Tips for Successful Flower Gardening in Spring

No one welcomes spring more than gardeners, especially the ones who love growing showy blossoms. Once the first few mild days arrive, spring fever brings an itch to get outdoors and dig in the dirt. This year, make your flower garden the talk of the neighborhood with these tips for spring flower gardening from spring through summer.

Early spring

Once temperatures are consistently above freezing in your region, you can safely begin your spring flower garden. But first, just as you perform spring cleaning chores around your home, you need to clean your flower beds of dead leaves, plants, and debris. Remove any existing protective winter mulch.

Now is the time to divide perennials such as hostas, tulips, and lilies. It's more than a budget-friendly practice, as dividing clumps keeps them healthy and encourages new growth. You can also share your dividends with friends and neighbors.

Work the ground, and add rich garden soil consisting of bark shedding and compost or fertilizer. Then, add fertilizer to provide plants with the needed nutrients. Now you can plant your seeds or bare-root perennials.

Impatient gardeners can get a thrill by planting "early risers" such as minor bulbs for showy blooms like grape hyacinths, miniature daffodils, and snake's head lilies.

Mid spring

Once your plants are in the ground, add a fresh layer of mulch to give your flower garden a polished look and get ahead of the weeds. Take care not to place the mulch too close to the plants, or they will be susceptible to diseases such as root rot.

Mulch holds moisture in the soil and protects delicate plants from potential damage caused by mowers and other threats. You can mulch with straw, wood chips, or finished compost.

Patience is a virtue gardeners need in mid-spring. It will take some time for your freshly planted perennials to settle in and grow strong roots before hot weather hits. Try adding cool-season annuals such as snapdragons or pansies for a quick pop of garden color. They will grow happily along with your perennials.

Now is the time to get your lawn in order so your spring flower garden doesn't look lost in a jungle of tall grass and weeds. Professionals can provide lawn care from weed control to fertilizer.

Late Spring

In late spring, it's time to deadhead spent blossoms from your early spring flowering bulbs. This practice will encourage the plants to conserve energy for next year's early spring show rather than produce seeds.

The threat of frost is long gone in almost every growing zone so that you can shop for flats of summer annuals like zinnias, impatiens, and petunias. To obtain the healthiest plants, pick ones that aren't blooming yet.

Late spring is also the time to get ready for summer's flower garden show by planting summer-blooming bulbs like gladiolus, begonia, and dahlias.

Follow these tips for planting a spring flower garden, and you will have one of the best-looking yards in the neighborhood. For more inspiring ideas, follow TheHomeMag on Facebook and Instagram. We can help you find certified local professionals to hire for your next home improvement project, too.