10 Essential Steps to Prepare Your Yard for Spring: A Guide to Yard Cleanup and Flower Preparation

Spring is just around the corner, and it's time to prepare your yard for the vibrant blooms of the season. 

As the snow melts away and the days get longer, your garden awaits a rejuvenation after the winter slumber. 

To ensure your yard is ready to burst with color and life, here are 10 essential steps to focus on yard cleanup and prepare for spring and summer flowers, including perennials and annuals.

10 Steps to Prepare Your Yard for Spring

1. Clear Away Debris: Start by giving your yard a thorough cleanup. Remove fallen branches, dead leaves, and other debris accumulated over the winter months. This step not only enhances the aesthetics of your yard but also helps prevent pests and diseases.

2. Inspect and Prune: Look closely at your trees, shrubs, and perennial plants. Trim back any dead or damaged branches to encourage healthy growth. Pruning also stimulates flowering in many plants, so don't be afraid to trim where necessary.

3. Prepare the Soil: Good soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. Turn over the soil in your flower beds to loosen it up and remove any weeds or old plant debris. Consider adding organic matter such as compost or aged manure to enrich the soil and provide essential nutrients for your plants.

4. Divide Perennials: Periodic division rejuvenates perennial flowers and promotes better growth and flowering. Spring is an ideal time to divide overcrowded clumps of perennials such as irises, hostas, and daylilies. Replant the divided sections in your garden or share them with friends and neighbors.

5. Inspect Bulbs: If you planted bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, or hyacinths in the fall, now is the time to check on them. Look for signs of growth and remove any debris covering the emerging shoots. Consider adding a layer of mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds around the bulb beds.

6. Plan and Plant Annuals: Annual flowers add instant color and variety to your garden. Research which annuals thrive in your climate and soil conditions, and plan your flower beds accordingly. Consider factors such as sunlight exposure, water requirements, and bloom times to create a harmonious display throughout the season.

7. Prep Flower Beds: Before planting annuals or transplanting seedlings, prepare your flower beds by amending the soil and adding any necessary fertilizers or soil amendments. Remove weeds and cultivate the soil to create a loose, well-draining planting environment.

8. Start Seeds Indoors: For certain annuals and vegetables, starting seeds indoors can give you a head start on the growing season. Invest in some seed trays, potting soil, and grow lights, and begin sowing seeds for flowers such as marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos. Transplant the seedlings outdoors once the danger of frost has passed.

9. Plan for Pollinators: Remember the pollinators as you design your flower beds! Choose various flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Incorporate native plants and flowers with different shapes and colors to provide pollinators a diverse and inviting habitat.

10. Mulch and Water: Finally, after all your hard work, mulch your flower beds to help conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Water newly planted flowers thoroughly, especially during dry spells, to help them establish strong root systems.

By following these 10 steps, you'll be well on your way to a vibrant and flourishing garden that will delight you throughout the spring and summer months. With proper yard cleanup, soil preparation, and thoughtful plant selection, your outdoor space will become a haven for colorful blooms and buzzing pollinators. So roll up your sleeves, grab your gardening tools, and let the beauty of spring unfold in your yard!

ReviewThisReviews Gardening Guru:

Check out Raintree Annie's informative articles for more tips and advice on yards and gardens. She's always very helpful - You can scroll through many of them here.

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An Easy Tip to Help Keep the Trees on Your Property Healthy - A Personal Review

Our Backyard Trees - Kept Healthy with this Easy Tip

About ten years ago, while visiting a client, I had to know how in the world they were able to get the massive trees on their property to stay so healthy and look so beautiful.

He pointed to the neighbors trees across the street and said, 'when we first purchased this house, these trees looked just like those'. And 'Those' weren't very nice at all. 

I asked him, 'what did you do?'

Here's the tip he passed along to me, and we've been using it ever since for the trees in our yard.

He said, every spring and fall, we put Evergreen Fertilizer Spikes around all of our trees.

'That's it?' I asked.

He was adamant, 'yep, just put them in and forget it'.

'How long before you saw results?' 

He said it was by next year that the trees had a new life.

Our Home Has so Many Trees, I Had to Try This Product

When we purchased our home over 20 years ago we hand planted over 50 Cedar Trees in our

A Closer Look at the Health of Our Trees

from Implementing this One Tip

backyard, and in the front yard put a Blue Spruce, a Birch Tree and an English Oak Tree, along with shrubs.

As the years went on I noticed that the cedar trees in the backyard were looking a little rough, and knowing that sparse Cedar Trees aren't attractive, an immediate solution was in order.

For some reason my mind believed that caring for trees would be complicated. Wow, was I wrong!

I highly recommend using Fertilizer Spikes to care for your trees. Our experience has been fantastic.

Not being a tree expert in any way shape or form, I simply had to trust that this product would do the job.

You can find Fertilizer Spikes at just about any hardware store or The Home Depot or of course, online. 

I'm not fussy on any particular brand. The only thing I look for, for our trees, are spikes that say 'Evergreen'. There are various fertilizer spikes for different types of trees and shrubs. Just pick the ones you need based on your trees/shrubs.

This year I added another fertilizer spike to the mix, one that was for both Evergreens and Flowering Shrubs.

How Do You Put Fertilizer Spikes in the Ground?

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. That's how :)

The ones I buy come twelve in a pack, with two plastic tops to use to hammer them in the ground.

It's like making Elephant Pudding (tee hee, an old elephant joke) - simply follow the directions on the package.

I use three boxes, that's 36 spikes for the backyard, and this year I used 30 spikes for the front yard. Some of the front yard spikes were for flowering shrubs.

Also, they say to use the spikes for spring and fall and I've only ever put them in the ground in the spring. However, I think this year I'll put them in the ground again in the fall.

I've put some of the product choices below, but as mentioned above, I'm not dedicated to a particular brand. Each year I just grab whatever is on the shelf at the local hardware store. I have used both brands featured below, and both were fine. I don't have a preference.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Spring Flowers and Plants Reviewed

Snowdrop Flower (Galanthus)

As the snow and ice start to melt, our hearts and minds yearn for spring and the beauty of spring flowers and plants.  Those of us who love to garden can hardly wait to be able to get outside and work in our flower beds.  To clean out the residual winter debris, to plant new flowers, to fertilize, and to just be able to breathe in that fabulous spring air that seems to cleanse our lungs of stale indoor recirculated air with each deep breath.

My mind is planning and my fingers are twitching to get to work as I look out my kitchen window.  My flower pots and beds are summoning me even as I write this article.  I can hardly wait to be greeted by the face of my most beautiful iris and to touch to fragile petals of my tulips.  Oh, truly the daffodils are calling from beneath the ice covered ground.

Can you hear the awakening of spring?  Do you long for the beauty of blooming gardens?  Then lets take a moment to plan, order and prepare for the glorious rebirth of nature just outside our doors.

Flowers to Plant in Spring

Many of our early spring flowers come from bulbs that would have been planted back in the fall.  However, there are a few that we can plant in early spring. 

• Pansy ~ The flower with a face is such a lovely addition to any garden.  It is perfect for flower beds and container gardening.
• Hydrangea ~ The hydrangea bush is a pretty big bush with beautiful large blooms that are actually clusters of tiny flowers.  They can be planted in early spring or early fall.  You will find planting instructions, care suggestions, as well as see a selection of hydrangeas at How to Grow Hydrangeas.
• Azaleas ~ Beauty and charm are the two word that come to mind when I think of Azaleas.  Having grown up in the South, Azaleas are simply part of my everyday world.  To such a degree, they are easy to take for granted.  You can learn all about proper care of Azaleas in this video on Southern Living.

Spring Plants

A spring garden would not be complete without those fabulous plants that often serve as background for our flowering plants.  The greenery in a garden is essential, but there are a few plants that truly stand out all on their own.

Lambs Ear Plant

• Lamb's Ear ~ Silver Carpet Lambs Ear is one of my personal favorites.  It is appropriately named because it feels like a little lambs ear when we touch it.  It is a very resilient plant that allows even small children to touch and feel.  The beauty of this plant far exceeds it's visual appeal. They flourish in many regions.

 

Spring Floral Arrangements

Part of the beauty of having you own flower garden is being able to step into your own backyard, cut a few flowers and make your own floral assorted arrangement to bring inside.  I typically like to do this when my flowers are fully bloomed, or right before a storm when I know the blooms will be shattered.

I recently discovered an article of inspiration on "Accenting Your Easter Bouquet with Dark-Hued Flowers".  Since I love "black" flowers, the ideas and suggestions in this article very much appeal to me.  I normally place a black flower in a single bud vase, but I was intrigued by the author of this article, Paula Atwell and I asked myself "why not include them in a bouquet?!!"


That is one of the things I love most about working online.  There are so many great ideas shared by fellow online writers that encourage, inspire, excite and teach freely.

Do you have an article about Spring Flowers that you would like to share?  Please leave the link in our guestbook below so we can visit your Spring Flowers article today.

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