My Town Line

In Massachusetts, spring has arrived. For me, this means the start of gardening season!  I am big tomato grower but whatever you plant in your garden, now is the time to begin planning your spring garden and get ready to plant for the coming year.

Prepare Your Tools. It’s time to check over your gardening tools and prepare them for work. You should wipe them over and check their edges; if you’ve used them a lot, the secateurs should be sharpened. Rub off any rust with a steel wool pad or piece of sandpaper. Wash them off in soapy water to remove any spores or bacteria that could be transferred to your new delicate plants. Wipe any moving parts with a thin oil like sewing machine oil or vegetable oil so they work smoothly.

Take Care of the Soil. If the ground has been thawed out for at least two weeks and no more freezes are forecast [or you're lucky enough to live in an area where spring has already made herself known], you’re ready to prep your garden areas for planting. You should notice your perennials starting to sprout a bit and your daffodil and tulip bulbs popping up as well.

Turning the soil over is a great way to get oxygen into the ground, check the quality of the soil, and soften up the area in readiness for seeds or plants. Dig up any large rocks and toss them to the side — or better yet, use them to outline different areas or plants.

If your soil seems thin or very light-colored, consider adding some kind of food — not just fertilizer. You can use a store-bought concoction, compost material from your kitchen, or manure purchased from a nearby farm or stable.

Be sure to loosen the soil around your perennials and bulbs and give them some breathing room as well. Gently dig up and replant any bulbs that you see are sprouting too close together so they don’t choke each other and end up competing for water, nutrients, sunlight, and space.

Plan Your Plot. Where you are located will of course influence the types of plants you select and how you plant them. You should also consider how your garden will look for the entire season, spring through fall. Different plants of course bloom at different times, so having a good mixture will ensure you are in bloom for many months.

All new plants, perennial and annuals, can be planted in the spring. However, to ensure your annuals survive to bloom into spring, you must be sure your frost season is finished for the year. Perennials can go in as soon as the soil is workable — in fact, they can go in any time of year as they are usually not prone to frost damage. Perennials include chrysanthemums, asters, and dianthus, and shrubs such as azaleas and hydrangeas. Your local garden center will direct you to the plants that do well in your area.

A Special Planting Tip. When you are digging in your well-prepared garden plot, ready to plant your new colorful acquisitions, shake a bit of bone meal into each hole. Bone meal can be purchased at any garden center at a reasonable price and it helps ensure your plants will grow strong and root properly.

Finally spread mulch around your new plants to protect them from the summer sun and help the soil retain water, so you don’t have to water as much. But be sure to water regularly that first month if you don’t get much rain.

A beautiful garden may seem intimidating to people who didn’t grow up gardening with grandma. But these simple steps are a great way for anyone to cultivate a lovely colorful flowerbed to enhance the beauty of your home.