Prepare now to maximize your outdoor time this spring

Spring is right around the corner. Maybe you are ready for blooming flowers and warmer weather, but is your garden ready for spring? Here are three tips to prepare for spring gardening, and they fall into three categories: put in order, plan, and prep.
 

1. Get your stuff together. You can’t cook in a messy kitchen, so why garden from an untidy shed, overgrown bed, or messy lawn?

• Pick up and organize your shed now to maximize your time later. Make sure you know where each tool belongs and that it has a home.
• Take some time to clear old limbs, pull up old, dead plants and aerate the soil in your beds. Check on your perennials. Prune them at their given time and give them the care they need. Clean up your lawn and garden area before planting day.

 

2. Everything in life goes smoother when you plan. Take time now to decide which plants you want to grow this year.

• Is your garden going to be more flowers or vegetables? Annuals or perennials? In the ground or raised beds? Take a few minutes now to create a plan to make planting easier on you.
• ap out your beds and decide where each type of plant will be planted. One thing that needs to be planned is spacing out perennials. These plants that return each year need ample room to grow and thrive. Spread them throughout the garden so they get enough nutrients and water and won’t compete with each other.

3. Prepare yourself and your tools.

• Start now by preparing your knees and joints for the upcoming months of gardening. Without properly stretching beforehand, you could really hurt yourself the first few weeks up and down off the ground.
• For your tools, take these last few rainy days to sharpen your blades, oil the hinges and replace old and unusable tools. A garden is best cared for when you have the right tools on hand and they work every time.

 
Taking care of yourself as well as your tools, shed, and garden area will ensure you are ready when spring gets here. Add these few preparations to your to-do list now to make the whole season smoother and more fruitful. Happy planting!