57 In Gardening

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

Spring is the season of hope and growth. You begin dreaming of the beautiful blooms that are to come. You start to see those first signs of green after a long winter. During the first few weeks of spring, there are measures you can take to encourage a successful gardening season. March is the month of preparation and planning. 

This week, we are expecting at least 18 inches of snow to fall in Massachusetts. It's hard to have patience when the ground is completely covered and you can't see all of your pretty spring bulbs. I'm focusing on the fact that this will all change very shortly. In the meantime, there are seeds to be planted, tools to be cleaned and visions to be mapped out. This is a great time to shop, beat the rush and start gathering your supplies. It's never fun to be looking for what you need when everything is picked over.

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

Start Seeds Indoors: If you are planning to grow tomatoes, peppers or eggplants from seed, this is the time to get them planted! Place your seeds under a grow light and watch them begin to sprout. When It comes to flowers, I like to start snapdragons, impatiens and salvia. If you are looking to start your herb garden, sage and parsley are my favorites seeds to start in March. 

Other Flowers You Can Sow: aster, calendula, cleome, coleus, coreopsis, geranium, pansy, petunia, sweet william, viola

Other Vegetables You Can Sow: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, leeks, head lettuce, melon, onions, spinach, winter squash

Other Herbs You Can Sow: basil, lemon balm, oregano, rosemary, thyme

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

Clean Gardening Tools: Gather up all of your favorite gardening tools and give them a good cleaning! It is also important to sharpen pruning tools before you start to put them back to use. Trust me, this will make your everyday gardening tasks so much easier!

Prune Shrubs & Trees: Now is the time to prune your fruit trees. It's best to do this on a dry day. Make sure to cut away any suckers, dead branches or diseased parts you can spot. Check on shrubs and do the same. Any damaged areas should be taken care of now. It is also important to get out there and prune any dead or diseased canes you see on your rose bushes. It's helpful to remember any everbearing fruit bushes should not be pruned now, but it is okay to prune raspberry bushes. 

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

Clean Up Around Spring Bulbs: Once the snow finally clears, it's time to remove any debris covering your bulbs. Cut back last year's perennials and ornamental grasses. Sometimes critters will move my bulbs around and loosen them a bit. I always take my hand shovel and lightly replant them in the ground if this is the case.

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

Plan Out Spring Containers: Spring containers are like a breath of fresh air after the dismal winter season. I like to sit down and plan out what I am going to plant. Hanging planter and window boxes are so much fun to design and put together! I love how they provide a pop of color and bring life back to your yard. Now is a good time to go to the store and look for some containers that are on sale before the rush. I also keep an eye out for shepherds hooks being sold for a good price. I try to get everything in place and thriving before Easter!

Perfect For Spring Containers: pansies, violas, kale, lobelia, bacopa 

Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

Amend & Prepare: Before your final frost date hits, it's the perfect time to plan out what you envision for future harvests. If you are going to plant different crops, make a list of the varieties you are looking to purchase. Map out where you want to plant them. If you plant the same crops year to year, this is the perfect time to rotate your crops. Some garden pests do overwinter in soil, and if you don't want any of the same problems, it's always best to change it up a bit. Once the soil thaws, you can start to amend your soil. Add nutrients like aged manure, worm castings or even bat guano. This step taken now will ensure healthy and happy crops all season!

Begin Planting Outdoors: Depending in your location and weather conditions, the end of March can be the perfect time to get planting! In my area, my final frost date is late April. If you live in an area like this, cold frames and covered garden beds are necessary. Crops that can be planted in a cold frame include beets, collard greens, carrots, kale, parsnips, Swiss chard and turnips. Again, it's always better to wait, so I always hold off until I'm sure these crops can thrive. 

 Set Up Your Spring Garden for Success | angiethefreckledrose.com

What are you most excited about this spring? Are you starting a new garden project this year, or maybe even attending a fun home & garden show? Tell me all about it in the comment section below. Don't forget to check back on March 28 for a new edition of Tuesdays In The Garden. We will be talking all about spring crops! See you then!

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Tuesdays In The Garden

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, we will be sharing a themed Tuesday In The Garden post! We will be covering seasonal crops, herb gardening, growing flowers, DIY projects, garden gifts, harvesting tips, preserving, garden to table recipes and so much more. You can check out each of our posts to help you get inspired and give you some creative new ideas. Take a look at these great posts below!


Spring is the season of hope and growth. You begin dreaming of the beautiful blooms that are to come. You start to see those first signs of green after a long winter. During the first few weeks of spring, there are measures you can take to encourage a successful gardening season. March is the month of preparation and planning.

 

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57 Comments

  • Reply
    JES
    March 20, 2017 at 6:23 am

    Good morning! Just a little note to let you know that we have *FEATURED* this post today on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! Thank you for joining us! We hope to have you link up this week! 🙂

  • Reply
    Gentle Joy Photography
    March 19, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    Such beautiful pictures and good reminders about all the chores to do for gardening. Thank you.

  • Reply
    Fiona Cambouropoulos
    March 19, 2017 at 7:14 pm

    Lovely spring colours in that first photo

  • Reply
    Katy SkipTheBag
    March 18, 2017 at 10:06 am

    You photos are so beautiful. Hopefully you hadn’t’ got too much started before these most recent storms! Thanks for sharing on the #wastelesswednesday blog hop!

  • Reply
    Amanda Nel
    March 17, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    We are preparing for autumn but I love your spring ideas. I am so excited to see that my orchids is showing her first 2 blooms!

  • Reply
    anvita
    March 17, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    As much as I would love to spend time gardening, I have been caught up in other things off late. However this spring and summer I was to make sure I pursue it.

  • Reply
    Amanda | Maple Alps
    March 17, 2017 at 1:36 pm

    This was helpful! I’m hoping that our garden works out this year! It’s still snowing!

  • Reply
    Carol
    March 17, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    Beautiful post Angie!

  • Reply
    Michelle @ramblingwoods..
    March 17, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    We have about 3 feet of snow. I want to be able to start plants indoors…a project for hubby I think.. I just noticed your photo on the sidebar.. You are so pretty with a wonderful smile …..Michelle

  • Reply
    Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardnening
    March 17, 2017 at 1:03 pm

    Wonderful post Angie with some very helpful information! We got the same storm, but fortunately the four inches of snow we initially received quickly turned to sleet and rain. Now it is just plain cold, but hopefully springlike temperatures will come our way soon. Seeing your spring container just makes me want to run right out to the local nursery and get my violas, and the nursery just happens to be re-opening tomorrow! Hope you weathered the storm alright and I guess for now we can just keep dreaming of spring.

  • Reply
    Lecy | A Simpler Grace
    March 17, 2017 at 10:50 am

    Sounds like you are an avid gardener! I want to get out in the dirt so badly, but we still have six inches of snow on the ground. I will be starting my seeds soon and can’t wait to plant them. 🙂

  • Reply
    Sincerely Miss J
    March 17, 2017 at 8:37 am

    I am so excited for Spring! And these flowers will make a great addition to my garden!
    Hope it stops snowing soon so I can start planting. 🙂

    Sincerely Miss J
    http://www.sincerelymissj.com

  • Reply
    Tamar Strauss-Benjamin
    March 17, 2017 at 5:09 am

    Yay for spring and new life growing! Except here were is keeps snowing!

  • Reply
    lex
    March 17, 2017 at 3:16 am

    great images to follow a good post, unfortunately for me, the weather over there isnt the same as the weather over here in my country. but never the less i love the fact that i have been exposed to new stuffs on your blog. you write so well and am glad i came through..

  • Reply
    Berniedette of PetiteAndToned.com
    March 17, 2017 at 2:05 am

    These are great tips, Angie! I never knew that some seeds should be started indoors! I don’t have a garden because I live in a condo, but I think I do some something small scale like herbs!

    xoxo,
    Berniedette | http://www.petiteandtoned.com

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