Spring is fast approaching, just look and listen. Chipmunk sightings are more frequent, songbirds are singing, woodpeckers are hammering, the occasional Crocus has reared its petite head, and my personal favorite: the days are getting longer.

Of course, I would be remiss if I excluded the two most common signs of spring in Maine: pot holes and frost heaves!

To all of you snow naysayers; let me remind you as gardeners, snow is our friend … most of the time. Snow insulates the ground and protects tender root systems from extreme temperature fluctuations. A cover of snow helps prevent heaving, helps the ground retain moisture and offers added nitrogen and sulfur to the soil.

Winters with adequate snow accumulations send gardens into spring with moisture levels to aid in healthy and vigorous plant development for the upcoming season.

Time will tell if the winter of 2017-2018 has prepared gardens for healthy development. We have some very long, frigid stretches with no snow on the ground which may mean spring will have a dry start, especially if we don’t experience adequate spring rains.

The one constant of it all, is that Mother Nature will give us what she will; we just may have to work a bit harder to see that our gardens prosper.

What are we up to?

While the ground was still frozen in March, we were:

  • Late winter pruning
  • Checking out new plant varieties
  • Sourcing plant material for projects
  • Designing exciting new projects
  • Working on our spring clean up schedule and calendar
  • Creating container and window box designs for clients (See photos of what we can do for you)
  • Appropriate veggie seeds have been started indoors
  • Laying out veggie garden crop rotations for clients in preparation for planting