Get Your Tools in Order

When it comes to preparing your garden bed for spring, most people tend to overlook the condition of their garden tools until it’s time to actually use them. This should be the first thing you do, above all else. Over the course of winter, if they haven’t been properly cleaned, it’s easy for tools to rust among other things. Add to that a previous season’s use, and they’re likely dull as well.

Tips for maintaining your garden tools:

• Clean your tools thoroughly to remove any dirt and debris
• Check for rust and remove it using a wire brush or sandpaper
• Sharpen blades to ensure they are effective and safe to use

Always make sure to clean and, if needed, sharpen your tools first before getting to anything else. It will save you a lot of time and possibly injury.

Check Your Property Line

With all of your plants still dormant from winter, now is the best time to check the condition of any fences and gates on your property. Should anything need to be fixed, like loose nails or rusty hinges, it would be easier to do so now without any fully grown plants in the way.

Steps to inspect your property line:

• Walk the perimeter of your property
• Look for any damaged or loose fencing
• Repair or replace any faulty parts

Prepare the Soil

Before getting to the actual planting of new flowers, it’s always a good idea to prepare your garden bed soil first. What that entails is removing any debris including old mulch, dead growth, and weeds, leaving only bare soil.

Steps to prepare your soil:

• Clear out old mulch and any dead plant material
• Remove weeds to prevent competition for nutrients
• If the soil is hard and compacted, till the soil
• Add extra nutrients from compost or organic matter if needed

Spruce Up the Oldies

With everything still dormant from the winter, now is the best opportunity to prune your shrubs and trees before the new growth starts. Now would be the time to also divide your perennial plants, as they often tend to crowd each other as they grow from year to year. Have other plants to move around your garden? This is the time to do it when they are still dormant.

Tips for pruning and dividing plants:

• Prune dead or overgrown branches from shrubs and trees
• Divide perennials that have become too crowded
• Relocate any plants that need a new space in your garden

Exterminate the Pests

Like bears, any pests that frequent your garden also hibernate in the colder temperatures. These are pests such as aphids, slugs, and snails. While preparing your garden bed, make sure to eradicate any of those pests if you see them. Once they wake up, they’ll be harder to spot and find.

How to deal with garden pests:

• Look for signs of pests while cleaning your garden bed
• Use organic pest control methods to remove them
• Regularly inspect your garden for any new pest activity

Plant Your Flowers

This goes without saying, but once the garden bed has been properly prepared, it’s time to plant your new plants and flowers. Don’t forget to add new mulch afterward, it will help keep the weeds down.

Steps for planting new flowers:

• Choose plants suitable for your climate and soil
• Follow spacing guidelines to ensure healthy growth
• Water the plants thoroughly after planting
• Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds

Gardening can be an enjoyable and rewarding activity when done right. Following these gardening tips will help you prepare your garden bed for a beautiful and productive spring season.

Need help deciding what flowers to choose for your garden? We can help! Contact Mr. Lawnmower today and make your landscaping dreams a reality!