Spring is officially here—even if warm weather hasn’t reached all fifty states just yet. If you’re itching to get to work on your spring landscaping, here are some projects that you can start now.
1) Start researching which plants you’d like to grow this season and when to plant them based on your zone. Order seeds, bulbs, and saplings now so they’ll arrive when it’s time to plant.
2) When the ground is no longer frozen and the danger of frost has passed, you can begin to plant early flowering bushes like forsythias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, lilacs, and azaleas; and trees like redbuds, magnolias, and dogwoods.
3) If you’re not happy with the current location of any plants, move them while they’re still dormant. Be sure to keep their roots intact and plant them at the same level as they sat in their previous location.
4) Clear winter storm debris from garden beds, lawns, and gutters.
5) Prune dead pieces from existing plants to stave off pests and disease.
6) Start weeding—it’ll be easier to pull them out now rather than later in the season since their roots are still shallow.
7) Start weeding—it’ll be easier to pull them out now rather than later in the season since their roots are still shallow.
8) Add a few inches of mulch to your garden beds to keep the soil moist and cool, prevent disease, and stop new weeds from sprouting. Be sure to keep mulch a few inches away from plant stems to prevent rotting.
9) Re-seed bare patches in your lawn and keep them well-watered.
10) Organize sheds, garages, and other storage spaces so warm weather essentials are easy to access.