Have A Lush And Beautiful Landscape All Year Round

It’s every gardener’s dream to have a garden that looks vibrant and healthy throughout the year. While most gardens look their best during the spring and early summer season, it’s a different story once winter comes. But what if you can maintain a pretty landscape all year round? If you know the ins and outs of seasonal gardening, you can have healthy crops, colorful blooms, and robust trees throughout all four seasons.

Spring is the best time to prep your outdoor space since it sets the foundation for gardening success, so if you’re just about to start a garden, plan on doing it in early spring. According to Cheryl Boyer, a professor and Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources Extension Program Director at Kansas State University, this is the time when gardeners start “planning their gardening activities for the year, or learning about new garden topics through reading, listening, or webinars.” Here are some simple ways to do seasonal gardening and have an awesome outdoor space all year round.

Plant Crops and Trees in Spring

Spring is such an exciting time to start gardening since it’s when the soil begins to warm up and soften, making it ideal for planting crops such as lettuce, potatoes, carrots, peppers, spinach, strawberries, and broccoli. You can also plant trees during this time, but to help them thrive, you need to choose the right tree species according to your hardiness zone. For instance, if you live in the Southeast region which covers North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida, you can grow red maple trees, which are native to these areas. You can also plant crabapple trees, which bloom beautifully from spring to early summer, as well as black olive and citrus trees.

If you’re adding trees to your property, plan on fortifying your exterior with impact windows. Keep in mind that the Southeast region, particularly Florida, experiences frequent storms and hurricanes. Impact windows can save your home from damage in case a broken tree branch comes hurtling towards your property during extreme weather conditions.

Aside from planting vegetable crops and trees, there are other gardening activities that you can do during spring. Take advantage of the mild weather and clean up your flower and vegetable beds to prepare them for planting. You can also prune your shrubs and trees to keep them healthy and give them a nice shape. In late spring, start deadheading flowering bulbs to encourage them to bloom next year, then plant summer-blooming bulbs like dahlias, lilies, and freesia.

Protect Crops from High Heat During the Summer

Summer is when gardens burst into full bloom, so if you’ve planted some summer flowering plants during the spring months or even the previous year, you can expect to see a gorgeous display of colors in your backyard. One thing that you’ll have to remember though is that the high heat can be dangerous to plants, and a lot of your crops may struggle in the sizzling temperatures. As such, consider growing only warm season crops like arugula, beans, kale, potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini, as well as herbs like mint, oregano, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and sage. For flowers that won’t droop or wilt in the heat, think about growing marigolds, zinnias, and periwinkle.

One of the most effective ways to keep your plants healthy in the summer months is to water them deeply. This means providing your garden with enough water so that it soaks deeply into the soil and right into the roots of your plants. You can deep water with a drip irrigation setup, or use a hose to water your plants. See to it that the stream is light and steady since fast running water won’t be absorbed by the soil, especially if it’s tightly packed or if you used clay soil in your garden.

Prep for the Cold Months in Autumn

As the weather turns cooler, you’ll need to prepare your garden to withstand extreme cold during the late autumn and winter months. Once the leaves start to change colors, clear your garden of weeds, collapsed stems, fallen leaves, and dead plant matter, then spread compost over the soil to protect plant roots from the cold. Harvest crops before they fall to the ground and rot, and check trellises, raised beds, the greenhouse, and the shed to see if you need to make repairs.

If you plan to plant new crops during the autumn months, think about planting cover crops like peas, mustard, alfalfa, or radish to prevent erosion. You can also plant deciduous trees like oak, elm, maple, or birch, as well as flowering shrubs like camellias, rhododendrons, or lilacs.

Maintain Your Garden in Winter

Planting or doing anything that involves digging isn’t recommended during the winter season, but there are other things that you can do to keep your garden in shape. You can prune your trees and flowering bushes so they look nice and tidy. Next, do an inventory of your gardening tools and replace, clean, repair, or sharpen them so they’re ready to use once spring comes. You may also want to start planning your spring gardening activities and order some seeds and bulbs, then sow some seeds indoors or in your greenhouse.

Gardening is a pastime that requires time, patience, and commitment, so you’ll need to put in some effort no matter what the season to help your garden thrive. Consider these tips to have a healthy backyard, and enjoy having a colorful and beautiful garden year after year.

Seasonal Gardening: How To Have A Lush And Beautiful Landscape All Year Round

Plant Crops and Trees in Spring

Protect Crops from High Heat During the Summer

Prep for the Cold Months in Autumn

Maintain Your Garden in Winter

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