Has spring caught you by surprise? Have the warmer days reminded you that your green space could use some garden maintenance? After months of winter, it’s all too common to feel unprepared as spring pops up out of seemingly nowhere.
NeighborScape has you covered. Join us below as we delve into four simple spring garden maintenance tasks to help you prepare your green space for the warmer months ahead. Read on to learn more!
#1: Plant Spring Plants & Flowers
Early planting helps your garden come into full bloom faster, rather than waiting until mid-season to see results. There is no shortage of gorgeous foliage and greenery to add to your garden, with many plants ready to be sown or planted in the early spring. When choosing plants for your garden, ensure they’re hardy enough to survive cooler temperatures before the soil warms up.
Try planting a mix of decorative and edible plants:
- Hardy herbs (Basil, Chives, Oregano, Parsley)
- Flourishing flowers (Pansies, Snapdragons, Primroses)
- Classic vegetables (Kale, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Parsnips)
#2: Add New Mulch to Garden Beds
Mulch is one of the most effective tools for spring garden maintenance, and for good reason, too! Mulch offers a myriad of benefits for the garden, helping protect and maintain healthy growing conditions. When applied to garden beds, mulch acts as a protective layer, helping conserve nutrients and water. Organic mulch can be made from a wide variety of materials, including wood chips, straw, tree bark, pine needles, and other natural materials.
Just like most things, mulch needs a strong foundation. A clean garden bed is needed to achieve the full benefits of mulching. Before applying mulch, make sure your garden beds are cleared of any leaves, weeds or other debris. Once your plants are in place, apply mulch in an even layer throughout to get the full benefits.
#3: Prune Trees & Shrubs
For your garden to flourish, some things need to be cut back as well. Pruning refers to the act of removing dead or weakened branches on trees and shrubs to make room for new growth. It’s not just about shaping; it’s crucial to set up your greenery for healthy, successful growth as the weather warms. Pruning is necessary to improve plant resilience by reducing diseased growth before it spreads to the entire plant.
Most trees and shrubs in gardens can be lightly pruned in early spring to remove old winter growth. If you’re unsure of how much to cut back, a garden maintenance professional can take care of this for you.
#4: Simple Landscaping Upgrades
When it comes to landscaping, even the smallest changes can have a big impact. Spring is the perfect time to get a head start on this, as summer is often much busier with other gardening tasks.
One of our favourite simple yet impactful spring projects is adding river rock to yards, gardens, and other home green spaces. River rock landscaping is a low-maintenance way to add structure to gardens. It’s a fantastic early-spring project, as it helps create clear boundaries before peak summer growth arrives.
Other high-impact garden upgrades include:
- Installing garden edging
- Adding raised garden beds
- Placing stepping stones
By tackling these smaller landscaping tasks early, you can enjoy your garden all summer long.
Get Your Garden Ready with NeighborScape
The growing season doesn’t wait. Neither should you. At NeighborScape, we’re your partner for garden maintenance and lawn care across the Ottawa Valley. From garden mulching to planting seasonal flowers and crops, we’re here to help you take care of all of these tasks—and more.
Reach out to us today to book your appointment with our expert garden maintenance team, trusted for exceptional work since 2006.
