Spring is my absolute favourite time of year in the garden. After the quiet of winter, everything starts waking up — the soil warms, the birds return, and the whole garden feels full of possibility.
But spring is also the busiest season, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything that needs doing. That’s why I’ve put together this simple checklist to help you start the season strong and organised.
✅ 1. Clean Up Winter Debris
Start by clearing away dead plant material, fallen leaves, and any debris that has accumulated over winter. This removes hiding places for pests and diseases and lets light and air reach the soil.
✅ 2. Assess Your Soil
Walk through your garden and check the condition of your soil. Is it compacted? Waterlogged? Sandy and dry? Understanding what you’re working with helps you plan what amendments to add before planting.
✅ 3. Add Compost
Spread a generous layer of compost over all your beds. This is the single most important thing you can do to prepare your garden for the growing season. It feeds the soil, improves structure, and sets your plants up for success.
✅ 4. Start Seeds Indoors
Many vegetables and flowers benefit from being started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date. Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, and celery all do well when given an early indoor start.
🌱 Tip: Use a seed-starting mix, not regular garden soil, for the best germination results.
✅ 5. Prune Shrubs and Roses
Early spring, before new growth begins, is the perfect time to prune most shrubs and roses. Remove dead, damaged, and crossing branches to open up the plant and encourage strong new growth.
✅ 6. Divide Overcrowded Perennials
If your perennial plants have become overcrowded, early spring is the ideal time to lift and divide them. This reinvigorates the plants, improves flowering, and gives you free new plants to fill other areas of the garden.
✅ 7. Check and Repair Garden Structures
Inspect raised beds, trellises, fences, and supports for any winter damage. Repair or replace anything that needs attention before the growing season gets underway.
✅ 8. Plan Your Planting
Take time to plan what you want to grow this season and where. Draw a simple sketch of your garden and map out where each crop or plant will go. Good planning prevents wasted space and avoids problems with crop rotation.
✅ 9. Direct Sow Hardy Vegetables
Once the soil has warmed and the risk of hard frost has passed, you can begin direct sowing hardy vegetables. Lettuce, spinach, radishes, peas, and carrots can all go straight into the ground in early spring.
✅ 10. Mulch Your Beds
After planting, apply a layer of organic mulch to all your beds. Mulch retains moisture, suppresses weeds, regulates soil temperature, and feeds the soil as it breaks down. It’s one of the best things you can do for a low-maintenance garden.
Ava’s Spring Tip
Every year on the first warm spring day, I make a cup of tea, walk around my garden slowly, and just observe. I look at what survived winter, what needs attention, and where the opportunities are. That quiet observation always gives me the best ideas for the season ahead.
Conclusion
Spring doesn’t have to be stressful. Work through this checklist at your own pace, enjoy the process, and remember — every task you complete in spring sets you up for a more beautiful and productive garden all year long.
Happy spring gardening! 🌷 — Ava
