Claire Mummery: Easy ways to get your garden ready for spring planting

Now is the time to get your garden soil ready for spring planting. Photo / 123rf

As a gardener with more than 30 years of experience, the time-old tradition of preparing for spring has become a curious concept now that our seasons and weather are so unusual. I feel the seasons are shifting, so being prepared for all eventualities in the garden becomes imperative.

So, what does getting ready for spring actually mean in the garden?

In essence, it’s time to prepare your beds, decide what you would like to eat over the summer months, and choose the flowers that will bring the beneficial insects your plants will need.

I love to have a food garden year-round, and delight in the ease of growing a winter garden, with far fewer pests and diseases to contend with. But people get more excited about growing a spring/summer garden, so it becomes important to get your garden ready if you decide to take on the challenges of the hotter months.

Here are my top 9 steps to get ready for growing this spring:

1. Food security in your own backyard is becoming a priority, and I urge you to think about growing some permanent crops to nourish your families. Consider how these crops can grow together and allocate an area of your garden for these to flourish. Think about the big picture and how you would like it to look in three years’ time. Vegetables like asparagus, onions and strawberries love to be together, accompanied by lemon balm with a row of alyssum to attract beneficial insects.

2. Preparing for spring means getting ready to plant - so you need to assess the quality and health of your soil now. Does it need more organic matter? Do you have a working compost bin that could be emptied into the garden now, ahead of the upcoming growing season?

3. An important part of preparing for success in the garden is planting to attract bees and beneficial insects - dedicate areas of your growing beds to flowers that will help your garden work in harmony with nature, and you’ll be thanking yourself when the summer pests invade!

4. Before you head out to buy your plants, draw a little plan of your garden. Many people get carried away and either over-sow or over-buy, which is a waste of time and money! When you have too many plants and not enough space, it is sad to watch them sit there and slowly die. Be as realistic as possible, so you can ensure success this summer.

5. Plan ahead to save money, time and resources by talking to friends and neighbours, offering to share plants or seeds with them. This way, if you only have room for a few plants and you can only buy them in a punnet of many, none will go to waste.

6. The weather patterns of spring and summer are becoming less and less predictable. When allocating bed space in your garden, consider where the prevailing winds come from, where the midday and afternoon sunshine are strongest, and where the rain settles most in the ground. Plant accordingly, so you won’t be scrambling when the unexpected happens.

7. Make sure all your tools are sharp and clean; check that your seeds are of good quality and have stored well over winter. Plan ahead so you know how you can keep your soil rich and healthy over the coming months.

8. Remember to source netting for your garden and save plastic bottles to cover the young plants to keep snails and slugs off.

9. Finally, remember to give your garden the attention it needs - the plants that will nourish us later need us to nourish them now…

I wish you every success in growing food this season to come and hope your gardens bestow you and your families with juicy, nourishing produce all summer long.

For more gardening advice, visit growinspired.co.nz and discover Claire Mummery’s online gardening course at growinspiredacademy.com