Can’t you just feel it in the air? As the days get longer and the weather warmer, we can tell that spring is just around the corner. And if you’ve got a Denver landscape design featuring a garden on your home or property, then this warmer weather also means that you need to get to work. Preparing your garden for spring and summer is essential if you want a beautiful, healthy, and thriving garden for the year to come.
If you prepare properly with enough time and resources, crafting a beautiful garden design this year is easier than you might even expect. Here, we’re taking a closer look at preparing your garden for the spring season and offering some practical tips to help you create the most beautiful array of color and life this year.
What Can a Garden Add to Your Spring Landscape Design?
When working on your landscape design (or envisioning a future one for a new home or property), you should certainly consider implementing a garden of some variety. Gardens certainly look beautiful and add unique colors with bursting flower buds that are perfect for the spring season. But there are many other reasons why you should have a garden as part of your landscape design.
Just take a look:
· Grow organic and healthy food for your family.
· A garden can inspire your children and build community with friends and neighbors.
· Create a food source for local birds, insects, and critters.
· Using native plants can create a sustainable habitat for local wildlife.
· Studies show that gardening can improve your mood and mental health.
· Attract pollinators that are vital for local ecosystems.
· Gardening is fun, light exercise, and a great way to spend more time outdoors.
6 Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Spring This Year
If you have a garden as part of your landscape design (or hoping to add one), then you need to make sure you’re ready for spring, warmer weather, and all the environmental changes that come with this new time of the year. Curious as to how you can be garden-ready come warmer weather? Take a look at some of our simple tips to help you prepare.
1. Spring cleaning for your garden.
Before you start digging and planting, you should first start out with a little bit of spring cleaning in your outdoor space. Clear out anything that stands between you and the bare, fresh soil. Any organic matter, like old leaves or fruit or vegetables can be added to your compost pile. With weeds (which you certainly want to clear out ASAP) you need to be a bit more careful with disposal. Burn them or trash them but be careful adding them to the compost as they may still germinate and then compete with your other plants.
2. Prune your trees and shrubs.
Late winter into early spring is the ideal time to prune back all your trees and shrubs in your Colorado landscape. Why is this? Because without the leaves, you can easily see the branch structure to help you make important pruning decisions. It also helps to prune before the bud breaks dormancy and the plant begins investing energy in sprouting green leaves. Use a clean rag and isopropyl alcohol to sterilize your pruning shears before you get to cutting. This will help to prevent the risk of spreading any diseases or fungi that could go on to infect additional plants.
3. Prep your soil.
When the frost has melted away, it’s time to begin working that soil in your garden beds. Loosen up your soil by tilling or turning it to allow oxygen to work into that compacted soil. Then you can add any needed compost or amendments to ensure that your soil has the ideal pH level and amount of nutrients.
4. New planters and garden beds.
If you don’t already have existing ones, now is the time to build or install some new garden beds throughout your landscape design. You can also set up your planters in the perfect design for that perfect look you want this year.
5. Get planting early.
With some plants or produce, you can begin planting at the end of winter and early spring. Hardy vegetables, such as onions and potatoes, may be ready to go already this time of the year. Some plants and flowers you can begin indoors and then move them outside once the weather warms up a bit.
6. Clean up that shed.
Are you afraid of going back into that messy shed after a long winter? If so, you’re not alone. But organizing and cleaning up your shed now will save you a lot of time and headaches in the spring. Take a look at your gardening tools as well and provide some simple maintenance by sharpening your blades and oiling any hinges. Also take stock as to your current gardening supplies. What are you low on? What are you well stocked on? Save yourself multiple trips to the store by assessing early.
Conclusion – 6 Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Spring
Spring is a time of excitement as the weather begins to warm, our days get longer, and most of us simply can’t resist the temptation to spend more time outdoors. After a long winter, don’t you deserve a little fun in the sun? One of the best ways to spend time outdoors with your Colorado landscape is by implanting a beautiful garden design for your outdoor space. Large or small with native flowers or local vegetables, a garden can be the perfect centerpiece for your landscape design and can even make you healthier and happier. A chicken flock is also a great addition to your backyard. They can liven up your garden and give you fresh, tasty eggs all summer. You can also compost their manure and source it as fertilizer to enrich your soil.
But to have that perfect spring and summer garden, you need to get started with your prep early. Be sure that you prune your trees and shrubs, remove dead organic materials, plant early, and finally get that messy shed in order. For the poultry, prepare feeders, poultry netting or fencing, litter, and other essential supplies. By preparing early for your spring garden, you’ll be sure to have a beautiful garden as the summer comes around.
