Bring It On!

by Sandy Robson

Let’s just take a moment of gratitude for the returning of the sun and the lengthening of days! After over a year of dealing with the pandemic and what seems like a very long winter, it’s go-time for gardeners.

Soil in good condition, with good drainage, large population of microorganisms, sufficient (but not excessive) levels of essential nutrients, and low weed pressure supports root penetration, water availability and aeration.

It’s time to look after the needs of your soil, remove debris, and do a general tidy for the upcoming months of planting and growing. It’s never too late to look after the needs of your soil, remove debris, and do general tidying for the upcoming months of planting and growing. I like to top up my existing veggie beds and garden borders with a nice thick layer of mulchy goodness. You can bring in a load of sea soil as I do, but if you have your own garden compost ready to go, use that. On my empty veggie beds, I lightly dig in a six-inch layer. Around shrubs and perennials I add a thick covering in a circle around each plant making sure to avoid the trunks, stems and any emerging new growth. Compost will add essential organic matter and nutrients to your soil and encourage growth.

It’s also time to consider the bigger picture in your garden… is this the year you widen the borders, add a raised vegetable bed, create a flagstone path in a high traffic area, or build a greenhouse? Perhaps you just want to perk up existing beds by dividing and moving some perennials, or by removing a shrub that is struggling. Before you start digging up plants, check on their particular needs—hey Google—to determine the best time for the procedure, but as a rule of thumb summer flowering perennials like astilbe and daisies can be divided up and replanted before they get into their big growth and flowering push; but leave off dividing spring flowering plants, such as irises, until after they have bloomed and had time to put some energy into their root system once the flowers die back in late summer.

And right on cue I hear a mower start up nearby… I guess I will be playing catch up with my neighbour! It is definitely time to up your lawn care regimen. Start by raking the area to remove leaves, and other accumulated debris. Next up is aerating, which involves removing plugs of soil and grass to open up the underlying structure that can become compacted over time as the root system grows denser and foot traffic packs down the soil. We tend to aerate every few years and rent a machine for an afternoon to do so, but if DIY is not your thing there are many professional lawn care businesses in our area to help out. All plants need food, so applying a good quality lawn fertilizer now (and again in late summer-early fall) is a worthwhile investment. Now is also the time to sprinkle a little extra soil and to overseed areas, particularly where the grass has thinned. Remember to water grass seedlings well. A lush and green lawn takes some work, but your bare feet will thank you come summer.

So much to do in the spring garden, but enjoy every moment… every daffodil, tulip, green leaf and emerging bud.

Happy gardening!