Get Ready to Gear Up Your Garden for Spring

The last of the long winter days are upon us, which means you don't have much time left to lazily meander through that stack of gardening magazines. Now is the perfect time, however, to get set for spring and your garden will be ready in no time!

Make a list of your gardening goals for the year, here are some to consider:
- new planters
- raised gardens
- herb garden
- veggie garden
- flower garden
- garden pond
- wildlife garden
- garden accessories

I always suggest to make a drawing of your existing home/garden/planting beds/accessories first. You can then draw out your plans for your new additions, taking into consideration sunlight requirements, size, nearby plantings and trees, etc. As you add to your drawing make a list of each gardens' cost including supplies needed, number of plants needed and any accessories. Those neat little seed and plant books that come in the mail this time of year will help tremendously for this. Also be sure to take into consideration your time zone for plants and seeds.

You can now use this list to order your plants by mail (order early to avoid backorders). Most catalog companies will not ship your order until a few days before recommended planting times. Or you can take your list to the nearby gardening center to begin stocking up on fertilizers, accessories, planters, seeds, new hoses and containers. Just the thought of purchasing the items sometimes makes spring feel a little closer! The selection will be great right now and that leaves you with just the fresh plants to purchase come planting time.

If you are planning on purchasing mulch for beds and having it delivered I would suggest pricing it now and getting on the delivery schedule before it is full. You may be able to negotiate a better price for larger orders if you plan early.

All that you are left to do now is to sit back and wait for the first spring day to get out and begin your projects! Happy Gardening!