From Mélie’s Garden
I always think of March as the beginning of the gardening calendar. Winter pruning chores should be completed, and flower beds are cleared of last year’s growth to make way for this year’s garden. Bulbs will be starting to emerge and you can see the buds starting to swell on trees.
This winter I came across three bookmarks from the American Horticultural Society. They were marked Spring, Summer, and Fall. Each one had five seasonal gardening tips printed on them that I find will be helpful to remember.
Five Tips for Spring Planting and Cleaning Up
- Tag whatever you plant. Even gardeners forget!
- Do a soil test to figure out if any amendments are needed.
- Refresh potting mix in your containers before planting.
- Divide perennials if they are overgrown and share with friends.
- Cut back dead parts of perennials and shrubs to make room for new growth.
Five Tips for Summer Watering
- Use mulch to hold moisture and reduce weeds.
- Weed regularly as weeds steal water and nutrients from other plants.
- Use soaker hoses instead of sprinklers to waste less water and avoid diseases.
- Keep newly installed plants well watered through dry spells.
- Set up rain barrels to collect water for use in your garden.
Five Tips for Getting Your Garden Ready for Fall
- Prune away diseased or dead branches from trees and shrubs.
- Replace declining summer annuals with cool-season ones.
- Tag plants you want to divide in the spring. Think ahead to avoid confusion!
- Plant spring flowering bulbs before the ground freezes in temperate regions.
- Shop for woody plants and perennials to fill empty spots.
I think these gardening tips are a helpful guide to remember. You can add chores that might be necessary for you to do on your own property as well and you will be off to a good 2023 gardening year!
