Gardening: Pre-Spring Chores

In the next few weeks, I want you to think about something: It's time to prepare for your growing season!

For the gardeners out there, I'm sure you're itching to move forward and start working in your yard again. Just think... in just over a month, you can start planting the spring plants.

But before all of that, there are some things each of us should be doing to prepare. In my opinion, you should take some time to walk around your yard. Take a look at how your plants have handled the winter. Think about where you want to add new plants - both annuals and perennials.

Get creative... do you normally go to a garden center and purchase plants? What if you changed that this year and bought SEEDS? Seed planting is much more economical than purchasing plants. And when it comes to disease, I've had more success with my seed-plants over those that I purchased from a nursery.

I'm not trying to gripe about nurseries... I still purchase from them. But if you can think of an area that could benefit from seeds, particularly annual flowers, now is the time to think about that. Obviously, don't plant the seeds yet... but when you do, it's very easy, and like I said, very successful. You'll reap what you sow!

If you have ornamental grasses, you should cut them back about 3 inches. If you have perennials that have died off, you should cut them back to the their base. For example, lantana is a perennial. I cut mine back every year and they flourish.

It's time to prune your trees. Take a look at how your trees are sprouting. Do you have limbs that you know won't be good for your tree or the surrounding environment? Get rid of them. How about your bushes? Do the same...

Mulch... we discussed it below. Now, think about how much you have and what you might need to add/replace. In the south, we should have at least 2 inches of mulch to protect the temperature of the soil. Mulch decomposes significantly during the winter months. Make sure your plans include to replace what is lost.

It's a good thing to make sure you take inventory of your yard prior to Spring. In an upcoming blog, I'm going to tackle an important task: Lawnmower and power equipment Maintenance!