As the garden is in the dormant phase during the beginning of the year, it is a great time to prepare the earth for the growing season ahead in the spring.
Spring is the perfect time to get outside and start working on your garden. According to recent studies, gardening has numerous benefits, such as reducing stress and boosting your overall well-being. Growing your own food can also help save money and reduce your carbon footprint from the transportation emissions needed to get your food from farm to table.
To make the most of your gardening season, there are a few things you should do for your garden in the spring. Are you ready to get your hands dirty? Check out our top tips for spring gardening! #SpringGardeningTips #GardenPreparation #LushGardenGoals
This is obviously aimed at us lovely people who live in the Northern Hemisphere of this planet we call Earth.
1. Clear last season’s plants
This is the time of the year to pull out all the old plants from last year.
Cut back perennials and remove all the dead seasonal plants. Take all the dead plant matter and add it to your compost heap; this stuff is gold dust, so make sure you mulch it down to get the energy and natural fertilizers back into your earth.
Once you have cleared the earth, make sure you don’t turn it over too much. More and more evidence shows that turning the soil depletes the nutrients within the topsoil.
However, you can get a fleece barrier to cover the bare earth, which will stop weeds from germinating and cats from doing their business in your beds.
2. Fertilize your borders
When it comes to caring for your garden, one of the most important things to remember is proper fertilization. As anyone who has gardened before knows, plants need a steady supply of nutrients in order to thrive and grow.
But not all fertilizers are created equal. Many commercial fertilizers contain synthetic ingredients that can actually damage your plants over time.
The best way to organically fertilize your garden is with compost, which is made from layered organic materials like leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps.
Not only does compost provide essential nutrients for your plants, but it also helps to improve soil structure and enhance soil fertility.
On top of that, by using homemade compost instead of store-bought fertilizer, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and helping to promote sustainable agriculture practices.
Don’t waste your money on expensive composts and fertilizers for your borders. Get some good old manure and spread a thick covering over the borders of your garden – Nature will do the rest!
A combination of earthworms and rainfall will mix the manure into your topsoil, giving you enriched soil to plant new flowers into.
3. Cut back and Prune
Pruning helps shape your plants and keeps them healthy by removing dead and diseased wood. This process also promotes the growth of new branches and flowers, which should give your garden a fresh new look. For instance, pruning your Wisteria in winter will give it a chance to rejuvenate for the summer.
It is also important to prune back any winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering. By pruning them now, you will encourage new growth for next winter’s flowers. Some examples of winter/spring flowering shrubs that benefit from pruning include Kimmia x confusa ‘Kew Green’ and Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill.’
By cutting back these shrubs, you will help maintain their shape and ensure they continue to thrive year after year.
4. Clear paths and drives
As long as you have some clear weather in the winter, it’s a good chance to work up a sweat with a stiff garden brush sweeping paths and driveways. This will give you a chance to see if there is much frost damage to your pathways and what needs to be repaired in the spring.
By keeping paths and drives clear of any plant debris, you can protect your surfaces from the worst frosts.
However, don’t be tempted to make repairs before the threat of frost has completely gone.
5. Plant seeds
You can start to plant seeds indoors for the beginning of spring; this is also a way to avoid your seedlings being munched up by slugs and snails.
To protect your seedlings further, you can plant them out in heavy planters with beer traps to stop slugs and snails when they become active in early spring.
By keeping your seed trays indoors, you can spend your outdoor time clearing and raking your beds for the glory that is spring!
The one piece of advice that has stood the test of time is:
‘Gardening is all about preparation’.
Spring is the perfect time to prepare your garden for the warmer months ahead. By following these five tips, you can ensure that your garden thrives and looks its best. So, grab your gardening gloves, get outside, and start working on your green thumb. Your efforts will pay off with a beautiful and healthy garden that you can enjoy all season long!
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for freshness and consistency.
It’s ‘borders’ not ‘boarders’.