Spring Garden Prep The work you put in making some basic preparations in the spring can pay off with a garden that performs well all season long. Spring is the time to sharpen and repair tools, get the shed in order, plant bulbs and start your compost pile. Here are some tips to get you started. SHED AND TOOLS You could find some nasty surprises lurking inside your garden shed in spring, especially if it isn't lighted or heated during the winter. Rodents or other animals could have made their home there, or the structure might have suffered a leak or exposure to the elements. Once it's warm enough, venture into the shed to make any necessary repairs. While you're there, sharpen tools with blades, such as shears, loppers and pruners, with a mill file, and oil those with moving parts. If any tools still have last year's dirt or mud on them, remove it with a garden hose and clean them in warm, soapy water. This will help prevent the spread of disease. Give the wheelbarrow a good cleaning, oil the wheels and tighten any wobbly bearings. Remember that any organic material you remove from your flower beds when you clean them out in the spring to prepare for planting, such as leaves, foliage, stems and sticks, can help start your compost pile for the year. REDI-ROCK WALL SOLUTIONS Inventory the shed for supplies you'll need in the coming year. Be sure you have fertilizers and soil amendments on hand for the season. Some supplies such as grass seed, might not hold up over time, so dispose of old product and replace it with new. PLANT AND DIVIDE Spring is the time not only to plant new bulbs for summer and fall blooms but to divide any perennials that have gotten overgrown or crowded. Dividing them now will allow them to re-establish themselves in a new location and put down strong roots by the winter. In general, fall-blooming plants are best divided in the spring, but some plants should be divided just after they flower. Be sure to consult with your local extension office for your plants' needs. MONTANA'S EXCLUSIVE REDI-ROCK DEALER Locally Sourced & Manufactured This is also the time to put down new mulch. Dyed mulch, even those varieties intended to last for multiple seasons, typically needs to be replaced each spring. Mulching early will help prevent weed growth before they have time to sprout. DMC Diversified - Redi-Rock Wall Systems 1600 River Road Materials & Construction, LLc - Natural Rainbow River Rock Missoula, MT S9801 -Bulk Landscaping Products - Ready Mix Concrete 406-543-2649 www.riverrocks.com Spring Garden Prep The work you put in making some basic preparations in the spring can pay off with a garden that performs well all season long. Spring is the time to sharpen and repair tools, get the shed in order, plant bulbs and start your compost pile. Here are some tips to get you started. SHED AND TOOLS You could find some nasty surprises lurking inside your garden shed in spring, especially if it isn't lighted or heated during the winter. Rodents or other animals could have made their home there, or the structure might have suffered a leak or exposure to the elements. Once it's warm enough, venture into the shed to make any necessary repairs. While you're there, sharpen tools with blades, such as shears, loppers and pruners, with a mill file, and oil those with moving parts. If any tools still have last year's dirt or mud on them, remove it with a garden hose and clean them in warm, soapy water. This will help prevent the spread of disease. Give the wheelbarrow a good cleaning, oil the wheels and tighten any wobbly bearings. Remember that any organic material you remove from your flower beds when you clean them out in the spring to prepare for planting, such as leaves, foliage, stems and sticks, can help start your compost pile for the year. REDI-ROCK WALL SOLUTIONS Inventory the shed for supplies you'll need in the coming year. Be sure you have fertilizers and soil amendments on hand for the season. Some supplies such as grass seed, might not hold up over time, so dispose of old product and replace it with new. PLANT AND DIVIDE Spring is the time not only to plant new bulbs for summer and fall blooms but to divide any perennials that have gotten overgrown or crowded. Dividing them now will allow them to re-establish themselves in a new location and put down strong roots by the winter. In general, fall-blooming plants are best divided in the spring, but some plants should be divided just after they flower. Be sure to consult with your local extension office for your plants' needs. MONTANA'S EXCLUSIVE REDI-ROCK DEALER Locally Sourced & Manufactured This is also the time to put down new mulch. Dyed mulch, even those varieties intended to last for multiple seasons, typically needs to be replaced each spring. Mulching early will help prevent weed growth before they have time to sprout. DMC Diversified - Redi-Rock Wall Systems 1600 River Road Materials & Construction, LLc - Natural Rainbow River Rock Missoula, MT S9801 -Bulk Landscaping Products - Ready Mix Concrete 406-543-2649 www.riverrocks.com