Do you regularly wash your house windows? I have to admit – I’ve never.

I’ve tried but it gets overwhelming fast. But I am all inspired to try again with some new cleaning products that I’m trying out (I’ll get back to that). But let’s talk about all the reasons why I should be cleaning them much more than have – because, garden.

I used to work at an interior plant company. Interior plant people carry light meters like regular plant people carry hand pruners. We walk around office buildings measuring lumens in the corners of cubicles to see if you are lucky enough to allow a fiddle leaf fig. Or (more likely) we figure out if your dank corner is too dark so you have to get a snake plant.

I recall a colleague from that job who had washed all the windows in her house over a spring weekend. Brilliantly, she had the thought to measure the difference in the obvious amount of new light that streamed through the clean windows. I wish I could recall the actual #’s – but what sticks with me years later was that the difference was huge. I’m sure her windows were at least as dirty as mine and cleaning actually upgraded her interior plant options. Measurable lumens. (who knew it could make sure a difference!?!).

PRO TIP #1:

If you have houseplants, wash your windows… the grime that builds up really does make a difference to the amount of much needed light that comes in. And even if you don’t have interior plants… the light is good for you too! This spring, I’m taking my own advice – I can’t wait to see the difference.

THE GARDEN DESIGN 101

And here is another window related garden design tip for you. If you are trying to figure out a plan for your garden, start with the windows of your house.
Any basic garden design instruction should guide pay attention to the windows.

When you start out with planning, typically you would draw the outline of your house to scale (a birds eye view).  Always marking all the windows and doors.  The grid method – which I teach in my garden design course  helps you to get the position of garden features in the right place.  If you use a grid to line up and scale garden elements to main features of your house (like doors and windows), you guanrantee that you end up with beautiful balanced views from the most import viewing points of the garden – the inside your windows.  And there is a bonus to this method. Your house will look good from outside as well (since this leads you to design features that are in proportion to the lines of your home). Genius right?

Plus, if you keep your windows clean, well, then you are in garden heaven…both inside and out.

Are you spring cleaning? I’m busy both inside and out. I’m clearing garden leaves and debris as fast I can so that new shoots will get the light and air they need. I’m also de-cluttering, getting rid of old furniture, purging closets, painting, disinfecting laundry machines, and getting ready for the house painters that arrive later this spring. What is on your spring cleaning list?

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