The BEST Spring Gardening Tips

I don’t know about you, but spring has hit this small western Kentucky town! With daffodils, forsythia and fruit trees blooming, it heralded in the time for spring garden cleaning. No delays!

Favorite Spring Gardening Tips

Just to keep me on track, this list is helpful for me, and I thought it might be good for you, as well.

Spring Gardening Tip #1- Order Seeds

After the frost last fall, it was time for the harvesting of zinnia seeds and clearing out the zinnia beds of dead stalks.

If you need a spring planting guide for zinnias, click here.

1. If you don’t have harvested seeds, make sure that you order zinnia seeds now. Planting them will begin after the last frost in May here.
2. Create a list of other seeds/plants that you will want in each area of planters or landscape to keep you focused to create a great garden. Keep lighting, (deer resistant plants, for me), and color in mind in your plan.

3. If you are planting vegetables, don’t delay starting them with seeds in a greenhouse or indoors until weather outdoors allows for planting.

We simply began our tomatoes in red solo cups with holes in the bottom in trays inside. More economically friendly and just makes us happy to grow them from seeds.

Spring Gardening Tip #2- Prepare Gardening Tools

1. If you are growing flowers that need support from wind and rain, click here to find the nylon mesh we use to keep them growing beautifully. We simply attach one side of the mesh to our fence and add fence posts to attach the other side of the mesh keeping the structure tight. The flowers simply grow between the mesh squares to give support. Best lesson ever.

Last fall the nylon support system was carefully removed and stored for the next season.

2. Make sure that your pruners, garden tools, etc. are all in good shape or order to replace them, if needed. I love a great lightweight garden bag for pruning, leaves, etc. A good rake is important as you clean out your landscaping and around bushes. A great pair of gardening gloves, pruners, knee pads, and digging tools are your best friends. Just look over your inventory and discard what you don’t like or haven’t used and replace them with new ones.

Here are a few I use.

Spring Gardening Tip #3- Prepare your planters

1. Check your inventory of planters, empty them of soil that may be root bound or nutrient depleted, and clean and/or repaint, if needed.
2. Starting your plants with new soil is ALWAYS the best. Purchase soil that is best for the type of plants or vegetables that you are growing in each container. Go ahead and stock up so that you are ready for planting season. Soil is already readily available at your local garden stores.
3. For our raised beds, we cleaned out half of them of dirt to replenish with new nutrient rich soil to begin the season.

Spring Gardening Tip #4- Landscape Clean up

1. Now is the time when the last of the leaves are removed from the yard and landscaping beds.
2. Do a stick walk to remove sticks from the yard that will hamper lawn clean up and mowing later.
3. Removing dead bushes and replacing them is is on my list of things to do this year. Three new dog woods are being planted this week, which make my heart happy.
4. Monkey grass is always mowed over so that only new growth and clean borders happen.
5. Prune trees and bushes that are the right time to be pruned. Remember that blooms that bloom on old wood have already set blooms, such as my blue hydrangea, and pruning now would mean no blooms during the summer. Roses have been trimmed, to keep them full and round instead of long and lanky.
6. Adding new mulch to landscaped beds is always loved by our trees, bushes and flowers.
7. Consider lighting flowering trees in the spring. It’s a much loved tradition here.

Just a tip: We purchase compost at our local municipal composting in town for great mulch that adds lots of nutrients to the plants. More economical and our plants love it! Do be careful to make sure that it is screened so that you don’t have things like plastics, etc. in the mulch. If your budget allows, get the bagged mulch.

Spring Gardening Tip #5- Lawn Care Preparation

Now, if you have someone else caring for your lawn, you won’t necessarily need all of these tips, but for the DIY lawn care people like us? here you go!

1. Make sure that your lawn mower- riding and/or push mowers- are serviced and ready for the season.
2. Go ahead and fill gas containers with gas if you have storage capacity for those. That’s the way we begin each spring.
3. Make sure that blowers, weedeaters and other tools are in great working order and ready to tackle the season.
4. Consider adding grass clean up bags, garden wagons and things that make lawn care much easier.
5. Now is the time of year to make sure that sprinkler systems are working and in place if you choose those.
6. Check garden and soaker hoses and replace those that look like they are worn or leaking.
7. We add grass seed and/or products that reduce unwanted plants to our yard. Just something my husband insists on. Try and be as kind to your earth as possible in doing this. For example, look for products that remove the grubs that moles eat to send moles elsewhere and not ruin your yard.
8. Make plans for feeding existing trees and plants.
9. Think about easier ways to keep your lawn looking great.
10. Secure those to assist with lawn care NOW, if needed.

Other outdoor tips:

1. Consider porch and porch furniture clean ups as you prepare your outdoors. Here’s a few ideas here.
2. Check your perennials and prepare for their care…peonies will need future support at the right time.
3. Refresh your outside doors with a new wreath for spring. Here’s one of my favorite wreath creations.
4. Just remember that wreaths can attract bird nests, so if using a wreath, add a “fake bird’s nest” to make it look occupied.
5. Here’s an idea of a great living wreath for spring. My friend, Jennifer from Cottage on Bunker Hill always has amazing garden ideas.

And another spring hat that I love. Tammy at White Lilac Farmhouse always decorates her home beautifully.

5. Consider selecting plants in planters around doorbell cameras that don’t create motion and set it off!

6. Adding lighting outdoors is always welcoming for guests. Whether lighting trees, sidewalks or porches, it also provides more security to have areas around your home lighted.

Happy Spring Gardening preparation, friends!

I’m ready! Are you?

Til next time, thanks for joining me here!

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