Preparation pays off for spring gardening

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, many of us are eagerly looking forward to our spring and summer gardening, whether we grow primarily flowers, veggies, or a mix of both. In my neck of the woods, here in southwestern New Mexico, it feels like spring is in full effect, even though our last frost date is still more than a month away.

However, other than some early greens and vegetables, I’m holding off on going full-tilt with my planting, because another frost could wipe out those seedlings unless they’re under cover. That said, it’s a great time to get started on some of the garden prep that can help make for a successful spring and summer garden, and unless your yard and garden plot are still buried under snow, there are plenty of things other than planting that can be done now to jumpstart the garden.

The following infographic from Craig Manor Hotel lays out some practical ways that you can get a headstart on your garden. Not all of them will apply to every situation (for example, I’m an advocate of ‘no-till’ gardening for many of my vegetable beds, rather than turning each bed every year), but there are some great garden prep tips that can help the newbie gardener get started.