The Spring Spruce-Up: 6 Ways to Refresh Your Outdoors

After that quick taste of spring—sunshine, warm breezes, and the urge to get outside—we started tossing around ideas for easy ways to freshen up the yard (even if we’re back to jackets for now). It's the perfect time of year to dream up small, doable projects that make your home feel brighter and more welcoming.

Here are a few easy ideas to help refresh your outdoor space so you’re ready when the warm weather finally decides to stick around.

1. Add Raised Garden Beds

On a trip to the Silos by Magnolia in Waco, TX, we were inspired by Joanna Gaines’s beautiful gardens. Tucked behind the Silos was a storybook greenhouse, raised garden beds framed by flowers, and inviting walking paths.

That visit inspired us to recreate a little of that charm at home, starting with our raised garden beds. We now use them to grow vegetables and herbs, and we’ve added flowers around the edges for a pop of color and a touch of that Magnolia magic. Beyond their beauty, raised beds have plenty of practical benefits: they offer better soil drainage, help keep weeds under control, and make gardening easier on your back and knees. They also warm up faster in the spring, so you can start planting earlier. Whether you’re new to gardening or have been at it for years, raised beds are a simple way to create a practical and pretty garden.

2. Install Window or Deck Flower Boxes

One of our favorite details from our trip to Magnolia in Waco was the beautiful flower boxes outside the Silos Baking Co. We stood next to them while waiting in line for some of the bakery’s famous treats—the cinnamon rolls and Silo cookies were worth every minute. The pretty pink blooms added welcoming charm and inspired us to build some for our deck.

Flower boxes are a simple way to add color and character to your home, whether mounted under windows, along a railing, or on a porch ledge. Mix trailing plants like sweet potato vine or ivy with colorful annuals like petunias, geraniums, or calibrachoa. Keep things cohesive with a single color palette, or go bold with a bright mix.

3. Install a Bird Feeder Post

This year, one of our in-progress projects is a cedar post we’re building to hold bird feeders and hanging plants. Inspired by this Pinterest pin, we were drawn to combining function and beauty—something simple we could make to bring life and movement to the yard.

We plan to place it in a peaceful corner of the yard where we can enjoy the flutter and song of chickadees, goldfinches, cardinals, and other neighborhood birds throughout the day.

Inviting birds into your yard helps control pests, supports pollination, and creates a relaxing, nature-filled environment. Designing a feeder post also allows you to personalize it—you can add arms for multiple feeders and hooks for planters.

4. Refresh Your Deck

As we start thinking about pulling out the patio furniture or spending more time outside, the deck tends to draw a little extra attention. After a long winter, it’s not uncommon to spot things like peeling stain, wobbly boards, or hardware that’s seen better days.

Even small touch-ups—like resealing, staining, painting, replacing a few boards, or giving it a good clean—can refresh the whole space. And if a bigger update feels like the right move, you might consider replacing the railings or reimagining the layout to better fit how you use the space.

5. Paint Your Front Door and/or Shutters

A fresh coat of paint on your front door or shutters can go a long way in making your home feel more put together. It’s a small project, but it adds personality and can enhance your home’s overall look.

We painted our front door in our favorite color, Iron Ore—a deep, almost black charcoal—inside and out. We love how it adds just the right amount of contrast without feeling too harsh.

Turns out, our choice might have been a smart one. A Zillow analysis found that homes with black front doors sold for over $6,000 more than expected, on average. While black (or almost-black) is a timeless option, it really comes down to what suits your style and space. Whether you go bold or stick with something classic, a little paint can make a big impact.

6. Organize Your Garage

Spring is a great time to bring some order to the garage. Built-in shelves, wall-mounted hooks, and simple storage solutions can make a big difference—especially if your garage doubles as a workshop, she-shed, mudroom, or catch-all for seasonal gear. A little organization makes finding things easier and frees up space for your projects and hobbies.

Ready for Spring?

Whether growing something new, adding a pop of color, tidying things up, or just getting your outdoor space back in shape, even minor updates can go a long way this time of year. If you’re kicking around exterior finishing ideas or thinking about tackling a project, we’d love to help.