7 Tips for Starting a Spring Garden

Every Saturday, I love to bring you guys a post that rounds up some awesome tips from a bunch of my favorite ladies, as part of the #‎ChosenChixHop‬. Hope you enjoy too! :)

How to start a spring garden

My mom is a serious gardener. Like, amazing. Which means over the past few years, I’ve learned a ton from her. And I love that she doesn’t just help me grow pretty stuff, like flowers and greenery, but also practical stuff like fruits, nuts, herbs, and veggies. She rocks. And as we gear up for spring planting time {I know, I know, some of you still have snow. But here in Central Washington, it’s oddly super springtime already!} I thought I’d share a few tips if you want to get your own spring garden ready for blooming too.

1. Start seeds. We have a greenhouse that we use, this one: OGrow Deluxe Walk-In 3 Tier 6 Shelf Portable Greenhouse But even if you don’t have the budget or space for one of these, you can totally still start seeds. We have an old bakers rack, that we put lights on, and use old bakery containers to start seeds. Like, mini greenhouses. Here are a couple of other ideas:

Starting Plants – great tips.
Seed Starting Calculator – to know when to plant which seeds.
Super Fast Way to Start Seeds + Printable – awesome info.

2. Plan your garden. Do you want produce, or just pretty flowers? How much time and effort to you have to put into this? Plot out your land – whether you have a big field like we do, for lots of separate gardens – or just a few pots on the porch, or even an herb garden in the window. Plan what you want. Your seeds need a place to live :)

A photo posted by Meagan Paullin (@sunandsipcups) on May 16, 2013 at 10:44pm PDT

3. Save money. There are a million gardening tools and supplies out there. You don’t need them all. Here are a few ways to save money on starting your garden:

Home Depot. They have awesome classes that are totally free. Like the one shown here – where people got to make their own succulent planters. You can see which ones are available near you, plus sign up for the mailing list and get awesome coupons. Learn more: Home Depot Free Workshops.
Use what you have. If you don’t already have gardening pots, or want to spend the money on them, use things you already have. Cups, jars, cans, boots, anything. Search Pinterest to find a million more cool ideas.
Just ask. Ask your local nursery or gardening store if they have any extras they’re throwing out. Sometimes they have plants that are not perky, that they have to toss because they won’t get sold. Sometimes they also have containers or soil to get rid of. They’d love to give it to someone that can use it, if it can’t be sold – instead of just tossing it. Ask on Freecycle.com if anyone has gardening supplies to donate. Ask friends for outdated pots and tools, or for seeds and starts of plants of theirs. Gardeners are a generous bunch!
Freebies. This post has a ton of low or no-cost ideas for garden tools, many of which I use myself!

4. Plant bulbs. Here’s a great post with info on how to get them started: How to Force Spring Bulbs. If you’re new to gardening, bulbs can be easier in spring than starting seeds.

5. Small yards. Small yard? No problem! Like I mentioned above, anyone can have a garden, even if it’s containers on the porch or a row of herbs on the kitchen shelf. Here’s a few tips to help: Landscaping a super small yard, and tips on container gardening. For years, in my early 20’s, container gardening was my only option as I was renting. But you can still do amazing things – promise :) My fave was my “salsa garden” – peppers and tomatoes growing in a pot, on a trellis, plus lots of herbs on the bottom. So awesome.

6. Consider annuals. Some plants bloom once, then die. Others will come back year after year – giving you a better bang for your buck. Here’s a great list and some helpful info on things you can plant once and have come back year after year.

7. Plan for the future. At the end of the growing season, you’ll want to preserve all of the amazing stuff you’ve grown – if you’re growing any fruits and veggies. Here’s some great printables and info on planning for that: Canning Planning. We do a TON of canning – pickles, peaches, pears, tomatoes, jams, salsa, and more. We make dried apricots and fruit leather. We chop and freeze tons of fruits, and lots of peppers. It’s amazing how much produce you can grow in even the smallest of spaces – while saving money, and eating much healthier foods.