6 Tips for a Flourishing Spring Garden

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Photo by Briana Brough

Get more ideas for your home and garden in our April issue.

Plant native perennials

These will make any garden more resilient and attractive. Native perennials entice pollinators and other beneficial insects, require less water than annual flowers and come back year after year without needing to be replaced.

Fertilize edibles early

Most edibles – such as fruit trees and berry bushes – need the most energy and nutrients in early spring as the sap begins to rise, limbs bud out and they get ready to flower. Different edibles have different fertilization requirements, but most appreciate early spring fertilization when competition for nutrients in nature is high.

Make a plan for your vegetable garden

A simple plan can help you manage your vegetable plantings through the season. Make a list of what you want to grow in the spring, summer and fall with the dates for planting. This way, you’ll be prepared ahead of time for the change of seasons.

It’s not too late to prune

Cut back your plants for proper airflow, fruit ripening and aesthetics. There are benefits to doing this in every season; just don’t prune your fruit trees while they are flowering!

Stay on top of weeds

The sights and smells of spring are invigorating and fill our minds with exuberance and hope … but lurking underneath this dormant veneer are the most malicious weeds we face: wiregrass (Bermuda), nut sedge, bamboo, privet, wisteria, etc. Attacking these plants just as they are getting their malicious and obnoxious growth ready for summer is best done by hand before they get out of control.

Source quality materials

It makes a big difference to source high-quality materials and worthwhile to pay a little bit more for the better quality. This goes for soil, plants, organic fertilizer and tools. Putting in the hard work with good products on the front end ensures a better outcome for the long term.

Kate DeMayo
Kate DeMayo
Jodi Hart
Jodi Hart

Kate Demayo and Jodi Hart are just two of the worker-owners (not pictured: Sarah Vroom and Keith Shalijan) at Bountiful Backyards, a cooperative landscaping company specializing in sustainable landscape design with a focus on fruit trees, berry bushes, annual vegetables, herbs and native perennials.

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