10 Ways to Celebrate the 1st Day of Spring in Your Yard

The first day of Spring is here!  Here are a few suggestions to spend your time wisely while we are all staying at home.  If you have children at home, get them to help.  They can have their first Horticulture 101 class! 

1. Spring Cleaning!  Organize your Garden Tools—clean each one with a diluted bleach solution, sharpen, blades, replace any that are worn.  Check your supply of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, stakes and garden twine.
2. Make a To Do List of pruning projects and research the best time and method for pruning. Yes, a little homework !!
3. Create a cutting Garden in your existing landscape.  Try to have a least 3 or more shrubs, perennials or annuals blooming at once.  Make sure you have greenery to cut from as well—-ferns, pittosporum, and mahonia are a few examples of greenery that works with most arrangements.
4. Fertilize Evergreen Shrubs.  Right now they are beginning to push new growth and could use an extra boost.
5. Reset your Irrigation System (or put a watering plan on your calendar ) Check all heads for leaks and adjust the zone times for Spring.  If your irrigation clock has a seasonal adjust button, I recommend using this instead of manually adjusting each zone.  Be careful not to overwater.
6. Add a New Pot or Change Out one you have. Add color near a busy entry door.  Sunny—try dipladenia, plumbago, or geraniums  Shady—try impatiens, torenia, or begonias
7. Find a spot to hang a new birdhouse.  This is a great project for children to design, decorate and enjoy. Remember the peanut butter and pine cone can be used if you have some birdseed handy!!
8. Veggies!!  Nows the time to plan a few Vegetables and Herbs to grow in Pots or a raised planter.  Research a fun recipe for Salsa, Salads, or Marinara and grow your own ingredients.
9. Check worn pathways in your landscape and create a custom path using stepping stones, brick pavers, pea gravel or mulch. 
10. Decorate the Outdoors!  Add a new colorful accent pillow to your existing patio furniture, paint your patio furniture a bold yellow or blue, or hang string lights over your patio.  Have fun changing the look of your space with simple touches!!

      Stay Well & Happy Planting !!!!