Seeing those little green tips peeking out of the ground inspires an onslaught of excitement. Who’s not ready to soak up some greatly missed sunshine, warmer temps and literally getting your hands dirty?! Because of the intensity of my general excitement for all things outside, it can quickly turn overwhelming.
And knowing what to do first can sometimes be difficult to determine….this is when I turn to a good old fashioned garden chore list, to not only gather my ideas together, but to prioritize them. Here’s what I’ve come up with thus far:
Pull winter weeds (yes, unfortunately this is a real thing)
Rotate/check compost bin
Take advantage of mulch sales – Go ahead a take advantage of these opportunities, but don’t worry about getting your mulch down and spread just yet. Give the soil some more time to warm up!
Edge bed lines (or extend and perhaps expand those beds?!)
Over seed lawn
Plant spring cool season veggies (carrots, beets, radishes, greens etc. – link for more information about direct sowing)
Plan where to extend or fill in garden beds (this a good one!)
Check staked plants/re-stake
Clean out inner dead from arborvitae – this may seem rather specific, but it will help keep pests down and promote more vigorous spring new growth.
Tidy up perennials – lightly cut back lavender
Cut down ornamental grasses
Get your Irrigation systems up and running – usually just takes a phone call to get things going 614-268-3444
It’s worth the time to list out all your garden thoughts and potential projects beforehand to avoid starting multiple projects and then never finishing and to simply be more efficient. We never have all the time we’d like to devote to our landscapes, but having set priorities, you’re more liking to accomplish them from start to finish. And get more done!
Happy Gardening!
Written by Kate Wilson
