How To Ready Your Flowers and Garden for Spring

It’s mid- March, there is a light snow on the ground. Wait, isn’t it suppose to be spring?

As we all know, March can be a tough month, especially for gardeners! The mild sunny days have us anxious to get out in the garden and make the dull winter landscape crisp and green again. So what to do? Here are some tips to get your beds and gardens in tip top shape so you are ready for that first visist back to the garden center!

• Cut back any of your perennials or grasses that didn’t get trimmed in the fall and remove any dead leaves or debris covering the plant bases.
• Check on any spring bulbs- remove any winter debris that may be cvering them and check to make sure none have popped up above ground.
• Check for cracks on any pottery that you may have left out over the winter. If you see any winter damage to a favorite pot, if its not too bad or all the way through the pot- you can always put an insert pot inside and plant in that. Or – this is always fun- pick a new one! No one can ever have too many flower pots. (our opinion anyway!)
• Trim your roses! March is a great time to trim roses- before they fully flush out. Trim back any dead winter wood and remove any dead leaves/winter debris at bases of plants to avoid any rot or fungus that roses are succeptable to.
• Start fertilizing- Late march is a good time to apply some organic or slow release fertilizer.
• Mulch! After you rake up and clean out all of nature’s winter leftovers, put down some mulch. A good application of mulch will insulate your plants, hold in moisture and give you that crisp clean look that has been lacking all winter.
• Think about your flower pots- check the soil levels and condition. Freshen up the existing soil with some granular fertilizer so your soil is nutrient rich when you go to plant. If you need to replace the soil or fill new pots, now is a good time to do it. Fill the pots 3/4 of the way full if you are filling it with smaller bedding plants or about half full if you plan to pot up larger diameter pieces. You’ll have more room in your car for flowers come May if you get the soil out of the way! And really, who doesn’t want more flowers?
• Plant spring bloomers: Pansies, violas, primrose and ranuculous are just a few early spring flowers that will liven up your garden and transition you to your summer flowers.
• Houseplants- March is a great month to replant any of those winter neglected houseplants. Replant with a good soilless mix and light fertilizer.

Doesn’t sound so hard, does it? Just wait for those rising temperatures and sunny days and get out there and tackle that garden! You and your plants will be happy you did.

For any assistance in your preparation, give Country Greenery a call, 609-465-2694, or stop in for a visit. We’d love to see you.