10 Tips to get your garden and yard ready for spring
The tips below will give you a good start to making sure your garden and yard are ready for another season.
1. Pull weeds
Be sure to pull any old weeds you see from last year and any new ones that have sprouted in the cooler weather. They will be easier to pull out now while the ground is soft and before they have a chance to go to seed.
2. Prune summer-blooming flowering shrubs
The end of winter to early spring is prime time to prune shrubs that flower from late June through fall. This includes abelia, butterfly bush, beautyberry, caryopteris, clethra (summersweet), smooth hydrangea, panicle hydrangea, rose-of-sharon, St. Johnswort, crape myrtle, summer-blooming spirea, and vitex. All of these bloom on wood that grows in the current season, so there’s no danger of cutting off flower buds that formed last year. Wait until right after flowering to prune spring-blooming shrubs, such as azalea, rhododendron, weigela, lilac, forsythia, and viburnum.
3. Fertilize your soil
Once the ground is thawed, apply a granular fertilizer around trees, shrubs, and perennials.
4. Removing dead perennial leaves
If you haven't already done so, inspect your perennials for any damage or dead leaves and rake or clip off any browned foliage now. This will clear the way for new seasonal growth.
5. Inspect trees and shrubs for winter damage
Prune any dead, broken, or storm-damaged branches
6. Divide perennials
Now is a great time to divide any perennials that have gotten large and out of control. Divide right before any new growth appears. Dig and divide perennials and relocate where you want them. Be sure to relocate ASAP and water them well. The only perennials that should not be divided or moved in the spring are any that are already blooming or have buds (ex: tulips and daffodils). They should be divided and moved in the fall.
7. Remove dead and matted leaves
Remove any leaves that have blown under and around shrubs, trees, perennials, and gardens. This will allow sunlight to reach the plants.
8. Remove winter protection
As soon as the threat of frost is behind us, go ahead and remove any burlap, wraps, and other protective materials from landscape plants and garden beds. Also, remove any staking from new trees that have been in the ground for more than a year.
9. Inspect your yard
Walk around your yard and inspect it for any dead spots. Apply grass seed in any bare or dead spots.
10. Edge beds
The end of winter is a great time to cut a sharp edge along your garden beds. It keeps landscaping neat and creates a "lip" to keep mulch contained. Mulch can be applied once the soil warms up for the season.
As always, if you ever have questions or run into any issues with your landscaping or gardens, we are here to assist in any way that we can! We carry many of the tools, plants, soil, and decor to ensure your gardening experience is not only a positive one but fruitful and FUN!