1. Make a Spring Inspection
Walk around your gardens with a notebook in hand. Check for the beds that you need to clean out, for snow and ice damage on plants, and for shifted or rotted hardscaping. Note deer or rodent damage to woody plants. It's a good idea to look for new animal burrows from nuisance wildlife like skunks or rabbits. Prioritize your list and copy it into a garden journal—experienced gardeners understand the importance of recording what is happening in their gardens each season. You may want to repair damaged hardscaping such as broken fences, trellises, and raised beds first while your plants are still dormant. Spring is the best time to build new raised beds.
2. Stretch
After your initial inspection of the garden you may be tempted to rush outside and start raking, but muscles that you haven't used since last fall will be aching for days. Stretch before you work! While gardening, stop periodically and do some simple exercises. Hoeing, digging, and raking can cause shoulder pain. Try shoulder shrugs: raise your shoulders slowly toward your ears, hold and slowly release. Do this exercise three or four times with a few seconds rest between repetitions. Do not bend over to plant or weed -- get down on your hands and knees to avoid lower back problems. An excellent exercise in this position is the cat stretch: raise your stomach and back into an arch like a cat waking from a nap. At the same time lower your head and tuck your chin towards your chest. Do this exercise slowly and rest between repetitions. Using a trowel or pruners can stress your hands and wrists. Let your wrists go limp then rotate them in one direction then the other. Shake them out to get the circulation going. Spread out your fingers and make circles with your thumbs, then touch your thumb to each finger in turn.
3. Clean and Sharpen Tools
Take the time now to clean, sharpen, and oil your tools. Fill your wheelbarrow tires with air, sharpen your lawnmower blades, and service your mower.
4. Prune (Some) Shrubs
Get out your newly sharpened pruners and begin by removing any dead or damaged wood from your shrubs. You may shape up your evergreens such as boxwood and arborvitae if you wish. At this time, prune shrubs that bloom on new growth, such as panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata). Roses also bloom on new growth—wait, however, to prune them until after their buds begin to swell to avoid damage from a late frost. Do not prune spring flowering shrubs like azalea, forsythia, and lilac or you will risk cutting off this year's flower buds. Prune them after they have finished flowering.
5. Clean Out Your Garden Beds
Clean the plant debris out of your beds: remove fallen branches, matted down leaves, and last year's perennial foliage. Cut back any perennials you left standing over the winter including ornamental grasses. Make sure you clean up hiding places for slugs. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of maintaining good hygiene in the garden to keep pests and diseases at bay. Pull any early weeds -- starting now will make weeding easier as the season progresses. Now is a good time to remove the debris from your pond or water feature. If you didn't do them in the fall, scrub and sterilize your bird bath and your flower containers using a solution of nine-parts water to one-part bleach.
6. Prepare the Soil
Early spring is the best time to enrich the soil without disturbing the plants. If you have never had your soil analyzed or if it has been a couple of years since your last test, contact your Extension office for a soil test kit. This simple test will tell you if your planting beds and turf are lacking much-needed nutrients for healthy growth. Once you have added the suggested amendments, top dress your beds with an inch or two of compost. I do this every spring. If you don't have a compost pile, start one -- you will find detailed instructions for this rewarding activity at the Extension office. Meanwhile, you can purchase compost by the truck load or bag. Many home gardeners overuse fertilizers, causing runoff and water pollution. Too much nitrogen leads to weak plant growth that encourages insect pests. Your landscape plants will receive adequate nutrition from a soil rich in organic matter. Your vegetable garden will benefit the most from fertilizer. I apply fish emulsion or seaweed extracts to my vegetable beds. Read the label directions carefully if you use a soluble plant food. Do not fertilize spring flowering bulbs after they have started blooming or you will encourage bulb rot and may shorten the life of the flowers.
7. Divide and Transplant
While the plants are still dormant, you can divide or transplant perennials or shrubs that have outgrown their space. They will be less stressed by the move if they have no foliage—they can focus on developing roots. I like to divide or move perennials in the opposite season to when they bloom so as not to disrupt their bloom cycle. I move summer and fall blooming perennials in spring, and spring bloomers in fall.
8. Plant Cool Weather Annual Flowers and Vegetables
We are all in need of a little color after a long winter, so cool season flowers like pansies are a must. Start your cool season vegetable crops, such as peas, cabbage, radishes, and beets in your vegetable plot. Sow lettuce and spinach seeds in cold frames. Do not be tempted to turn over or dig into wet soil or it will become brick hard when it dries out.
9. Purchase Floating Row Covers
Floating row covers are made of a lightweight spun fabric that allows light and water to enter. They are useful for protecting crops from pests such as cabbage worms. They trap the soils natural heat, promoting early growth. If freezing temperatures are forecasted, do not use plastic sheeting or tarps as they will magnify the cold's effect. Old sheets and towels are a better option.
10. Put Out Plant Supports
Installing cucumber trellises, peony rings, stakes for delphiniums, and other supports now will be much easier than waiting until the plants have grown too high. Many of us have tried to force tender peony stems into a peony ring with disastrous results. Make sure your supports are sturdy. Apply a fresh coat of paint to wooden trellises if needed.
Now, go out into your garden and make a start! The gardening season has begun!
