One minute the garden’s been ignored all winter, the next you’re looking at green slime on the patio, branches that didn’t survive the storms, and a lawn that feels more sponge than grass. It’s tempting to dive straight into planting or mowing, but that usually just adds frustration.

The easiest way to get a garden back under control is to deal with it in the same order winter messed it up: clean first, cut back second, then prepare for growth.

Before anything else, it’s worth clearing away the dirt and grime that’s built up over the colder months. Patios, paths, decking, and driveways tend to collect algae and moss over winter, especially after long spells of rain.

Aside from looking rough, those surfaces can be slippery and awkward to work around, so getting them clean early makes everything else easier.

For most gardens, an electric pressure washer is more than capable of handling this. Patios, paving slabs, fences, and garden furniture don’t need industrial power, just consistent pressure and the right attachments. A mid-range electric model is usually quicker and far less hassle than dragging out a petrol machine for occasional cleaning.

If you’ve got a larger driveway or heavy build-up from years of neglect, a higher-powered washer will speed things up, but there’s no need to overcomplicate it for typical spring cleaning.

The aim here isn’t perfection. It’s removing the slippery layer and seeing what condition everything’s actually in.

Once everything’s clean enough to assess properly, the next jobs tend to make themselves obvious. Fallen branches, overgrown shrubs, hedges that quietly doubled in size over winter.

This is where many people underestimate how much easier the job becomes with the right cutting tool.

For most home gardens, electric or battery chainsaws are ideal for pruning, cutting back storm damage, and tidying up trees and hedges. 

They’re lighter, quieter and far more manageable than full petrol saws, which makes them far less intimidating for general garden use.

Petrol chainsaws still have their place, particularly for thicker timber or heavier workloads, but most homeowners don’t need that level of power for spring tidy-ups. If you’re mainly cutting branches, trimming back growth or chopping logs for a fire pit, a lighter chainsaw will do the job comfortably.

If a chainsaw feels like overkill, it’s often because people picture forestry work. Garden pruning is a very different task.

Lawns take a battering over winter. Compacted soil, moss, and dead grass build up quietly while growth slows to a crawl.

If your lawn feels spongy underfoot or looks patchy, scarifying can make a big difference. Removing moss and thatch allows air, water, and nutrients back into the soil, giving grass a better chance once temperatures rise.

Not every lawn needs scarifying every year, but if moss has taken over, doing it early in spring gives the best results. It’s not the prettiest process, but it’s one of the most effective resets you can give a tired lawn.

Once you know which jobs you’re tackling, choosing the right tool becomes far less confusing.

If you’re unsure about power levels, noise or whether electric or petrol is the better fit, we go into that properly in guides like Which Pressure Washer Do I Need for My Garden? and Choosing the Right Chainsaw for Garden Work. They’re designed to help you match tools to real jobs, not just specs on a page.

You can also browse the full Hyundai range of pressure washers, chainsaws, and garden equipment, all built with UK gardens and conditions in mind.