Spring is almost here, bringing longer days, warmer temperatures, and increased sunlight. As the ground thaws and the snow melts, gardeners take their cue to begin garden planning! Starting on spring garden planning early can help ensure a stress-free and strategic growing season. 

Whether this year will be your first with a garden or you’re looking for ways to improve your practice, you’re in the right place. This approach to planning a summer garden and laying out the steps of your spring preparations will help you enjoy every moment of the gardening season, instead of stressing about details at every turn. Start here and refine your approach as you go (and grow)!

Planning a Summer Garden Calendar

To begin, establish your timeline. Planning a summer garden calendar involves a bit of math, but nothing to be intimidated by! Find your USDA plant hardiness zone using the plant hardiness map. This will help guide your planting schedule and could even help you choose which varieties of flowers and vegetables to plant. 

With your hardiness zone in mind, it’s time to choose your plants! Whether your focus is on fruits and vegetables or showy blooms, you’ll be able to backwards plan your ideal planting calendar using your seed packets and your plant hardiness zone. Consider using a planner to write down the ideal weeks for planting each variety you’ve chosen. 

Starting with this step allows you to understand the full runway and timeline for your spring garden planning as you lead into the summer garden and harvest you’ve been dreaming of! 

Choosing Your Garden Type: Raised Bed Gardening & In-Ground Gardening

Now that you know how much time you have to prepare your garden, it’s time to select your garden type. This selection depends on the soil where you live, your budget, and your available space. There are pros and cons to every option, but raised bed gardening tends to see the best results in areas with clay soil or unbalanced native soil levels. 

Instead of amending soil and starting an in-ground garden, many gardeners opt for raised bed gardening and fill each bed with high-quality soil and compost. On the other hand, many flower varieties are perfectly suited for native soils and borders, and you might find that you prefer a combination of in-ground and raised bed gardening! 

Raised bed gardening requires considerable set-up as you build or purchase each bed and fill it with the ideal mix of filler, soil, and compost. It’s a great idea to start these preparations early! Remember that soil health is not a “one and done” endeavor. Your plants will thank you for applying routine soil amendments like Soil Wizard and Wiggle Wonder!

Your Next Steps for Spring Garden Planning

With your garden type selected, your timeline laid out and your flowers, fruits, and veggies decided, it’s time to plan your layout! Spend time digging into companion planting practices and map out where you’ll plant each variety. This aspect of spring garden planning can play a critical role in the success of your garden. Allow nature to do its work in keeping your garden healthy and thriving by rotating your crops each year. 

If this isn’t your first season in your garden, consider testing your soil to determine the best path for amending it. You might also choose to add drip irrigation once the risk of freezing has passed in your area. These systems help moisture go directly to the soil and take some of the manual work off your plate.

Finally, the most exciting step: starting your seedlings! Whether you live in a place with a shorter growing season and need to start plants like tomatoes and peppers inside, or it’s already time to start your cool-season veggies like kale and peas outdoors, enjoy the thrill of getting your hands in the soil for the first time this year.

At every stage of your gardening journey, BugHut is on your side. Apply eco-friendly, naturally-derived additives to keep your plants healthy and strong. From insect control to de-stressor, BugHut solutions pave the way for a stress-free and healthy growing season for you, your plants, and your local pollinators. Start with the essential bundle for everything you need for a thriving garden.