Spring Gardening Projects and Tips
Orange County is getting more vibrant every day with flowers blooming from San Juan Capistrano to Newport. As the weather starts to heat up, it’s the perfect time to start those spring gardening projects you have been putting off. Gardening doesn’t have to be a complex process, so long as you approach it with a plan. There are all sorts of improvements and decorations you could do for your garden this spring. Here are some tips and project ideas you can incorporate into your spring garden.
Tips to Prep Your Spring Garden
Clean out the Garden – The first step in all of this is going to be to clean out the area that you are going to be planting your garden. If you had a garden last year, you will most likely need to remove debris, weeds, rocks and whatever else might have made its way into your garden area over winter. If you didn’t have a garden last year, you get to decide where you want your garden to be. Find an area that has good sunlight and soil, and inspect the area for any debris before you begin.
Check the Soil – Before you start planting, you want to make sure that the soil that you are planting in has the proper nutrients. You can add manure or fertilizer to the soil which helps to give the soil its moisture back after being packed down all winter. Since we live in OC, this may not be the case for your soil, which is why you should test your soil before you plant.
If you are going the potted plant route, which is just as fun and practical, then you’ll need to buy and mix your own soil. Keep in mind, different plants take different types of soil so make sure that you properly prepare the area for each species. It’s also OK to ask the staff at the nursery for a little help and to point you in the right direction.
Trim Old Plants – If your garden from the previous year has made it through the winter, you will need to prune your plants to make sure they bloom in the spring. Mid-April or May is actually the perfect time to prune your plants, in case there happens to be an unexpected freezing in early spring.
Spring Gardening Projects
Grow an Herb Garden – You can do this in a long planter in a window box, inside, or in the garden, depending on the type of space restrictions you have. If you have a big backyard, you can let herbs like Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano and Basil grow freely. Since these are robust herbs, they’ll often times make it through the winter. Basil takes a little more attention, as well as herbs like mint, parsley and cilantro, but they are manageable if you plan on using them, and usually need replanting year after year.
Build a Raised Garden Bed – Not everyone likes DIY projects. Sometimes they can be time consuming and difficult. If you know your way around a hardware store and you aren’t afraid of a hammer and nails or some power tools, you might want to consider building your ownraised garden beds. If you don’t feel like building your own though, you can probably find them preassembled at your local nursery or hardware store in the gardening section.
From there you can plant a vegetable garden with tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce or other veggies that thrive in Southern California and even throw in some sunflowers and other perennial flowers. If you decide to go the veggie route, make sure you release some lady bugs and mantis in the area as natural predators to help out with any pests that might come for your garden.
Add color to Your Landscape with Perennial Flowers – We are in So Cal, so it is always important to keep in mind that you don’t want to plant flowers that are going to require a ton of water. If you are really trying to conserve you could consider planting drought resistant plants and replacing your lawn with gravel in order to cut down on water use. But if you decide to plant flowers, plant perennialflowers and bulbs that are resilient and able to withstand multiple seasons so you aren’t having to replace them year over year.
Find Your Next Garden in OC
Whether you are a homeowner or not, you can take some of these gardening tips and projects and implement them as soon as this weekend! If you are looking for a place to call home with a garden to match, I can help you. Call me today at 949-500-9714 so I can show you properties with room for your next gardening project.