Over time, gardens and flower beds can become a little bit messy and overgrown. Even if you are giving them the time and attention that they deserve, plants can quickly grow too large for the space where they are located. This is especially true with perennials that keep coming back year after year.

A lot of times, your tastes may also change. The plants that you loved four or five years ago may not give you the same joy that they did when you first put them in.

Fortunately, redoing a garden or flower bed is easier than you might think. That means that you can quickly revamp your outdoor area to make it look neater, tidier, and more in line with your current tastes. If you are ready to get started, jump right in with these five tips:

1. Come up with a plan. Before you do anything, you need to spend some time planning how you want your finished garden to look. If you take a willy-nilly approach to this process, you won’t get the results that you want. Start by looking at photos of gardens in magazines and online. Cut out or bookmark your favorites. Once you have quite a few photos set aside, determine exactly what it is that you like about each one. Try to incorporate those ideas into your new space. Draw everything out on paper ahead of time, figuring out exactly how you want to lay out the space.

2. Evaluate what you already have. Make a list of all of the perennials or shrubs that you currently have growing in your garden. Take a look at each item, deciding whether it is something that you want to keep or something that you want to get rid of. Base your decision on how well the plant does in your growing environment, how much you like it, and how suitable it is for your new gardening plan.

3. Determine what you will need to buy. The next step is to figure out which plants and accessories you need to buy to complete your vision. Now that you know what you already have, it should be a relatively easy process to fill in the rest. Make a shopping list that includes everything from bedding plants to gardening tools and accessories.

4. Gather all of your supplies. The next step is to go to a nursery or garden center to buy everything that you need. Usually, it is best to get it all in one trip. Bring along help if you need it, depending on how much you are buying.

5. Plant your new garden. Begin by digging up all of your old plants. Place them in containers so that they can be replanted again or given away. Turn the soil and add compost or fertilizer as needed. Finish by placing all of your new and old plants back in your garden, following the design that you came up with in the first step.

Redoing a garden or flower bed is a fairly straightforward process. Just make sure to put enough time into the planning process so that your new garden perfectly matches the vision that you have in your head.