With the long, dark, and cold winter hopefully behind us, we’re all ready to welcome warmer afternoons, brighter days, and colourful flowers. Whether it's through enjoying a nature walk in a local park, bonding with your family over a picnic in the backyard, or stepping outside to put your green thumbs to work, embracing this lovely change is definitely a rejuvenating experience.
While there are tons of activities you can enjoy to get into the feels of spring, this article will focus on all the tips and tricks to help transform your winterised garden into a beautiful spring oasis that will bloom throughout the season!
Start with Spring Cleaning
Before you start digging up the soil to plant your seeds and bulbs, clearing out the flower beds to create a clean canvas for your spring planting is an essential step. Some of the basic steps include:
Remove winter mulch and any other winter protection (such as windscreens, burlap wraps, plant cones, etc.) you may have added.
Pull out dead annuals, like begonias, petunias, and marigolds, that only thrive for a year and will not grow back after winter.
Rake up sticks, dead leaves, and branches.
Extract existing weeds so your plants have to face lesser competition for nutrients, sunlight, and moisture.
Cut back dried foliage and grass.
Tune Up Your Tools
Credit: Lowes
Giving your tools a quick checkup in the weather transition period can save you time later. Think of surveying everything you’ll need for spring gardening. Sharpen loppers and shears, file shovels and spades, and set up your garden hose or rain barrels. In case this is your first growing season, channelling some of your excitement by investing in the must-have tools for gardening can be a great retail relief that will benefit you for years.
Prune Trees and Shrubs
Since it may be hard to remember which plants to prune in early spring, we’ve compiled a quick list to help you out.
Prune rose bushes
Trim ornamental grasses
Cut back deciduous trees
Train and prune fruit trees
Neaten herbs like oregano, rosemary, and sage
Choose a Lovely Spring Colour Palette
Credit: Shepherd House Garden
Spring is all about exuberant, bold hues that soothe the eyes and set the mood. When choosing a colour palette for your garden, a good rule of thumb is to mix and match different shades. Pastel colours, like pink and lavender, paired with white, can create a classic look. Frame your entryway with them and see how your front door gives a laid-back and relaxed spring vibe.
If you want to keep a monochromatic colour scheme, try integrating different shades of the same tone or maintain the same hue with different foliage sizes and shapes. For more plant and colour variety, you can employ an idea like choosing two adjacent colours (such as red and orange) paired with complementary hues, such as green and purple, in this case.
Remember, strategically using colours is one of the smart design ideas that help make the most of your limited garden space!
Plant Fragrant Flowers
Fragrant flowers and spring go hand-in-hand. Peony, mock orange, dianthus, common lilac, and star magnolia are some common options you can choose from. Whichever choice you opt for, make sure to place your favourite picks on a well-travelled path or near an open window so you don’t miss out!
FAQs
Now that you’re familiar with how to plan and plant a spring garden beautifully, it’s time to hop onto some frequently asked questions to clear out any leftover confusion.
How to Take Care of the Garden Once Planted and Prepared?
Check the health of your plants. Fully inspect all plants to ensure they are pest and rot-free.
Look out for destructive bugs. Insects like gnats, aphids, and whiteflies should be eliminated with appropriate pesticides.
Water properly. Overwatering can result in leaf spots, fungi growth, and unhealthy plants, while underwatering causes the leaves to curl up, and the plant eventually dies. The trick is to keep your lawn well-watered and give the soil time to dry to avoid oversaturation.
Treat the soil. Soil needs to be refreshed every so often. Once done, add fertilisers and mulch to enhance the soil's moisture and nutrients.
How to Arrange Spring Flowers in the Garden?
When layering the garden bed, consider planting tall shrubs in the back row, medium-sized perennials in the middle row, and a low-growing mix of vibrant perennials and annuals in the front row. Such alignment will offer maximum visual appeal and coherence once the flowers are fully mature.
Conclusion
Once you’ve tackled the aforementioned checklist, you’ll have all the planning and prepping essentials required to get out there and enjoy the lovely and inviting vibes of this beautiful season with an inviting and aesthetic garden. After all, the early bird gets the worm — and in this case, beautiful blooms and a delicious harvest, too!
Looking for some personalised guidance on how plan and set up your garden for spring? Chat with one of our Landscape Design Gurus for expert ideas, tips, and advice!