• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • DIY Projects
    • Homemade Bath and Body
    • Sewing - Fabric Crafts
    • Flower Crafts/Decor
    • Thrift Store/Vintage
  • Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Container Gardening
    • Houseplants
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • Spring Decor
    • Summer Decor
    • Fall Decor
    • Winter Decor
    • Home Decor Projects
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert
    • Salad Recipes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Hearth and Vine
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • DIY
    • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
    • ... Bath and Body
    • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
    • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
  • Gardening
    • ...Flower Gardens
    • ...Container Gardening
    • ...Indoor Gardening
    • ...DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • ...Home Decor Projects
    • ...Spring Decor
    • ...Summer Decor
    • ...Fall Decor
    • ...Winter Decor
    • ...Room Makeovers
  • Recipes
    • ...Appetizers and Snacks
    • ...Dinner Recipes
    • ...Side Dish Recipes
    • ...Salad Recipes
    • ...Dessert
    • ...Drinks
  • Holidays
    • ...Valentine's Day
    • ...Easter
    • ...Mother's Day
    • ...Halloween
    • ...Thanksgiving
    • ...Christmas
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • DIY
      • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
      • ... Bath and Body
      • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
      • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
    • Gardening
      • ...Flower Gardens
      • ...Container Gardening
      • ...Indoor Gardening
      • ...DIY Garden Art
    • Decorate
      • ...Home Decor Projects
      • ...Spring Decor
      • ...Summer Decor
      • ...Fall Decor
      • ...Winter Decor
      • ...Room Makeovers
    • Recipes
      • ...Appetizers and Snacks
      • ...Dinner Recipes
      • ...Side Dish Recipes
      • ...Salad Recipes
      • ...Dessert
      • ...Drinks
    • Holidays
      • ...Valentine's Day
      • ...Easter
      • ...Mother's Day
      • ...Halloween
      • ...Thanksgiving
      • ...Christmas
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Gardening

    Spring Garden Prep - When You're Itching to Get Out in the Dirt

    by Patti Estep · Mar 26, 2018

    This post is sponsored by the 3-IN-ONE® Multi-Purpose Oil

    This spring garden prep list will give you some much needed tasks, to keep you busy, as you prepare for this year's gardening season.

    Fothergilla spring blooms

    For those of us who live in a cold climate and like to garden, cabin fever can be a real problem. However, there are some things you can to do to get a jump on this year's garden. Today I'm offering a few spring garden prep ideas so you can start gardening as soon as possible.

    Spring garden prep hillside debris

    Here are 3 ideas for spring garden prep that you can do while you wait for the ground to thaw.

    1. Assess damage and remove debris

    Get out that rake and remove all the fallen branches, leaves, and other debris that has accumulated over the winter. Tamp down on any plants that may have heaved up over the winter.

    Dirty garden tools for pruning

    2. Clean and Lubricate Garden Tools

    Now's the perfect time to attend to your tools. Good hand pruners can last for years, and that's a good thing because they are quite expensive. However, I probably use them every single day during the gardening season and they are well worth it. Long handled loppers, and smaller hand saws come in handy when the season starts, as there is much pruning to be done.

    Lubricating tools with 3inone oil

    Applying 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil is perfect for lubricating the gears of your pruners, and all of your tools.  The precision spout really helps get down into tight spots, without making a greasy mess everywhere. 

    Cleaning rust from garden saw with oil and steel wool

    It also works wonders for cleaning away rust build up. Just squirt on a little oil and polish away the rust with steel wool.

    Clean garden tools

    No more sticky, hard to use, rusty tools.  A little 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil  has them all cleaned up and in great working order, ready for the season.

    Newsletter Signup
    Join Our Newsletter List!

    Be the first to receive new posts and get access to our Subscribers Only Page.

    Pruning shrub with hand pruners.

    3. Start Pruning

    Now that your pruners and loppers are ship shape, start pruning all your shrubs and trees. Start with pruning away any broken, damaged or diseases branches. Next trim back crossing branches, old blooms, and seed heads. Finally, prune for aesthetics, shaping your garden to your own preference. Note: be careful not to prune shrubs that are getting ready to bloom in the spring or you just might trim away all your flowers. If you're not sure check out this handy pruning graphic.

    Garden shopping list

    Bonus-- Start your spring garden prep now with this free Garden Planning Shopping List.

    Click on the image above to get this guide for your own personal use. For more tips, follow 3-IN-ONE on Facebook and Instagram. 

    You can find 3-IN-ONE® Multi-Purpose Oil at most big box stores and hardware stores, including Walmart. To find it at a store near you or online click here.

    « Easy Seafood Stew Recipe - So Hearty and Healthy
    A Spring Tablescape - Inspiration for Your Easter Table »

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy Sargent

      March 28, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      Hey Patti,
      These are all great ideas. And my yard and tools are in much need of attention. I love the tip on cleaning the rust off your tools with the 3-in-one oil. I have a nice pair of Felco pruners that I let get rusty!!! Dang it! I will be taking your advice and working on them! Thanks

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 28, 2018 at 4:38 pm

        Oh Nancy, we all do it and the cleaning part is never fun but you'll be glad that you did it. My pruners are so much easier and don't stick at all since I oiled and cleaned them.

        Reply
    2. Stella

      March 28, 2018 at 2:03 am

      Preparing garden for Spring--it is one of my favorite activities. I don't have all the tools shown here, though, I manage to handle it with available tools.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 28, 2018 at 7:11 am

        I can't wait to get out into the garden. You don't have to have fancy tools to enjoy, but the 3-in-one oil is an affordable resources that is a big help and will allow you to keep your tools in good shape for a long tim

        Reply
    3. Mary

      March 26, 2018 at 11:52 pm

      I may not be very good at gardening but I certainly like to have my tools cleaned and oiled. You never know when you'll need them for any sort of job and if they are rusted then it will surely slow down your work. This looks like a great product.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 27, 2018 at 7:14 am

        Yes. This works on all kinds of tools, hinges and moving parts. A great product to have at hand.

        Reply
    4. maria

      March 26, 2018 at 10:34 pm

      this is great info! lots of work but its great preparation.
      Maria

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 27, 2018 at 7:15 am

        You are so right Maria. A little prep work and then you get to reap the rewards.

        Reply
    5. Barbara Chapman ~ French Ethereal

      March 26, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      Hi Patti! I do love 3-in1 oil for cleaning my tools {something I did just before we moved from our house but haven't done since... Eek!}. It's good for oiling your sewing machine, too. 🙂
      Thank you for the reminder that I need to do this!

      Barb 🙂

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 26, 2018 at 2:50 pm

        Thanks for the info on the sewing machine. I probably need to add some to mine too.

        Reply
    6. Michelle Meyer

      March 26, 2018 at 1:40 pm

      Good information of taking care of garden tools. Great post!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 26, 2018 at 2:51 pm

        Thanks Michelle. Just a few reminders that we all tend to forget from time to time.

        Reply
    7. Julie Briones

      March 26, 2018 at 11:58 am

      Great post, Patti! Love the tip on cleaning the gardening tools... and the freebie is VERY nice! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 26, 2018 at 2:50 pm

        I'm so glad you like the tips, Julie and I hope the freebie is a big help too.

        Reply
    8. Rita Joy @ Harbour Breeze Home

      March 26, 2018 at 10:50 am

      Yes! This time of year makes me itch to get outside and see some pretty blooming flowers. And your pictures made me want to go dig in some dirt. 🙂 Thanks for the tips on how to get the tools all ready to go.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 26, 2018 at 2:53 pm

        Pretty soon Rita. I know I can't wait. It's sunny here today but we are expecting rain so I'm working on cleaning just about everything including all my tools.

        Reply
    9. Nikki Gwin

      March 26, 2018 at 10:45 am

      YAY for spring! I was outside all weekend. Cleaning, weeding, mowing, just enjoying!
      🙂 gwingal

      Reply
    10. Denise

      March 26, 2018 at 9:58 am

      I'm going to forward this to my husband because he has been itching to get his vegetable garden going. I was looking at his tools just yesterday and thinking that he needed some new ones but now I think he just clean them up. Anyway, great post!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 26, 2018 at 10:01 am

        I"m glad you liked it and yes anything you can give to your partner to lighten the load is a good idea. I bet his tools are just fine but need a little maintenance. Something we all too often forget.

        Reply
    11. Carole West

      March 26, 2018 at 8:40 am

      Oh wow number two I always forget and I'm not sure why probably because I only skip about two months of use as our winters are rather short. Great tips and thanks for the reminder. I got my flower beds filled yesterday and think I will plant them today because rain is coming.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 26, 2018 at 8:51 am

        Yes. You are a lucky one with a short winter. I am going to stop and pick up a few pansies which is all that's for sale this time of year around here. Happy Planting!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Patti Estep Profile Picture

    Hi!

    I'm Patti

    Join me to create lots of fun DIY projects, including crafts, gardening, home decor, and tasty recipes

    More about me

    Popular Posts

    • Baked zucchini bite on a slated tray with a bowl of horseradish sauce.
      Make Tasty Zucchini Bites in Under an Hour
    • Three tin cans in descending sizes hanging from twine.
      DIY Wind Chimes with Tin Cans
    • Blue jean crossover bag
      DIY Crossbody Bag from Jeans
    • Ham barbecue sandwich on plate
      Chipped Ham Barbecue Sandwiches - A Pittsburgh Favorite
    • Echievera planter
      What to do With a Stretched Succulent
    • Make a Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp with botanicals and essential oils. ~ gardenmatter.com
      DIY Oil Candle - Gifts for the Holidays

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About
    Contact
    Privacy Policy
    Disclosure Policy

    Sign Up Here!
    for our
    newsletter &
    special offers

    Follow Me

    facebook
    Pinterest
    instagram

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Hearth and Vine