12 Ways to Jumpstart Your Garden This Spring • Schisandra & Bergamot

Spring is the perfect time to refresh your garden and set the stage for a season full of blooms, veggies, and vibrant greenery. With a little planning and a few smart moves, your garden can thrive from day one.

Whether you're starting from scratch or reviving last year's beds, these simple tips will help you kick off the growing season strong.

Start with a Soil Test

A hand tightly holding and letting soil fall, with green grass or crops growing in the background. — Photo Credit: Metelevan/Deposit Photos

Before planting anything, test your soil to check its pH and nutrient levels. Knowing what your soil needs will help you choose the right amendments for optimal growth.

Clear Out the Debris

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Remove dead leaves, weeds, and any winter-damaged plants. Cleaning up your garden beds gives new plants room to grow and helps prevent pests and disease.

Sharpen Your Tools

A garden shed with various tools, watering cans, a wheelbarrow, and equipment organized on shelves and against brick walls. — Photo Credit: ClickerHappy/Pixabay

Dull tools can damage plants and make gardening more difficult. Take time to clean, sharpen, and oil your shears, pruners, and spades before digging in.

Add Fresh Compost

A large pile of apples in various stages of ripeness and decay, scattered with dry brown leaves. — Photo Credit: ivabalk/Pixabay

Enrich your garden soil with a layer of compost to improve its structure and boost nutrients. It’s an easy, organic way to energize your plants from the roots up.

Plan Your Planting Layout

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Sketch out your garden beds or containers before planting. Group plants by their light, water, and spacing needs to ensure they all thrive together.

Start Seeds Indoors

Several young green seedlings growing in individual cells of a black plastic seed tray filled with soil. — Photo Credit: hat3m/Pixabay

Get a head start by sowing seeds indoors for vegetables, herbs, or flowers. You’ll have sturdy young plants ready to transplant once the risk of frost has passed.

Prune Shrubs and Trees

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Spring is the ideal time to prune most trees and shrubs, encouraging healthy new growth. Just be sure to avoid trimming early bloomers until after they flower.

Refresh Mulch

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Add a fresh layer of mulch to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and regulate soil temperature. Just keep it a few inches away from plant stems to prevent rot.

Feed Your Plants

A gloved hand sprinkles granular fertilizer onto soil around small green seedlings. — Photo Credit: NewAfrica/Deposit Photos

Use a balanced fertilizer to give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive. Choose one suited to your specific garden type—vegetable beds, flowers, or perennials.

Set Up a Watering System

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Whether it’s drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or a simple watering schedule, consistent moisture is key. Spring is the best time to get your system in place before the heat kicks in.

Plant Cool-Season Crops

Close-up of potatoes partially buried in dry, brown soil with stems and plant debris scattered around. — Photo Credit: Couleur/Pixabay

Take advantage of early spring by planting cool-weather vegetables like lettuce, peas, spinach, and radishes. They love the chill and will give you a quick harvest.

Attract Pollinators

A pale yellow butterfly with fine, dark speckles rests on a green leaf, with its wings closed and antennae extended. — Photo Credit: Illuvis/Pixabay

Invite bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds into your garden by planting pollinator-friendly blooms. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re also vital for a fruitful garden.

Spring is your garden’s wake-up call—and with the right steps, it can be a season of growth and abundance. A little prep now goes a long way in creating a lush, productive space you’ll enjoy all season long.