Spring gardening is so fun even pulling weeks is rewarding

Have you seen them? Signs of spring are everywhere. It may be frustratingly slow, at least for some of us, but more green emerges from the ground every day. For gardeners, it’s both a delight and an in-your-face ticking clock reminding you that there are jobs that need to be done. So with so many things to do in the garden, where should a gardener start?

A lot of things are happening at once in the garden, but some jobs are worth prioritizing, and that starts with weeding. It’s easy to spot many weeds now because perennials haven’t bulked yet to hide them. So, although it’s hardly a glamorous job, any weeding you do now will prevent a bigger job down the road. Look for areas with small seedlings popping up that are not likely to be desirable self-sowers. These can be easily grubbed out with a hoe. Larger weeds may need to be dug out, but some notorious bad actors like creeping Charlie are easier to dig out when garden beds are fairly bare.

It’s not a job that you need to be fastidious about, but raking out areas where there are an abundance of leaves can help plants emerge. It’s also a good way to see what’s happening in the garden.

Few things make a garden look better than a freshly cut edge, so it’s a incredibly satisfying task to check off as you’re working your way through the garden. I like to create a deep, straight edge along the lawn and push soil into the bed creating a half-V shaped edge.

There’s still time to prune things like clematis, late summer blooming shrubs like panicle hydrangeas and even ornamental grasses or lavender, but don’t delay.

If you like to make things more difficult for yourself, it’s a good time to pot up dahlia tubers to help them get a head start before they are planted in the garden. If you have patience, there’s no need to take this extra step and you can simply plant tubers directly in the garden when the soil reaches 65 degrees, but by potting them early, then transplanting them into the garden, you may get flowers two or three weeks earlier.

In the vegetable garden, things like peas, onions, beets and cole crops can be planted, so long as you have protection at the ready should temperatures take a dip toward freezing.

If you have eyes on renovating a part of the garden, it’s an excellent time for that as well. Have a plan ready, and move perennials as they emerge. Most plants can be divided as well if need be; some might prefer being moved in fall, but most will adapt just fine. The exception is warm-season grasses, which you should hold off on moving or dividing until you see new growth popping up.

Working in the garden at this time of year can be a joy not just because it’s been a long wait to get in it, but also because the garden is changing more quickly than any other time of year. Each day new plants are popping up, spring flowers are blooming and the fresh green foliage is at its peak. It’s enough to make you want to get out there and pull some weeds.