Spring Gardening Planner

Early Spring

• Cut back ornamental grasses, prairie-style borders and autumn-flowering perennials.
• Prepare beds and borders for planting; weed and dig over the soil; add organic matter where appropriate.
• Prune late-flowering shrubs, early summer-flowering clematis and roses.
• Cut lavender hedges back.
• Apply a granular fertilizer around shrubs, trees and perennials.
• Sow half-hardy annuals indoors.
• Pot up plug plants indoors.
• Lift and divide established clumps of perennials.
• Plant hardy grasses.
• Regularly deadhead spring-flowering bulbs and bedding plants.
• Repot Christmas trees.

Mid-late Spring

• Plant perennials, summer-flowering bulbs and pond plants.
• Inside, plant Thai herbs.
• Plant indoor hanging basket.
• Sow hardy annuals directly outdoors; sow tender annuals indoors.
• Sow vegetables and plant potatoes.
• Sow a wildflower meadow.
• Mulch the soil.
• Start weeding.
• Prune early-flowering shrubs and early clematis after flowering.
• Stake herbaceous perennials.
• Start mowing the lawn.

Any Time of Year

• Make a compost bin; fill, turn and empty when necessary.
• Make a wooden obelisk.
• Create a bog garden.
• Dig out a pond.
• Make a border and lawn edge.
• Make a rose arch.
• Check tree ties and loosen if necessary.
• Look out for pests and diseases, and take appropriate action.
• Cut out dead or diseased wood.
• Clean all cutting tools after use to prevent spreading plant diseases.