Spring To-Do List

In the veggie patch: 

• Get heat lovers (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil, cucumbers, squashes) into the ground as soon as weather permits.

• Plant beans during a warm, dry spell. 

• Interplant marigolds and strongly scented herbs to help divert pests.

• Put fresh straw around strawberry plants to keep the berries clean and dry. 

• Harvest early vegetables (e.g., peas, radishes, greens) regularly, and continue with direct sowings as space permits.

• Direct seed brassicas (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale) for fall/winter harvest.

• Shade seedlings/young plants from intense sunlight during heat spells.

• Mulch everything with aged compost to retain moisture while feeding the soil. 

Elsewhere in the garden:

• As bulbs finish blooming, cut the stems down and let the foliage die back naturally.

• Finish planting out summer annuals. 

• Plant and stake dahlias.

• Clean up rhododendrons and azaleas as they finish flowering.

• Prune early blooming shrubs as needed after they finish flowering. 

• Keep ornamental beds weeded and mulched to conserve moisture.