To me, the very best thing about springtime is seeing the flowers push their way through the soil. Whether they're scattered at random, aligned in neat rows, or haphazardly bursting with splashes of colors, garden flowers will always brighten a day.
It might seem like it's too soon to prep your garden for springtime, but this interim before true winter ends and springtime begins can be very productive if you use it right! Some crucial preparation can be done during these times when we're all antsy to don a sunhat and shorts and get out there in the dirt. The same goes for the autumn, but that's for future-you to worry about!
These 10 ways to prepare your garden beds for springtime will make the gardening process much smoother and enjoyable come the warmer weather. Depending on where you live, the timing will vary a bit from task to task. In general, though, these tasks are to be done in that time right before it gets warm enough to actually plant your flowers. Check in with your local forecasts!
I really can't wait to see the gardens blooming left and right, and I can't wait to see all that hard work for the perfect garden pay off!
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Thumbnail source: Wikimedia Commons / Beit Itzhak Archive
1. Plan A New Layout
The end of winter is a great time to get started on a whole new layout for your flowerbeds, and possibly even plan on where a brand new one might go. The flowerbeds where you plant annuals will be ready for some new life in no time!
2. Organize Your Garden Shed
There's nothing quite so daunting as opening up your garden shed and seeing what a mess you made for yourself at the end of last summer. Instead of cleaning it up all in a hurry, get going bit by bit before it gets too hot. Then, by the time you need it, it's ready to go!
3. Plant Seeds That Need A Longer Time To Grow
Geraniums, begonias, and peppers, for example, all need a longer time to grow, so you can get planting before spring even comes around.
You'll need a warm place to grow them, like this heated propagator that you can keep in your windowsill. You can get them going as early as January, but check out what's best for each particular plant.
4. Clear Away Your Flowerbeds
All that debris from fall, along with the dead branches and brush from the flowers and shrubs from last summer will need serious trimming after a long winter.
Get in there early so you can have a head start when the weather warms up. Tall grasses, butterfly bushes, and many other perennial plants will need a good trim.
5. Order Your Summer Bulbs
If you live in a warmer area, you can plant your summer-blooming bulbs like dahlias or calla lilies in the early spring. If you live in a colder area, you'll need to wait until you're sure it's not going to get too cold again, so probably mid-spring. The tail end of winter, though, is a great time to order your summer bulbs ahead of time, so you'll be sure to have them when the weather finally gives you the nod to put them into the soil.
Just don't jump the gun with planting — you wouldn't want your bulbs to freeze!
6. Clean Your Tools
Gardening tools get pretty dirty, and they'll need a good cleaning. Use soap and water for the metal tools, and treat wooden handles with mineral spirits to prevent splintering. This is also a great time to retire tools that have seen far better days, and make a list of what you need to replace before spring comes.
7. Prepare Your Soil
Depending on where you live and what kind of soil you have, you'll need to prepare it differently. However, testing it for things like pH levels, tossing in some fertilizer, and giving it a good tilling will usually be good enough if you've grown in that particular spot before.
Compost or manure should be added a couple of weeks before planting so it has time to settle.
8. Move Plants Around
If the placement of a shrub planted by the previous owner of your home has been driving you nuts, or if you just made a poor decision last year, now's the time to move it!
Make sure you dig it up with enough space to get all of the roots, and transplant it before it starts to bloom at the start of spring. Make sure to give it plenty of water after the big move!
9. Repaint Your Fences And Trellises
Before all the flowers are in full bloom, give your fences and trellises a new layer of stain or paint. The fresh coat will make your flourishing garden look even better come spring and summer — and you won't have to trample your garden later in the process!
10. Scan For Pests Early
The best time to catch pests is before they take over entirely with an infestation. You can usually catch some hibernating in the wintertime and get rid of them before they are able to cause a huge problem come springtime.
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