As the weather begins to warm, it’s time to get out into the garden and prepare for another growing season!  In this article, we’ve put together the ultimate spring gardening checklist.

Tidy Up

The winter has probably deposited a lot of dead material around your garden.  Rake up any leftover leaves, broken branches and other debris.  Remove any weeds that have managed to survive the winter.

Tend To Perennials

If you have perennials in your garden you should ensure they’re still in good shape and able to grow again.  Clear away any mulch or other coverings, press them back into place if they’ve been dislodged at all and cut back any dead stems.

Purchase And Plant New Bulbs

Get to the garden centre or order online If you’re planning on planting new bulbs this year.  Even if they’re not quite ready to be planted, it’s best to have them on hand so you can get them into the ground on a convenient, but timely basis.

Sow Seeds

Certain seeds will need to be sowed long before it’s warm enough for them to be outdoors.  Check your seed packages to find out if you should be sowing some of them indoors so they’re already several inches tall before being introduced to the outdoors.

Collect Rainwater

Now that snow is being replaced by rain, you can start to refill your water butts.  Having a good reserve by early spring will greatly reduce your need to use tap water once the hot weather of summer arrives.

Prepare Your Gardening Tools

Give your gardening tools a good once-over.  Clean them up.  Give them an oiling.  Sharpen ones that need sharpening.  Make sure you have on hand what you’ll need for the upcoming growing season.

Prune Trees And Shrubs

If you didn’t get around to doing this before winter arrived, give your trees and shrubs a pruning before they begin budding again.  Pruning them now will ensure they don’t grow out of control and make the job much more difficult later in the year.

Maintain Your Hardscaping

Inspect, clean and repair any hardscaping that’s been left outdoors over the winter.  Taking care of this job now will ensure that they serve their purpose while looking fresh and clean from the get-go.