Spring Fever and What to do in the Garden

Springtime in Colorado is a welcome and crazy season. We are so eager for the grass to green up, the leaves to come out, the sun to warm us, and the snow to stop. All of this is true, except the snow isn’t going to stop quite yet. So given that Saturday will be 73 degrees and sunny, and Sunday will be 37 and snowy, what can you do in the garden on Saturday? Cleanup work in the garden is important this time of year, but not as fun as planting new things. Trim back any perennials that didn’t get trimmed last fall, weed the emerging dandelions and grasses, and turn over the soil in garden areas on Saturday, even if it doesn’t feel like you are accomplishing anything. Put some new compost around your perennials, rose bushes and shrubs, and work compost into your garden soil. This will all get watered in on Sunday when it snows (or maybe just rains).

Easter basket for indoor or outdoor cheer

If you really want to plant something on Saturday – do some cold hardy pots of color for your porch. I love to make living Easter baskets this time of year. Pansies and snapdragons are cold hardy, and if you put them in pots, you can move them to a warmer spot if we have a hard freeze (still possible). You can also plant seeds for cold hardy vegetables, such as spinach and peas. You can start planting perennials in the next few weeks. If you are purchasing perennials from a greenhouse, let them “harden off” or adjust to cooler temperatures at night by sitting on the porch or other protected spot for a few days. And look at the weather forecast, so you don’t plant them the day before a cold snap. You can also plant trees and shrubs this time of year. So take your spring fever into the garden on Saturday, spend a little time cleaning up, then jot down some notes about places you need to fill in next week. Put a basket of pansies on your porch and take a walk, enjoying the bulbs and flowering trees, before it snows on Sunday.

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