“Spring is Nature’s way of saying “Let’s Party!” Robin Williams
Just like every season, spring comes with its own specific needs. If you are an avid gardener, you are most likely excited about the arrival of spring and can’t wait to get started with working in your garden to see what it has in store after its long winter sleep!
Spring literally breathes new life into the world around us. As your garden gets ready to wake up, you know the time has come to give it some TLC! So let’s get started!
If it is early spring, the first thing to do is look around to see if you can spot some color. Next, prepare the beds.
Get rid of that winter mulch
Clean up that winter mulch and apply fresh mulch. If you are wondering why, it is because it will save you the weeding when summer arrives. Apply fertilizer over your beds and borders. Don’t forget your fruit trees. If the winter mulch appears well-composted, how about starting a compost bin if you don’t have one?
Get your gardening tools ready
Spring is the ideal time to ensure your garden tools are in top shape. If they need to be repaired or if you need new ones, take action now.
“Spring is when life’s alive in everything” – Christina Rossetti
Trim those fruit trees
If you have fruit trees in your garden, you’ll want to trim them before the buds start bursting forth to blossom, as you don’t want to stress your trees out forcing them to stop blooming, and that’s not a good thing!
While you are at it, prune your early blooming shrubs, especially forsythia and viburnum, as soon as the blooms are spent. This is also a good time to prune your roses.
Maintenance
Have stonework in your garden? Look for frost heaves. Give your deck the once-over for any repairs and attend to them right away.
Time to seed
Spring is a great time for new plants, now that the frost has disappeared and this means sturdy trees, shrubs, annuals and summer bulbs. Now is the time to plant those veggies, preferably tough ones. Plants that do well in cool weather are onions, carrots, chives, artichokes, peas, radish, Swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and potatoes. You might want to plant some calendula, hydrangeas and pansies for a splash of bright color.
For plants that can be damaged by wind, stake them to protect them – you don’t want your hard work to go waste!
Pack away the feeders!
It is time to say bye-bye to the birds, so take those feeders down, clean them and store them away as you won’t need them before fall!
As spring progresses, walk around your garden to check for deadhead bulbs and remove them. Let the rest of the plant be. If some branches are too thick, trim to thin them out to breathe new life into older plants. Look for weeds and pull them out from the beds and the borders before they get a stronghold over your garden.
Have a lawn? Or planning one?
Lawns are beautiful and a joy to spend those spring evenings with your loved ones. If you do not have a lawn, spring is perfect to start one from seed. If you already have a lawn, you might need to mow it, but don’t cut the grass too short initially!
These are general spring garden/lawn care tips. Go by the climate where you live to decide when the ground is ready for work. And don’t forget to enjoy spring and take pictures!
Got a tip to add? Would love to hear it in the comments!
Fantastic post, Vidya! Great tips 🙂 Thanks for sharing!