donations to worthy causes. I think it’s more fun to gather friends together to do spring organizing, plus they may go home with some of your goodies. With friends’ part of the activity, you can tend to be more decisive about what needs to go, plus it makes it more fun!

 

Visit a Farmer’s Market

We have some amazing Farmer’s Markets in Sonoma county. I have visited the Healdsburg Farmer’s Market and they have wonderful crafts, vegetables, herbs, and foods very much from a Wine Country perspective. The Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market is one of the oldest and largest in Sonoma county and boasts just about everything from homemade paella to cut flowers, to locally grown meat to homemade jams, and about anything else you would expect to find at a Farmers’ Market. The Sebastopol Farmer’s Market has an amazing amount of produce, food, crafts and always live music and a fun atmosphere. I think it’s incredibly relaxing to bring a basket, stroll the rows, take in the fresh aromas, and listen to music and slow my life down for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday.

 

Set Up Bird Feeders

We have an amazing diversity of birds that make Sonoma county their home. From blue jays to chickadees, doves to pigeons, and an occasional chipmunk that visits our bird feeder-bird feeders are fun and bring many different kinds of birds to your garden. Bird feeders add garden interest and it’s relaxing to watch the birds flying to the feeders to scoop up their morning food.

I have a number of butterfly and hummingbird friendly bushes in my back yard but I also have a hummingbird feeder set up. If you feed hummingbirds, please use no red dye and only use plain sugar and water to feed them. Just as red dye isn’t good for us, it’s unhealthy for hummingbirds too. My hummingbird feeder is red glass so that it attracts them and I use a 1:3 ratio of water to sugar. You don’t need to boil the water, just add sugar and shake and you are good to go.

As the days get longer and the rains dissipate and we welcome spring in Sonoma county be sure to take the time to take care of you, slow life down a little, and try some of springtime renewal ideas savor your days. If you would like to free up more time to enjoy the things you love, be sure to give us a call at Crystal Clear Home at 707-827-3316 and let us do your cleaning for you.