If there ever was a time to look forward, it is now.
To that end, I am offering you some "jobs" that need to be done before the growing part can start!
My Spring To Do List!
- Clean out the pots! Seedlings for this year are coming up.
- Trim Bushes
- Check Foundation Beds
- Select the flowers and vegetables that I want to grow this year.
- Make sure I have all the necessities (to avoid frustration)
- Plant, Mark and Place in the Sun
- Watch patiently as Mother Nature does her magic!
This is Just the Beginning, Now Let's Get Started!
While your pots are air drying, get outside and check out how the garden fared through the winter months. It's a good time to pull back any debris that you did not remove in the fall.(See #3) Now BEWARE, you should check your own climate to make sure that no further hard frosts will happen. Be ready to cover young growth in case of really cold nights that might still happen.
2. Before the weather gets really warm, you can trim some of your flowering bushes! Again, be knowledgeable you don't want to trim those bushes that will flower early in the spring, especially lilacs and forsythias. If you trim these in the spring, you will likely lose all the flowers for that year. A rule of thumb to follow for good results is this: If it flowers in early spring (lilacs, forsythia, azaleas and such) do not prune until after they have flowered for this year. If the bushes flower later in the year, early spring is a good time to trim and resize. These bushes will have plenty of time to set buds for this coming 2020 season. The Farmer's Almanac is a good guide just click on the link: When to Prune Shrubs
3. Your pots are drying and you are doing a foundation check. It's a great time to look at the flower beds, see what is sprouting already and gently pulling back on the ground cover (leaves) that you put there in the fall. Look for bees that are coming out of dormancy and leave them some mulch to use as blankets at night when it's still cool.
4. When you have done all this cleaning and spotting what's new in the garden, you just might need a little rest. All work and no fun is not a good way to garden. The Fun comes from checking out all the seed catalogs for new and exciting plants you want to try to grow for this year.
There are numerous garden centers that offer seeds and you should check out your local growers/suppliers for their catalog. If you don't have any local suppliers, you can try Veseys, Dominion Seed House and many, many more. The Spruce offers 60 free seed catalogs where you can either get a hard copy catalog or view it online.
5. What are the necessities? Well, you are going to need fresh garden or potting soil. If you are doing seeds, then a good seeding mix would be a good idea. You have your clean pots and hopefully you have some old saucers or containers to use for catch trays (please make sure these are clean as well)
You need the seeds, so hopefully you have had some time to check out what's new for the gardens this year. Or maybe you have kept seeds from last years harvest. Good for you!
Clean tools are also needed. You don't want to spoil all the hard work you have done, by plunging a dirty trowel into your newly cleaned pots.
6. Plant markers, unless you are a master gardener and can spot a bean sprout from a pepper sprout, then marking your seedlings is a must. Maybe you are trying a new variety and want to log it's growth and more, then plant markers are a must! Even for flowers, I find that I can't rely on my memory to tell me what I planted in which pot. (Brain Fog comes to me naturally, so I rely on my markers) These can be home made by cutting up white plastic and using a waterproof marker to label the pots. If you are creative there are many other ways to make some really nice markers. I've included a video here! Making Garden Markers
7. Now you can sit back and relax, watch a video or two, and dream. Hopefully there are some nice sunny days coming your way. Find a nice little sheltered spot where the sun shines and just sit back and let your body get it's quota of Vitamin D.
Now it's time to order whatever it is you still need to get those seedlings started. New soil is the Number 1 item that should be on your list and if you are a Prime Member, you will get it tomorrow.....
This is my favorite potting medium and I get free shipping with my Prime Membership. Miracle Gro has been around for years and it has a 5 star rating, do I know it's a good choice. I still don't like having to lug these bags of soil around, so shopping online is the way I get mine. It comes to my door and that makes me very happy. My garden this year will be off to a great start. Join me!
I just bought some Miracle Grow potting soil and a new planter pot to transplant my Peace Lily which has outgrown it's original pot. Now waiting for a good weather day to do this messy chore outside. :) I used to garden, but don't do so anymore. But do have this one indoor plant I'd like to keep going.
ReplyDeleteRe-potting it will definitely help. Fresh ground will also make it really happy. Peace lilies are wonderful house plants that don't require a whole lot of light, so they work nicely in a dark corner. It's the right time to re-pot as well. Have fun!
DeleteI am not a big gardener...but I do love to plant flowers in pots around the deck. Thanks for all you tips. I had no idea I should empty and clean the pots from the year before.
ReplyDeleteFresh ground is always a good way to start off your pots. I know people who are a little more frugal than I, that will mix 1/2 new soil to last years. I always worry about garden pests that over winter and can bring blight to this years new plants.
DeleteI checked my garden beds yesterday. It was the first sunny day in a long time. One thing we are allowed to do while confined is go outside and work in our gardens! I didn't realize I could buy potting soil with Prime shipping. Amazon appears to be out of the other things I need right now.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a great time to get outside our own homes. The chores need to be done, so we might as well do them now, when there is little else we can do. Our gardens will benefit and so will we in the long run.
DeleteGardening is definitely a great way to spend a few days in the sun, especially while we are still experiencing mild weather. Thanks for all of the reminders of what we should, or could, be doing.
ReplyDeleteThere is always something that could be done in the garden and with our curtailed activities with all the panic surrounding us, we might as well relax, enjoy the sunshine and get some chores done too.
DeleteGreat tips! I'm especially participating in watching gardening videos and relaxing. I find some of the best tips for specific plants in videos.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many really good gardening videos out there. Every gardener I know can learn something new or how to do something better. There is never an end date for learning all there is to know about plants and what they like.
ReplyDeleteThis is a timely post. When I get home, I'll be outside doing a lot of yard work. I'm looking forward to it. Trimming and cleaning and fresh air - I'm so looking forward to it. Thanks for the this.
ReplyDelete