Written By: Edi Pettegrew
Spring gardening is one of the most exciting times of the year. Gardening is about layers of effort in anticipation of beautiful things to come. When I plan, prep and plant my garden I use these five spring gardening tips to set myself up for success.
Tip 1: Know Your Land
This sounds easier than it is. But spending time and energy learning the sun exposure, what wild critters you have, growing season, and understanding soil composition will inform your planning and purchases for years to come. Another must know is your garden zone. Getting to know your garden space can take a few seasons so be patient!
Tip 2: Plan Your Garden
In March and April, I grab my garden planner and write everything down. Writing down my plan is a crucial part of the process because I always reference past years when I look to the future. In essence I’m keeping a written log of my garden’s story year after year.
Tip 3: Start Simple and Smart
It’s easy to overdo it in the garden department so start simple. Perhaps you start with a simple salsa garden, or grow only herbs. Understanding the yield of your crops is handy too. For instance, knowing one zucchini plant can produce nearly 10 pounds of crop may inform your decision to plan it. Another element to consider is what grows best in your garden zone. Always remember that less is probably more when it comes to gardening.
Tip 4: Feed Your Soil
To yield the healthiest crop possible watering your plants and feeding your soil should be at the top of the list. We have a small but robust kitchen garden so we don’t see the need to have a full-size compost pile. But we do compost certain kitchen scraps like coffee grounds and dried egg shells to feed our soil. Creating organic forms of food for garden veggies will give you peace of mind and is typically very inexpensive. Once I shifted my mindset to feeding my soil rather than my plants, I got much wiser. As you plant, I recommend that you also begin to create a garden maintenance game plan.
Tip 5: Self Care for the Garden and You
Without the right garden maintenance habits, it’s easy for it to take a back seat come July. I’ve found the best way to have long term garden success is to set aside 20-30 minutes everyday to walk the garden, water the plants, spread compost, check the critter deterrents and just enjoy being outside. Some evenings I’ll listen to a podcast, other mornings I’ll just listen to the birds chirp. By carving out time everyday throughout the growing season, I’m able to ensure the stewardship of my investment.
Gardening is one of the joys the warmer months of the year gives us. Studies say it’s a great way to destress and relax. You can read more about my gardening journey here. As you plan your garden this season I hope these spring gardening tips guide your thinking. More than that though I hope they allow you to fully embrace the joy of your garden.
About Pine Daisy House:
Edi lives in a modern cabin on a small slice of alpine forest in Colorado. A self-proclaimed planner lover, Edi designs and writes planner inserts called Intentional Living Tools. They are designed to create more freedom and less stress in your home. Follow along with her Intentional Living adventures at Pine Daisy House.
As a special gift to our readers enjoy 10% off Your Garden Planner, along with anything else in her Etsy shop using the code GETINTENTIONAL.
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