Photo by Alexander Raths/Shutterstock
Spring is in the air! Which means it’s the perfect time to start readying your outdoor garden for all the wonderful relaxing and fun moments to come. From patio essentials to flowers, there’s so much that can go into planning your spring garden and patio look. Here are nine ideas to help you get your home spring ready.
Check Your Gardening Tools
It may sound silly to go check on your tools, but like all home appliances, gardening tools can sometimes get misplaced, broken, or rusty. Before you buy the flowers and seeds, take a minute to check that all your shovels, hoes, rakes, and watering cans are in tip-top shape, and save yourself an extra trip to the store.
Prepare New Beds & Get New Topsoil
Now that you’ve checked on your tools, you can start by preparing your flower beds for new flowers! This is an important spring gardening step as the growing plans can quickly deplete the existing supply of essential nutrients in the soil. Additionally, it’s important to buy new topsoil so that when you water your developing plants, they can successfully draw up the water and grow.
Prune Shrubs
One of the most neglected spring garden essentials is the art of pruning. Just a few minutes of pruning can help give you thicker foliage, more flowers, and healthier plants. If you have young shrubs, they should be pruned lightly to make them grow fuller and bushier. With a pair of hard pruners, you want to trim long, unbranched stems by cutting just above a healthy bud.
For older and neglected shrubs, the pruning can get a bit tricky. In some case, older shrubs will require a long period of time before you start seeing results. The best thing to do with older shrubs is to remove all the unproductive stems and nurture the plant back to health.
Read More: 3 Reasons To Get Your Gutters Cleaned
Fill in Any Gaps
This may feel like more of a cosmetic approach to gardening, but really it’s here to help your garden look fuller. If you find that there are large gaps in your garden or outdoor areas filling that hole with a new tree, brush or large plant can help maximize the overall look and curb appeal of your home.
Plant Your Perennials & Annuals
With your flower beds ready, planting perennials and annuals is naturally the next step. Because of Florida’s humidity and heat levels, some flowers are better suited than others. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Buttercup
- Blue Daze
- Bougainvillea
- Periwinkle
- Black and Blue Salvia
- Firebrush
- Pentas
Utilize Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets are a very beautiful way to accent and provide dimension to your garden. Whether you create the baskets yourself or look at pre-made ones, a hanging basket can be artfully placed on your patio, front porch, and around your garden’s perimeter.
Think About Vegetables
If flowers aren’t your thing, then consider a vegetable garden. From tomatoes to peppers, to herbs, a vegetable garden can be just as rewarding of a spring look as a flower garden. Be sure that if you plan on doing both a vegetable and a flower garden that you plant them in different areas to keep the different fertilizers separate.
Fertilize
Speaking of fertilizers, they are the secret to luscious, beautiful flowers and vegetables. If you’ve ever wondered why some people’s gardens look fuller and more colorful, the answer is usually the fertilizer. There are so many different fertilizers on the market, so it’s important that you do your research on based on the different types of plants you plan on growing.
Update Patio Furniture
Lastly, patio furniture. If your patio furniture isn’t a regular fixture to your exterior now is the perfect time to pull it out and examine how it looks. Rainwater, sunlight, and so many other elements can provide wear and tear on your patio furniture. Take this time while you’re readying your home for spring to look at your patio furniture and make sure it’s ready for relaxing and entertaining.
Visit Florida’s Largest Home Show
If these spring garden ideas have your mind racing with possibilities, come visit us at Florida’s Largest Home Show. Our spring home show is March 20th-22nd and will feature Garden Fest with many outdoor gardening and home design vendors to help you get your house spring ready!
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