Ah, spring! ‘Tis the season to wake up your garden to a new growing adventure. Spring has a lot of lovely blossoms and surprises in store. That's why gardening enthusiasts love this time of year.
To get the best of this season, shake the long numbing-cold winter off and put the eager gardener in you to work.
Yard Tasks
First things first. Complete the following checklist of tasks that need your attention:
1. Clean up the yard.
Do a general clean by removing leaves and other debris from your lawn, taking note of areas that need reseeding. Remove overhanging tree limbs (especially those that are near structures like greenhouses).
If you have perennials from last year, cut down foliage and reserve it for your compost bin. Divide clumped perennials for later replanting or sharing with friends. You can also start fixing fences, gates and trellis so you’ll have more time focusing on your plants after tidying up.
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2. Wash and maintain your garden tools.
Your tools might need a brush up too after months of non-use and hiding in the garden shed. Shears and hand pruners may have accumulated dirt that, if left unwashed, could infect your newly-pruned plants. Almost all tools are easier to work with when cleaned and sharpened so take the time to hone those spades, trowels and apply lubricating oil like WD40.
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3. Prune shrubs and trees.
If you haven’t got around to pruning your trees before or during winter, now is the best time to do so. Remove damaged, dead, or diseased branches from plants. But take note of whether a certain plant is best pruned before spring growth or right after flowering. Fruit tree pruning is best done in late winter or early spring. Thin dead foliage too before new growth begins and thinning becomes difficult.
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4. Track down garden pests.
Slugs, snails, aphids and larvae may have been sheltering in the crowns or flip sides of your plants for the winter. Go after these hibernating pests before gardening in more plants. There’s a slew of pest control materials and methods to choose from but best to start with more natural means like homemade remedies or beneficial insects that will prey on the harmful ones.
5. Prepare the beds and reinvigorate the soil.
It’s a lot easier now to pull out weeds, so go through and rake any mulch on garden beds left over from winter. But how will you know if your soil is ready for gardening since winter weather takes a hard toll on garden soil? An easy guide is to grab a handful of soil, squeeze it tightly, then open your fist.
The soil should crumble instead of forming clumps. Take a soil test for pH level if necessary and enrich accordingly: add dolomitic lime to raise pH or sulphur to lower pH. Add in some compost or well-rotted manure too, using a spading fork to mix in everything perfectly well.
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Getting Into Planting
So everything is cleaned, treated and in order. So it’s time to get digging, right? To give you some planting design ideas and tips, here are some of the viable plants to grow in your garden this season.
Spring Flowers
Bulbs
Spring-planted bulbs are some of the most scenic and colourful garden flowers. Make sure not to cut off their leaves when they have finished flowering.
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Tulip, Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Dahlia, Lily, Amaryllis
Shrubs
Some of these bushes have more visual impact than pretty flowers and produce blooms that are fragrant. Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowering.
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Rhododendron, Camellia, Viburnum, Forsythia, Lilac, Azalea
Blossom Trees
Deciduous as they may be, these trees give a year-round delight starting of course with dream-like blooms during spring.
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Snowy Mespilus, Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Pyrus, Flowering Dogwood, Cherry Tree
Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash
Vegetables
Garden vegetables are usually planted when the soil is warm but March can be a great time to plant cool-season vegetables that can withstand the last frost days of the month. You may opt to plant these vegetables directly in the soil, or underneath a row cover, or in containers. For a continual harvest, plant several varieties each.
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Lettuce, Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli, Turnips, Radish, Cucumber, Onions
Herbs
Lend your springtime recipes with the unmistakable flavours and fragrance of herbs this season.
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Chives, Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, Basil, Mint
Fruits
Fresh fruits abound all-year-round but knowing and eating the kind of fruits that grow in a particular season give you a more nutritional edge. Spring-bearing fruits include:
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Avocados, Blueberries, Lemons, Pineapple, Apricot, Strawberries, Kiwi
Shrubs and Trees
Woody plants like trees and shrubs add character and practical use in any landscape.
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Holly, Yew, Field Maple, Juniper, Sweet Briar, Boxwood, Woolly Willow
Spring highlights a variety of garden plants but you can always choose to plant perennials or your personal pick. Simply make your spring gardening inspirational and very soon you’ll enjoy the “fruits” of your labour.
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