Preparing For Spring

For many of us northern gardeners, preparing for the beginning of the growing season doesn't take place until March or April... there's really not much to do especially if there is a lot of snow cover.  We just have to wait until the warmer days of spring begin to melt the snow, and things start waking up.  For those of you in more moderate climates, you are probably already thinking about getting out and digging in the garden very soon.  With that in mind, lets start thinking about how to be well prepared for spring gardening.

The majority of your Spring Preparations won't even take place outside.  They'll take place inside with the help of the internet, gardening magazines and books.  You have to get ideas about what you want the outside of your home to look like.  Do you just want a small easy to maintain flower bed by your front step and nothing more?  OR, do you want a landscape that makes a statement to all who pass by?  What changes or additions do you want to make to your established and/or existing landscape? 

First you have to decide what your budget, time and abilities can manage.   If you can hire all the work out to a landscaping company, then go for it, but you'll still need to tell them what you want your landscape to look like and what you want to accomplish... in short... you need to know the types of gardens you want and where you want them.

1.  Start a Garden Scrapbook.  Whenever you see a good idea, print it off, rip it out or bookmark the idea and stick it in your scrapbook.  Have a look at Pre-Planned Gardens that gardening merchants offer.  In most cases they offer a wide selection of plants/flowers and cost savings over buying your flowers separately at a local garden centre.  This is particularly true if you're looking to start a specialty garden such as a tulip garden, butterfly and/or hummingbird garden, rose garden, shade garden, fragrant garden, cutting garden, container garden, etc.

2.  Location - Once you've got your scrapbook complete - Choose.  Take a look around your property and decide where you would like to have a show of colour.  Take stock of where the sun comes up and goes down in relation to the locations you've chosen.  Is the spot going to get morning, afternoon or only evening sunshine?  You have to choose plants that will thrive in your chosen location - remember - shade loving plants will not do their best in a hot sunny spot and sun loving plants will not do well in the shade.  Figure out how much sun the location gets and choose your plants accordingly.

OR... Choose the type of garden you like and Then place it in a location best suited for the types of flowers in that particular garden collection, ie, butterfly gardens generally have sun loving plants in their collections, so find a sunny spot to put it in.

3.  Size Matters - If you're incorporating shrubs into your flower bed, you'll have to remember to leave enough growing space around it so that it doesn't crowd out your flowers as it grows to maturity.  Similarly, if you plan to plant trees in your landscape, ensure they will not block the sun from your flower beds as they grow and mature... otherwise you'll end up changing your butterfly garden to a shade garden!

4.  Making a list - And checking it twice.   Ok, so you know what types of flower beds you want to incorporate into your yard and have an idea of the shrubs and trees you'd like to plant as well.  Now is the time to make a list of the flower garden collections, trees, shrubs, bulbs and other plant material you'd like to purchase.  Also add the number of bags of compost, topsoil and mulch  you'll need.  In most cases you'll have the prices at hand as you're compiling your scrapbook.   Add it all up and estimate how many months and/or years it will take to complete your projects.

5.  Drawing Out Your Plan.  Get out your pencil and graph paper.  Roughly sketch out your property and draw in the placement of your home, outbuildings, fences and permanent fixtures that can't be moved.  Now using the pictures and diagrams from the garden collections, sketch in the general shape of the flower gardens you want and label them with the flower garden name.  Use colouring pencils to colour in the different flowers... this will give you a semi-realistic view of what your colour scheme will look like from curbside.  It will also give you a better idea of what gardens should go in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc, should you not be able to complete your landscaping plans all in the first year.

6.  Order your garden collections from a reputable nursery.  Don't worry, they don't ship the plants until you need them in the spring.  Also, if you are planning on building any arbors, fences or hammock stands, now is the time to decide on the structure and place your order for the plans as well.  It's important to have your structure building plans well ahead of time so you can thoroughly read through them and decide if any alterations need to be made before proceeding with the actual construction.

7.  When the ground has thawed, get out there and start digging!  Make sure you measure off the size of the beds so that you don't have too large of a space for the garden you planned, or alternately, have a nice little bed all prepared, only to find it's too small for the number of plants you've ordered.  The garden size approximations are included in the details of your garden collection.

8.  Move things around if need be.  Is there already something in the spot you want your flower garden?  If you can, move it.  If there is a tree in the way, consider cutting it down.  If it's a shrub, then find another place to relocate it to, then make sure to prepared a large enough hole to transplant the shrub into Before you dig it up.   Once moved,  you can prepare a bed for the new flower garden where the shrub once resided.

9.  Transplanting - You need a well dug hole to transplant into.  Once the hole is dug and is large enough in width and depth, fill it with water and let the water soak into the ground.  Place the dug up shrub into the transplant hole, and before filling in with soil and compost, fill the hole up with water again.  Once that water has soaked into the ground halfway, fill the hole back in with a mixture of your dug soil and compost, leave a slight indentation in the soil around the base and once again, soak with water.  This will ensure enough moisture is available to help the shrub recover from the shock.  

Spring Flower Gardening Help How-To Books that will make your Spring Flower Gardening preparations so much easier!   Garden, Landscape and Project Plans Home Planners presents its most comprehensive volume of outdoor project plans ever.  These designs help transform boring yards to useful entertainment spaces, suburban wildlife sanctuaries, or serene work spaces.  A wide variety of accent projects are also included, from simple border layouts to garden shed, garage and guest-house designs.   You will also find in-depth tips and invaluable information on getting the most from your outdoor space, regardless of size.  Complete construction blueprints are available separately, as well as regional plant lists and planting instructions.  Garden, Landscape and Project Plans proves dressing up your yard is the easiest and most cost-effective way to increase the curb appeal and value of your home. Easy-Care Landscape Plans Tired of spending every weekend in a never-ending battle with weeds and crabgrass? Then this is the book for you! These plans combine design savvy and careful attention to plant selection to provide beautiful and useful outdoor living areas with a minimum of upkeep. Now you can landscape your front or backyard with professional-looking designs that are actually easy to maintain. Book of Garden Plans Good design is the key to a successful garden, but designing a garden can be an overwhelming undertaking. The Book of Garden Plans changes all that by gathering together in one place 150 of the best designs for gardens of almost every imaginable type. Whether you are looking to create a brand new garden or redesign an existing one that has grown tired, this collection of ready-made structural plans by many of today's most celebrated and innovative garden designers will be an unparalleled reference. ========================================================================= Send your sweetheart an early spring reminder of how much you care: Young Love Pink Roses - Perfectly Pink Roses Bouquet While we carry lots of colors of roses, there's just something special about pink roses. Our pink roses are perfect for both the young and the young at heart. A nice alternative to traditional red, our pink roses will dazzle you with their beautiful color. The pink roses will arrive in the bud stage, hand-tied and ready to be arranged in your favorite vase. Send pink roses fresh from the farms for a birthday, anniversary, sympathy, get well, or just because. Our bouquets consist of the freshest flowers with elegant, European styling for a sophisticated look. Your recipient is guaranteed to be impressed with our fresh-from-the-grower arrangements.