Happy March! Can you believe that spring is officially only a few weeks away? We have several ideas/projects planned for 2020 that I look forward to sharing with you. Next week, I'll be sharing a farm life update and more about what is coming soon :) Any guesses? I think you will be surprised!
In today's post, I want to focus on 5 Tips to Prepare for Spring! We had a beautiful weekend in Southern Illinois and I uncovered several perennials starting to sprout. I'm sure we still have some cold snaps ahead of us, but our mild winter has all our perennials thinking spring is near.
Garden peonies and tulips starting to come up
So far in March we have already seen a lot of rain and severe weather... as they say, "March rolls in like a lion, and out like a lamb." If you've been cooped up inside, I hope these tips will get you thinking about the next season so you are ready for it.
Tip #1 – Make a plan
One of my best tips for getting ready for spring is to make a plan. You can see mine for 2020 here. Do you have any maintenance that needs to be completed? For us, we will be cleaning out our farm shed and transitioning it for warmer weather. I have a vision of making it into a garden sanctuary.
Our farm shed with touches of spring
We also plan to create a new garden area and expand our livestock fence. I'll be off this summer with our girls and they are already looking forward to "planting season." My goal is to spend as much time outside as possible with them.
If you are not sure how to make a plan or where to start – Pinterest is an excellent resource to pin ideas. Follow my garden board here.
Tip #2 – Consider what you’ll need
Now that you have your plan together, do you need any new supplies or purchases to make? We always like to consider our budget and get an idea about anything new we will need for the season.
Tip #3 – Don’t wait
Do you ever let spring start to go by without visiting your local nursery or greenhouse? As you are making your plan, it is always a good idea to consider your garden needs and order any bulbs, seeds or herbs.
I have already been in contact with our local nursery and placed an order for flower seeds and lavender. Many large stores are already getting seeds in – don’t delay or all the good ones will be gone. This year, I am trying flower seeds from Floret Flowers and I can't wait to see them bloom!
Tip #4 – Start maintenance early
In Southern Illinois, if we do not start our routine maintenance early, spring will pass us by and it will be 90 degrees and scorching! This weekend I racked leaves and cleaned up our flower beds.
A view from last year's garden
I'm new to flower gardening (our home came with mature growth), but I have been trying to remove old perennial stems and cut back the ornamental grasses that I planted last year. I will still need to thin and transplant some of my spreading perennials and prune my roses after the last spring frost.
A few other routine maintenance considerations I would suggest are for equipment and tools. Does any equipment need serviced? My husband serviced our lawn mower over the weekend so that's one less thing we have to worry with once spring arrives. Tools sharped? Winter is a great time to be working indoors on some of those projects.
Tip #5 – Enjoy the journey
As I mentioned above, we have already been experiencing some signs of growth this year. It has been a reminder to enjoy the journey and appreciate each season. The days of eating outdoors and spending warm nights under the stars will soon be upon us.
I hope these tips will serve as a welcomed reminder to start preparing for spring. This will be our first spring with all of our farm animals and I look forward to the warm mornings when our girls can help gather eggs and feed their sheep.
As always, thank you for stopping by the blog!
~Amy