Spring is one of the most-awaited and exciting seasons for every gardener. It is a time to parade beautiful flowers and create color displays through spring gardening leaving behind the coldness of winter.
Choosing what flowers to plant in the spring — like perennials, annuals, and biennials — is a delight. There are so many flowering plants to include in your spring gardening journey. Let us guide you in creating the perfect seasonal flower garden for spring.
How To Prepare your Seasonal Flower Garden for Spring
As soon as the cold winter air subsides, and the snow melts in your garden, you can start preparing it for the flower garden of your spring dreams. After the winter season, you are probably ready to replace those crops with colorful flowers to brighten up your spring. Here are some steps for preparing your flower garden:
- Clean your gardening tools and get them ready to tend your spring garden. This step is essential to avoid spreading any plant disease or insects in your garden.
- It is best to add nutrients like fertilizer to rejuvenate the soil for spring gardening. Ensure that it is dry enough before adding fertilizers.
- Remove unwanted weeds, dead plants, rocks, and roots from the previous season.
- Choose a spot in your garden that gets a good amount of direct sunlight since flowering plants love the sun.
What To Plant in Your Spring Flower Garden
There is a collection of classic and beloved spring-flowering plants that all gardeners love, while others are just a treat for the eyes. Flowering plants include perennials, annuals, and biennials. Annuals die mid winter, biennials go dormant once before finally ending their lifecycle, and perennials go all year from active to dormant. Furthermore, it is crucial to choose the right flowers that bloom in spring and will grace your beautiful garden with a colorful display.
Here are a few spring flowers to grow in your garden:
- Daffodils are classic springtime bulbs to plant in spring. They are the perfect addition to your spring garden with their cheery yellow flowers. Daffodils need to be planted in fall to bloom in springtime.
- Hyacinths are beautiful and fragrant flowers. The blooms can last a couple of weeks and have a natural toxic substance that protects them from rodents.
- Primrose are perennial flowering plants that come in early spring. They have beautiful colors ranging from white, deep purple, and yellow, to canary and pink. They are also considered low-maintenance flowering plants.
- Tulips are perennials but treated as annuals since they are delicate and planted each year. They need to be planted in fall to welcome spring on time. Tulips are also one of the favorite bulbs to plant in spring for gardeners.
- Sweet Pea is the perfect annual flower for spring gardening. They grow better in cooler air and come in pink, lavender, white, and red colors.
- Pansies are perfect flowering plants to liven up spring containers and planting beds. They are also annuals that come in shades of purple, white, yellow, burgundy, and coral.
- Peonies are a beloved spring flowering plant. They are known for their big round buds that give off a fragrant bloom. Peonies come in pastel shades of red, pink, yellow, and white. They also live long and bloom year by year.
How To Start Seeds for Your Spring Flower Garden
After carefully choosing what spring flowers to grow, you must decide whether you want to start from seeds or buy a flowering plant. If you are a beginner in seasonal gardening, you can opt to get flowering plants from a local nursery as an easier option.
If you want a challenge, get the seeds, and let’s start planting.
- The soil must be moist and healthy before planting seeds. You can start in seedling bags, pots, or flower beds.
- Follow the instructions on the seedling packet for your flowering plants.
- Water gently and keep the soil moist to encourage seed growth.
- The best time to sow flower seeds is between the spring and fall seasons. Perennials also do well when planted in the fall and summer when days are not too hot.
How To Plant your Spring Flower Garden
Your spring flower garden needs to receive at least five to six hours of direct sunlight to flourish. Flowering plants need enough sunlight to transform into energy and help in flower production. Ensure that the spring flower garden gets enough water and is near a good water source. Plot your spring garden to protect more delicate flowering plants.
Planting/Potting
- Prepare your garden using a spade to loosen the soil before transplanting your flowering plants.
- Dig at least 12 inches deep for annuals and 18 inches for perennial flowering plants.
- Plant at the same level as they were in their potted container.
Watering
- Spring flowers require one to two inches of moisture weekly to flourish and bloom generously.
- It is best to water deeply but less regularly so that the root can grow deeper.
- Adding a layer of mulch or shredded leaves will help in keeping your flowering plant moist.
Fertilizer
- Flower plants mostly need more nutrients added through fertilizers which helps provide bigger blooms or flowers.
- You can choose to mix slow-release fertilizers or other options.
- Different flowering plants require different amounts of fertilizer. For example, annuals need one dose of liquid and all-purpose fertilizer in a month and perennials twice a month.
Pest Control
- Use homemade pest control remedies using soap mixtures with different oils like neem. Spray one every two weeks to keep the flower garden free from insects and pests.
How and When To Harvest Your Spring Flower Garden
Most spring flowers planted in the fall will bloom just in time for early spring until late spring. Harvesting your flowers depends on the plant. Perennials can be harvested in the early spring, while others need to grow to a specific size before harvesting.
Hyacinths are ready to harvest when the bottom of one or two flowers is beginning to open. On the other hand, tulips are much more delicate. Tulips are ready for harvest as soon as the buds are fully colored but remain closed. This method ensures that it will fully develop and open after harvesting the flower.
Spring Specific Things To Remember When Planning and Working in your Flower Garden
- Spring can bring in a lot of pests and unwanted visitors looking to munch on your beautiful spring flower garden.
- Add a layer of protection to your garden by planting shrubs or installing barriers to prevent rodents and animals from entering.
- Balance the need for sunlight and adequate moisture to ensure your garden flowers bloom generously.
Wrapping Up
The spring season will always be a colorful time for green thumbs. People who started flower gardening in spring will surely know why it is the most beloved season. Take note of this seasonal gardening guide for flower gardening in spring and get the best flowers blooming.