Angie Hicks
| Tribune News Service
Spring is the perfect time to reset your outdoor space and give your garden some much-needed attention. A little planning and preparation now can result in beautiful blooms for the rest of the year.
I recommend starting by assessing the current state of your garden and tidying up where possible. If you covered your plants in the winter months, uncover them and inspect them for damage. Remove old plants, mulch and any weeds that have already popped up. This is also a good time to test the pH of your soil, so you can make adjustments if necessary.
Once your garden is cleaned up and you know what you’re working with, you can start to plan your spring gardening projects. Luckily, spring is the ideal time to plant most plants, so you have an endless number of choices. If you haven’t already, I recommend looking up your USDA hardiness zone. Knowing your hardiness zone will help you choose plants that will work best in your area. You should also determine how much sun your garden receives, so you can pick plants that will thrive in your space.
Try to plant large plants like trees, bushes, and shrubs first, and then move on to smaller plants like flowers. Once you’ve added all your plants, add some mulch to your garden to prevent weeds and keep your garden as healthy as possible.
Make sure you grade the mulch away from your house to direct rainwater away from your home and promote proper drainage. Water is your home’s worst enemy, so now is also a good time to clean your gutters and ensure your downspouts are clear and ready to direct rainwater away from your home and garden. If you aren’t able (or just don’t have the time) to refresh your garden yourself, bring in a landscaping pro to do it for you.
To make the most of your efforts, you should keep a close eye on your garden for the next few months to make sure everything is healthy and growing properly. Keep your plants well-hydrated (but don’t drown them!) and keep the area surrounding the new plants weed-free. If you want to take it a step further, you can also add other features to your garden, like path lights or a birdbath. This will elevate the space and put the finishing touches on your new-and-improved garden.
If you don’t already have a garden, spring is the perfect time to create one. Find an area in your yard that gets a lot of sun and map out the space to determine where to put your garden. I recommend hiring a pro to remove the grass and get your soil ready for plants. Once the prep work is done, you can move on to the fun part — designing your brand-new garden and choosing your first plants.
Tweet your home care questions with #AskingAngi and we’ll try to answer them in a future column.
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