Cleaning up the plant border
Spring represents new, fresh beginnings. Even in the garden you can clean up nicely now. For example, by cleaning the flower borders. Remove dead plant debris and excess leaves. Use a trident or hand cultivator to loosen the top layer for better aeration and mulch your borders with a layer of compost. In the video gardener Henri Jansen explains why spreading lime after this job is a good idea.
As spring starts, think about your pond too! Clean the pond pump and filter so it is fully functional again when you want to use it. Remove all old leaves and old parts of aquatic plants with a net to prevent acidification of the water.
Spring pruning
Now is a good time to prune summer and fall flowering plants. Plants such as shrubs, the Butterfly bush, the Dogwood and the Hydrangea can be pruned back until the end of March. Wondering how to prune a Hydrangea prune that blooms on perennial or annual wood? Do you have a Peasant Jasmine in your garden? You can prune it now. Evergreen hedges should also be pruned now, so that they will soon be full of leaves. In the video you can see how Larkspur is pruned.
Restoring the lawn
As spring begins, your lawn could use a boost! Aerate your lawn with a lawn pricker or pitchfork. This will give you better aeration. You may also be suffering from bare spots in the lawn. Rake the soil loose with a wire rake. For uneven areas, you can spread a thin layer of cultivation earth or garden soil and level it. Then sow the grass seed and rake it in. Is the temperature already rising nicely at the start of spring? When it's above six degrees, your lawn starts growing again. From then on, you can mow again. Don't mow too short the first time, but choose a higher setting. In this video on lawn care provides even more useful tips.
Planting
Spring is a good time to plant your border. When ordering your border plants, pay attention to the flowering time, height and width of plants. Check out our extensive Plant Encyclopedia for all the information. Tip: Don't just look at a plant's blooms, combine with leaf colors and shapes. You'll be amazed at the beautiful combinations you can make! You may also have plants in the garden that didn't do well in their current spot last year. They deserve a try to see if they do well in another spot. Now is the time to move them.
Design and sustainable construction
Enjoying your dream garden this summer? Thanks to the online design program www.tekenjetuin.nl, it's easier than you think! Translate your ideas into a customized plan. A plan that you can then view in 2D and 3D, giving you an even better idea of your new garden. Even without drawing experience, you can translate your wishes into a clear design. Think carefully about the choices you make in your garden. The better it fits, the longer you will be happy with it. Emptying and redoing the garden quickly is not a good idea from a sustainability (or financial) point of view.
Of course, you don't have to redesign your entire garden. Replacing one large element often gives a completely different picture. Take a critical look at the structures in your garden: replace rotten posts or fences and install a climbing frame for your climbing plants. Transform a cluttered corner by clearing out all the stuff. Maybe there's room for a canopy. If you make something new, reuse materials whenever possible. That way you are doing something sustainable. Old tiles from the garden might form the basis for a pile wall. Or use them to build a bench. More tips for climate-neutral gardening? Read the blog post on this topic.
Attention to the terrace
Now that spring is beginning, we are going to sit outside more. Of course, you prefer to do that on a clean and fresh patio. Quickly scrub off the green layer on your path and terrace. By spreading sand, you can wipe it away in an environmentally friendly way. Also clean your garden furniture or lounge set thoroughly. Then put a nice pot of spring flowers on the table or terrace. Very suitable are Pansies, Crocuses, Daffodils, Blue Grapes and Hyacinths. They will give you an instant feeling of spring!
Tip: Easter is the celebration of spring. Sunday, April 4, is it. Read the blog post on how to get your garden into the Easter spirit.
Chores for the vegetable garden
In the vegetable garden, too, you can roll up your sleeves. There is quite a lot you can sow outside now, such as carrots, radishes and chives. Some other seedlings, like tomatoes, peppers and basil, are better left inside. Don't have a compost bin yet? Make one now so you can use it throughout the vegetable gardening season.
Animal-friendly garden
To fully enjoy birds, bees and butterflies this spring, roll up your sleeves now. For example, hang an insect hotel, naturally out of the wind and in the sun, preferably facing south. Birds love a pond. No room for a pond or don't like it? Put up a large drinking bowl somewhere. And sow flower mixtures now that will attract butterflies later in the summer. The Butterfly Foundation's top 10 butterfly plants include Winter Heather, Viburnum, Lavender, Autumn Asters and, of course, Butterfly Bush.
More tips and spring chores?
Check out our garden calendar for the months of March and April. Or watch the video in which gardener Henri Jansen fills in bare spots between Lavender plants and prunes the plants directly.