Dreaming of Spring
Spring is almost here! Soon the sun will be shining brightly, melting away all of the snow (if it snows where you live), and you can swap out your winter wardrobe for your bright spring clothes. It will be time for outdoor gardening, once the ground thaws. The weeks of winter feel the longest, as you wait for the first days of spring. If you're currently dreaming of spring, there are some things you can do to help get ready and shake off winter.
When in Doubt, Clean it Out
Spring tends to be synonymous with cleaning. Cleaning out your house and outdoor living spaces right before spring helps to give you a fresh start to the new season. Cleaning and organizing also help you to stay active and moving, which is essential for winter wellness. A deep spring clean goes beyond a simple tidying up. Clean and organize the areas of your house you tend to forget about, like the gutters, baseboards, and storage closets.
Need Some Cleaning Ideas?
Air filters
Water filters
Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Curtains
Outdoor Furniture
Grill
Windows
Clean out your closet
Shake Off Winter and Welcome Spring
As spring rolls around, we slowly start coming out of our hibernation. During winter, it's easy to be less active as the snowy days tempt us to stay in bed and watch Netflix with a cup of tea. Now that the weather is warming back up, it's time to get active again. Set personal goals for yourself and what you'd like to accomplish this spring.
Stay healthy and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. You want to make the most out of the beautiful spring weather and stay outdoors as much as you can! Vitamin-C is excellent for fighting colds and other illnesses that go around during the winter. Try to avoid foods high in sugar, sodium, and simple carbs to keep your mood elevated. These foods can lead to you crash after a quick spike in energy.
Start exercising more, so you're ready to get outdoors and back to your active lifestyle. Do lots of stretching and walking and start enjoying spending time outside. If you're going to spend a lot of time in the sun, don't forget SPF. After spending the wintertime inside, you're more prone to getting sunburnt. Nature and sunshine will help kick away the last of the winter blues and boost your mood for spring.
Gardening Prep
Spring is often a favorite season for gardeners. After a long winter, we can't wait to start digging in the garden again. Check on your plants that were indoors for the winter, make sure there are no signs of illness, and trim away any dead leaves and flowers. Make sure your gardening tools and supplies are ready to go. Sharpen and repair your tools and restock your supplies. Check on your compost, turning and making sure it's ready for spring. Test your soil and make sure it's healthy and ready for gardening.
Garden Planning
Winter is the planning season for gardening. Unless you live in a warm place where you can garden year-round, most gardening activities come to a stop during the winter. You can use this time to get organized and ready for spring gardening.
Start Your Gardener's Notebook
Grow List
Pay attention to what fruits, vegetables, and herbs your family eats the most and write it down. Check and see which plants on your list are suited for your growing zone. Can the extras be preserved? Can you freeze or dry leftovers?
Sketch Your Space
Before you start gardening, it's helpful to draw out your garden and determine what you want to plant and where you want to plant it. Sketching helps to organize your garden and create a game plan for spring. Now is a great time to make DIY plant labels.
Timeline
Writing down a timeline helps you stay on track throughout the seasons. It's easy to lose track of time and end up planting your seeds too late. Your timeline will help you order your seasons on time and give you a point of reference each month for your gardening schedule.
What to put on your timeline:
When to order seeds
When to start seeds indoors
When to start planting
When to harvest
Gardening Research
Start noting tips and instructions for your plants by the seasons. Note when they need to be planted. Research how they should be cared for, amount of sun, water, etc. Try planting something new each year!
Journal
Keep track of what works and what doesn't in your garden. It's easy to forget what you planted next year. If you have a journal that you keep updated, it's easy to see what is typically successful in your garden and what is not. This will help you plan what to grow this year.
Are you dreaming of spring? It's almost here! Now is the time to start getting ready for the spring season and shake off winter. Soon the ground will be thawed, and you can start gardening again. Winter is a time for garden prep and planning so that you can enter spring with a gameplan. Start thinking about what you want to accomplish for yourself and in your garden, so you're ready when the warmer weather returns.