A proliferating garden isn’t just a spring and summer hobby. With some planning and skill, your flower garden can deliver beauty along with food year round. Here is a detailed guide to garden success throughout the year.
Spring: Laying the Foundation
Your garden awakens in the spring. With soil temperatures rising, it’s time to get your beds ready and start planting. Soil at this time is key;work in organic matter like compost and worm castings to help it nurture nutrient-rich growing conditions.
The beginning of spring is the perfect time to plant cold-resistant vegetables such as peas, lettuce and spinach. When the danger of frost has past, switch over to the warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers by late spring. Spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils add their colorful flourish to ornamental gardens, and perennials start their seasonal push.
Spring implemented companion planting will help to minimize pest issues all season long. Try basil with tomatoes, or nasturtiums with cucumbers to help ward off garden pests.
Summer: Care and Harvesting
Summer is the season of plenty, and the season of challenge. Control water—irrigate with drip systems to apply water specifically to the root zones and reduce irrigation overall. Mulch around the base of plants helps hold moisture and discourage weeds.
Frequent picking promotes further production in vegetable gardens. With flowers, the more you remove (deadhead) the more they bloom. Look out for heat-stressed plants and add afternoon shade to especially sensitive crops on the hottest days.
Summer is also the moment to begin succession planting — seeding quick-growing crops every few weeks that ensures a continuous harvest throughout the season.
Autumn: On Transition and Ready-ing Up
Fall also provides a comeback opportunity for many crops, as temperatures drop. Cooler weather tends to bring out the natural sweetness in some fall vegetables, such as kale, carrots and brussels sprouts.
This is a great time to divide perennials and create new plants in time for winter. Fall-planted spring bulbs and garlic return as gifts in future seasons. Don’t miss the chance to seed a cover crop on empty beds to make the most of soil health benefits over the winter.
Fall is also a great time to start composting garden refuse, and turning waste into year after year after year garden soil.
Winter: Planning and Protection
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean gardening has to stop. Winter gardening can involve pulling cold-hardy crops from beneath row covers or from cold frames. Grow indoor microgreens and sprouts for fresh homegrown nutrition through the coldest months.
Use winter for garden planning —evaluate last season’s successes and challenges, order your heirloom seeds and plan new garden spaces. Winter is also a good time for tool maintenance and to construct fresh raised beds for the spring.
For perennial gardens, good winter protection will enable your plants to emerge healthy and vigorous in the spring. Once the ground freezes, cover around valuable perennials with mulch (to prevent frost heaving).
The possibilities each season provides, you can have a productive, sustainable garden that offers year-round delight and keeps you rooted to nature’s cycles. Whether you’re focused on flowers, veggies, or a little of everything, these seasonal tactics will help you get the most out of your garden all year long.