Learn a few simple tips about preparing your spring garden, including clean up, pruning, dividing and moving.
In my neck of the woods, spring is just around the corner and if you like gardening as much as I do, then you're probably itching to get out and dig in the dirt.
For me this is probably my favorite time of year to garden. It's still cool outside and I have plenty of energy stored up during the winter. I've been busy dreaming and planning on what I may change, buy, and plant for the new season.
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Tips for Preparing Your Spring Garden
As I walk around the garden in late winter I noticed a few plants are started to green up, and a couple, like these pretty hellebore, are blooming.
There are 3 main areas I typically tackle this time of year:
Clean-up
Pruning
Dividing/Moving
Spring Garden Cleanup
If you have been reading this blog for a while you may have read my post, Pruning Perennials Fall or Spring? This is a personal preference, but I like to leave just about all of my cleanup until spring. I enjoy the winter interest that the seed pods provide, and I also feel like the extra plant material is helpful during a tough winter, to both the plants and the wildlife.
So, as you can see from the photo above, I have a good deal of dead foliage from day lilies and catmint in this part of the garden. All of this will need to be racked out and cut back.
I also like to rake out the beds, especially in areas where I know there are some spring beauties getting ready to bloom like these primroses. We clear out as many leaves that we can in the fall, though we have more than anyone could want. In fact, recently we had two oaks cut down to help with the leaf clutter, and since they were very close to the house, and many years old, we were worried that the perfect storm could take out our house along with the trees.
Pruning
This is the best time to prune shrubs. This beautyberry or C. dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst,” is pruned back to 12 inches every spring.
Here it is at the end of winter.
After pruning in the spring.
By the end of summer it still reaches 5 feet in height and is filled with beautiful berries.
Other shrubs such as butterfly bushes and some hydrangeas, like this hydrangea Limelight, are good candidates for early spring pruning. Not all hydrangeas should be pruned however, only those that produce blooms on new growth should be pruned in late winter, or early spring. See more about pruning hydrangeas here.
Of course it goes without saying that you can prune any broken or dead plant material at any time, and you'll probably see a lot of this after winter.
Dividing/Moving Plants in the Spring
This is also my favorite time to divide many perennials as they are just starting to emerge from the ground. These chives really do not need dividing but there are a couple that are out of line, and could be potted up and moved elsewhere, or more than likely, I'll give some to a friend. Everyone loves fresh chives.
The best time to divide and move hosta is the spring, when you can easily see where to separate the plant.
Every year I have volunteers of this pretty penstemon, Huskers Red. Sometimes I move them to a different areas of the garden, or I pot them up to give away.
Another hardy volunteer is this hardy geranium sanguienum. It's a great filler plant and very easy to grow, with numerous bright fuchsia flowers all summer long.
The sky is so blue and the magnolia is just starting to bloom. Looks like it's going to be a great spring.
Michelle Marine
Pruning always leaves me a bit mystified. I've read that trees need to be pruned in the dead of winter...but not all trees, just some? And my berry bushes need to be cut back badly. I haven't started much at all in the garden yet. Never even cleaned up my garden after last winter. I need to get busy! YIKES!! Look forward to seeing how pretty your flowers become throughout the gardening season. 🙂
Angie Rose
I’m counting down the days until the mild weather returns! Your hellebore flowers are absolutely lovely. It’s definitely smart cutting down old trees before they create a problem. I have that on my to-do list this season. I’ve always wanted to plant a Limelight hydrangea in my yard. Hydrangeas never seem to do very well for me here even though I feed them. It’s always nice to divide hostas. They are like the plant that keeps on giving! That magnolia tree is simply stunning. Love all your gardening tips Patti!
Jami
Oh, beautyberry is such a favorite of mine with those incredible purple berries in the fall - but it looked so 'meh' the rest of the year. Maybe it was because I never really pruned it back that much. 🙂
Love the tips here - makes me want to get going in the garden!
Patti Estep
Hi Jami,
Yes, I learned this trick from a speaker at a plant symposium years ago. Cut that guy way back.
It's still snowing here but maybe next week! fingers crossed!
Patti
Diane Williams
Love this inspirational post! I had to click over and read about hydrangeas too:) One of my favorite plants! Our spring is far behind and I'm so frustrated. Sounds like the whole country had a long winter sleep. You plants look a bit farther ahead than ours though. I'm so excited to be blog hopping with you. Happy Gardening!
Shelly
I've cleared out my garden beds and we've trimmed most of our shrubs, roses, and other plants that needed it. We had a really rough winter this year and there was a lot of work to do. But I'm glad we have caught up.
Carole @ Garden Up Green
Awesome advice Patti and I agree spring or fall - it's a personal choice and sometimes down here it's both. With long growing seasons and light winters plants have this tendency to take over if we're not paying attention. This is such helpful info!