Ideas for Gardening in Early Spring

Early spring can be a time of year when many backyard gardeners feel impatient. You are ready to go, even if your climate isn’t. Temperatures have risen just enough that you want to get outside and plant, but it’s not quite warm enough yet, especially if you live in a location where the winters are long and difficult.

The good news is that there are ways you can dig in the dirt and get a jump start on the upcoming season.

Check Your Local Garden Center for Bulb Flowers

While March is usually too late to plant bulbs in the ground, garden centers often spend the winter months growing them indoors. You can purchase them as ready-to-bloom plants that you can add to your own yard.

• Daffodils: Daffodils are one of the most dependable spring flowers. Their sunny yellow and white blooms instantly brighten garden beds and borders. Daffodils are naturally resistant to pests and deer, making them easy to grow. You can plant them in pots on your porch or in window boxes. When the growing season is over, save the bulbs to plant in the ground next fall.
• Tulips: These striking flowers are known for bringing color and elegant shapes to spring gardens. Like daffodils, you can plant them in containers this year, and then in the ground next fall. Many modern tulips will return reliably for several seasons. They thrive in well-drained soil and sunny locations and require little care beyond occasional watering.

One helpful tip: Before you leave the garden center, talk with staff about how to ready spring bulb plants for the outdoors. You may need to set them outside a few hours a day to gradually acclimate them to life outside the warmth of the greenhouse.

Pansies and Violas: Cool-Weather Lovers

One kind of flower that doesn’t mind the cold is the viola family, which include pansies. Depending on where you live, greenhouses often begin selling them in late March or April. Their cheerful faces can give you a taste of spring, even when the threat of frost can’t yet be ruled out.

Another benefit of making these part of your spring landscape is that they thrive in most conditions and are nearly maintenance-free. They do become what gardeners refer to as “leggy,” though, so as spring changes to summer, you might need to pull them or cut them down.

Try Your Hand at Winter Sowing

Winter sowing is a simple, low-cost gardening method that allows seeds to be planted outdoors during the winter months. Instead of starting seeds indoors under lights, gardeners use the natural cold, moisture, and changing temperatures of winter to help seeds germinate at the right time in early spring.

The idea behind winter sowing is to mimic nature. In the wild, plants drop seeds in the fall, and those seeds rest in the soil through the winter. When conditions are right in the spring, they sprout on their own. Winter sowing takes advantage of this natural process by protecting seeds in simple containers while still exposing them to outdoor weather.

Most winter sowing is done using recycled plastic containers, such as milk jugs or clear food containers. These containers act like mini-greenhouses—they allow sunlight in, hold moisture, and protect seeds from harsh wind and animals while still letting cold air and snow reach them. As temperatures warm in spring, the containers create a humid environment that encourages germination. You’ll save money by starting your own flowers and vegetables to add to your container gardens or plant directly in the ground.

Early spring can be a great time to winter sow:

• Cool-season vegetables: Lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, broccoli, peas, beets, onions, chard
• Hardy annuals: Calendula, cosmos, snapdragons, poppies, pansies, sweet peas, nasturtiums
• Perennials that need cold stratification: Coneflower, milkweed, rudbeckia, yarrow, salvia, columbine, daisies, phlox, dianthus
• Herbs: Dill, parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, basil, lavender

This free guide to winter sowing can help you learn more.

Keeping Gardeners Safe Outdoors

If you are a senior gardener or someone with a mobility challenge, you might worry about how safe you are enjoying this pastime. One solution is to carry a mobile monitoring unit. These discreet devices can easily be slipped into your pocket. In the event of an emergency, a simple press of a button will connect you with someone who can help. Call 1-844-203-5617 for more information!