Since we are on lockdown indefinitely, I am taking the time to do quarantine gardening and catch up on spring gardening chores. There are so many things I can definitely think of in order to use most of the free time staying home. If you enjoy gardening like me, here are some projects that I hope will inspire you too……
- Create a spring container garden – Even the grocery stores sell $1 seedlings of annuals and perennials that you can buy for a container. Choose a color scheme, textures or decide whether the pot goes in a sunny location or shady area. What I love to do is mix and match different plants depending on the season. So for this spring I chose cool colors such as blue, pink, white and silver.
2. Start seeds of herbs and easy to grow vegetables Parsley, basil, chives, lavender, mint, oregano, and tarragon are some of my favorites. I also love arugula, mixed lettuces, carrots, peas, radish, spinach are just some of the easiest vegetables to grow.
3. Feed the lawn – Now is a good time to feed the grass with fertilizer or weed and feed to encourage healthy growth and control weeds.
4. Check the sprinklers to make sure everything is working and replace broken ones.
5. Clean and organize the potting table. It’s definitely more inspiring to work with a clean and organized potting table. Sweep it with a brush, then arrange pots and hand tools to make them accessible to you when you need them.
6. Pull weeds in the plant beds. The best time to pull weeds is after the garden has been watered or after rain. Water loosens the soil and makes it easier to pull weeds from the ground.
7. Repot overgrown houseplants. A houseplant needs a bigger home when the roots are bound and coming out through the bottom of the pot. Gently loosen the roots and transplant it using fresh potting soil. Then cut off any dead leaves. Finally, add fertilizer into the soil and water well.
8. Hose down the outside of existing containers – This will get rid of spider webs and dirt from the containers you already have around the house.
9. Apply 2-3 inches of compost to plant beds and edible garden. I started a compost pile last fall and now it’s ready to spread on the ground. The compost pile contains layers of grass cuttings, dead leaves and kitchen scraps. Compost provides organic nutrients to the soil.
I hope that these quarantine gardening tips inspires you to catch up with your spring gardening chores. Then by summer you will reap the rewards of having a lush and beautiful yard. Stay safe everyone!