Spring is all around me as I walk through my yard. I look at the many plants stretching their leaves to the sky, starving for sunshine. I am witnessing the rebirth of last year's perennials and wonder what flower bed to clear first and ready for this summer's plantings. I know what not to plant by last year's failures and what always grows even if I don't water and fertilize enough. Maybe I'll get a new gate, a fruit tree or add another bird bath near my outdoor dining room. I always wanted a fire pit for hot dogs and a hammock under the aspen tree for my Sunday, late afternoon naps.
A garden is an expression unique to each individual and similar to a signature. Some days my writing flows and my signature looks like a gliding bird held up in the air by a soft breeze. And, some days I write my signature like a scribble without any patience or grace. The pointe is, make your garden reflect what your feeling and create a space for respite and an ecscape from what every day daily life brings you.
The following tips helped me prepare my garden and I hope help you with yours!
- Do you want new beds? If so, lay out newspaper 5 or 6 sheets deep, then add several inches of compost over the top. This kills existing vegetation by smothering it. Four months later, you can dig it up to work the compost into the soil. No sod removal is necessary.
- Shop for seeds online, (Order early for best selection. If you snooze, you'll lose) Fred Meyer or your local drug store carry some good seed to help you get started.
- Assess soil. Buy a soil test kit or have soil tested. Most county extension services can test your garden soil (Olympia Farmers Market has a WSU Extension/Olympia Master Gardeners) or recommend labs if they don't. Healthy soil is essential to a productive plant, so it pays to test especially if your results were unimpressive last year. Call to find out what you need to do and how long it will take, then plan accordingly.
- Check shrubs and woody plants. What needs pruning? For early spring bloomers like forsythia, prune promptly after flowering is complete.
- Fruit trees need to be pruned before they begin to blossom if you didn't get to it while the trees were dormant. If they blossom, it's best to wait until winter rolls around again. (It's okay to prune dead wood.)
- Do you have a lot of perennials? Do any of them need to be moved? Spring is the time to transplant divisions or move plants around. If you have friends who are gardeners, it's a good time to arrange trades.
- Check your tools. Clean and sharpen blades on hand tools. Have mower serviced if you didn't do it in the fall before you put them away. Budget for new tools or replacements now.
- While you're at it, organize the garden shed. Clean, sterilize, and organize terracotta pots, planters, and starter trays. Sterilize using a bleach and water solution of 1 part bleach to ten parts water. Rinse thoroughly, then dry.
- Clean and repair outdoor furniture. It may be too cold to paint unless you've got a basement or heated and ventilated work area, but at least they will be ready when the weather warms.
- If you haven't broken the chemical habit, make sure you check any old chemicals you might have. Before you discard, check with your county or city waste management office for guidance on recycling or disposing of any hazardous chemicals.
- Provide or build gardening supports for peonies, tomatoes, peas, beans, and squash. Supporting flowers with heavy heads prevents breakage. Growing vegetables vertically saves space and prevents bugs and slugs from gnashing on your veggies.
- Sow seeds in starter trays according to package instructions and the last frost date for your area.
Don't get anxious and start working in the garden too early. The soil needs to be damp but not soggy or sticky. If you take a handful of soil and make a ball, it should fall apart easily when you open your hand. Also, setting out plants prematurely often results in discouraging losses. Planning and getting ready to go saves time and money you'll want to spend on cool new plants and tools.
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