Ways to Prepare your Garden for Spring

Spring, isn’t it an exciting time? Spring usually means warmer weather is just around the corner. This also means melting snow and the uncovering of your yards and gardens.  Some of the many things that makes spring great is flowers blooming, fresh tilled dirt in garden beds, and a new breath of life for grass in the yard. This is the opportunity to bring color and life to your gardens and flower beds. There are many types of spring flowers. Here are some flowers you might consider when planning your garden this year; Pansy, bloodroot, snowdrop anemone, lilac, daffodil and my favorite tulips.  

When I think of tulips, I picture myself walking through fields full of them in the countryside of Holland. However, tulips originated from the Ottoman Empire, also known as present day Turkey. Tulips were actually imported into Holland in the sixteenth century by a man named Carolus Clusius. He wrote one of the first major books about tulips in 1952 which helped make these flowers so popular. They became so popular that his garden was  raided and had bulbs stolen from it on a regular basis!  
Did you know that tulips are one of the best flowers to plant in the spring? They can be used in a variety of settings, formal naturalistic, or causal. Either way there is a tulip for everyone, from a diminutive four inch tall to a beautiful multi-foot-high blossom.

Here are some helpful tips on how to get your garden ready for the spring!

1. Inspect Raised Garden Beds
We all know that winter can be harsh on our plants. From the freezing cold temperatures to the heavy snow fall we seem to get a lot of! Before you do anything, check for damage. It can become really easy to be ready to jumpstart your garden and then realize that you have bowed or split wood on the frames. 
2. Check your Garden Tools
Did you consider to look at your tools? There's a 50/50  chance you have everything you need. This may save you time in the long run when trying to prepare your garden for this year! A good wipe down of all your tools is always a good idea and will help them preform to their high function! Here's a helpful hint, if the wooden handles are starting to split or have cracks, you can wipe them down with boiled linseed oil! Which increases its resistance to warping and cracking. Cool right?
3. Turn Compost
Now that we have the basics done, time to move into actually getting you garden ready! Now its time to get the soil ready. Here at Wild valley farms we have three different kinds of soils to choose from! There's our Intelli-soil which is a special formulated growing mix that is ready to use in your house plants, hanging baskets and outside pots! The second product is  SoftSoil, SoftSoil is a special blend of premium topsoil and our Terra Zest, it's perfect for raised bed gardens. It's a two for one type of deal! Lastly we have  good old Top Soil. Which has been screened to create a premium consistent product that has no rocks or other debris. 

4. Top Dress Garden Beds
Now that we've got the garden beds looking great, clean tools and your favorite compost/soil. Now its time to prep for putting those beautiful flowers in them! It's time to add the manure. There are two different types that Wild Valley Farms offers; Steer and Horse. Here's the breakdown of the two. Steer manure is used for a variety of lawn and garden needs. It helps improve the soil quality and health. Horse manure is well aged and broken down to provide a great natural fertilizer, it contains sawdust bedding to help loosen clay soils. We recommend top dressing with our Terra Zest which is a high quality compost.

​5. Divide Perennials 
We are finally on to the fun part, adding the flowers! Go to your local store and pick up some of your favorite seedlings. Or if your neighbor has some flowers/seeds that you like, ask them to see if you could use them or maybe trade some of what you bought for what they have! It's a very cost efficient way to add and give! Remember no to use any plant if they show signs of disease or discoloration. You wouldn't want to bring it to your new garden!

6. Weed and Mulch!
Lets get rid of those pesky weeds! Nothing ruins your day and garden like weeds! Remove young, sprouting weeds first and then add a layer of cardboard or landscape fabric onto the bare ground.  Next, add about three to four inches of mulch.  That is a sufficient amount to discourage any new weeds. Finally, plant your gardens tightly with your favorite perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs to try and crowd out the weeds. Want to add a little bit of color to your garden? We offer five different colors of mulch to help add that little extra you might be wanting!

7. Prune
Now that you've done all the work, it's time to keep it all under control. Remove any dead branches from the shrubs, pull any weeds that might pop up. Also thin and shape the hedges, they need to look nice as well!

Hopefully these tips will help you feel a little less overwhelmed with getting your lawn and garden ready for the coming warm months!