Get Your Spring Garden Sprung!
This year, the month of March has tricked us (several times) into thinking spring has officially arrived before it’s expected due date. A sunny day here and there can really get your excitement going, making you antsy to clear away downed branches, dig out your gardening gloves, and plant some new life into your winter-laden flowerbeds. Before we get ahead of ourselves and dream of planting geraniums, cardinals, and marigolds galore, there are a few things that need to be prepared in the garden to ensure a successful spring bloom.
As the saying goes, “timing is everything”. Depending on your location and climate, spring gardening kick-offs vary. If you, like us, are located in Connecticut or New York, then mid-April or May is a good starting point. Most importantly, you want to be sure that your starting point takes place after the last frost of the winter, or your garden might be in jeopardy.
Behind every beautiful flower is a rich pot of soil. In order for your plants to reach their full growth potential, make sure the soil they are planted in is rich in nutrients. A good way to test this is simply by picking up a fist-full of soil –if the soil sticks together like gooey clay, it is not ready to be planted in. If, however, the soil crumbles in your hand, then it’s a sign that you are ready to begin adding compost and manure to further nourish your plants. Also, be aware that different plants thrive in varying types of soil. Depending on the plants you are choosing for your garden, you may need to select particular types of compost and manure to best suit your blooms.
The grass is always greener… After several months of being trapped under winter snow, your lawn has surely become a vast brown eyesore spanning the length of your entire property. Not to worry! You can start the process of re-greening your lawn by raking away all the dead growth, stray leaves, and various winter build-up that has accumulated over the past few months. This will allow sunlight and air to reach the soil directly, prompting new grass to start growing.
Protect your flowerbeds! Now that you’ve got your lawn sprouting new blades of grass, it is important to set boundaries for its growth. Grass will easily creep into flowerbeds during the beginning of spring gardening season, so build a thick trench between flowerbeds and the lawn to prevent any unwanted spreading. This process should be repeated three or four times throughout the season to avoid any long-term overgrowth.
No spring gardening session is complete without a few weeds. Be sure to start keeping an eye out for them, and if you spot any, don’t be afraid to yank them out right away! Weeds are much easier to remove when their roots are shallow and they have little hold on the ground. A little work here and there means a lot less work in the long-run.
At this point, you’ve surely accumulated a hefty pile of yard debris—another hindrance in the re-beautification of your garden. To get it all hauled away in an environmentally-friendly manner, contact The Junkluggers at 1-888-LUG-JUNK and let our guys do all the work while you sit back, relax, and watch your garden grow.