Spring is Coming.

You know the drill. Every year you spend wintertime dreaming of brightly colored flowers and leaves on those naked trees in your yard, and when you start to see the first few buds beginning to emerge, you start thinking about your yard and how this year will be the year. Your yard will be the envy of all your neighbors. You will host garden parties straight out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. And most importantly, you'll have a beautiful place to relax away from the hustle bustle of life. Unfortunately, creating this reality is more difficult and more time-consuming than you plan for, and the final result falls short of your goal. So how can you do it better this year? Hopefully you can glean some insights from this post.

In following these steps and investing the time and energy necessary, you can transform your yard into a colorful, living work of art! So here we go:

Dirt may not be the most glamorous part of your garden, but it's where you want to start to prep for springtime. If you have mulch or any other type of groundcover, you're going to want to pull it back before turning the soil, and replace it after you're done. Work section by section through your yard, removing groundcover and then getting the soil moist (not wet) with your hose or a watering can. Then, using a trowel or larger shovel, being careful not to cut through too many roots, dig down twelve inches and turn the soil over. Break up any large chunks as best you can. Then, apply a few inches  of compost to the top of the turned, broken up soil. If you have established plants in the area, be careful to not allow the compost to touch the stems or trunks of the plants. If you do not have your own composting routine, you can purchase compost. My favorite is made by Dr. Earth. Mix the compost into the dirt, making sure it is completely incorporated, and then replace your groundcover, and add more if necessary to prevent weed growth.

Next, you're going to want to tend to your lawn. Over the winter, it may have gotten waterlogged and the dirt may have become compacted. A great tool to have on hand is an aerator, or you can hire someone to aerate your lawn for you. Aerating your lawn helps to make the soil less compacted, allows water and nutrients to reach deeper, and is especially helpful in high-traffic areas. It is a must if you want a lush, deep green lawn in the spring and summer months. To aerate your lawn, first moisten the soil, either by running your sprinklers for a few minutes or by going over it with a hose. Let the water seep into the soil, and then start aerating. After you've finished, you can add some fertilizer, weed and feed, or even more grass seeds to fill in bare spots. Don't overlook caring for your lawn! A great lawn can really compliment the rest of your garden.

Your next step should be to walk around your yard with your garden shears, moving systematically so as not to miss anything. Identify branches, flowers, and leaves/grasses that have died off, and remove them from the plant. This will encourage new growth. If you have grasses, they can usually be cut all the way back to the ground at this time, and will pop up in the spring, rejuvenated and strong. Removing dead and diseased plant matter from your yard will immediately improve the way it looks, as well as encourage your plants to put on new growth faster!

Finally, the fun part! Look at your yard, and figure out what projects you'd like to tackle this year. Take walks around your neighborhood and get inspiration for the types of plants you'd like to add. Whether you have just a strip to redo, or a whole 500 square feet, you can work towards making your yard just a little more picturesque. For example, my big project this year includes redoing the entire back half of my property! Start getting excited for spring, but remember, it's still early, and there may still be a few frosts coming. Putting in new plants should be put off until after the last frost of the season. And as always, plan before you plant! Make sure to choose the correct plants for your soil type, the area of your yard, and the temperature range of your microclimate.

---

Starting with these few tasks in your garden can give you a great head start in creating the yard of your dreams this spring and summer!