As the winter chill starts to subside, savvy gardeners are already gearing up for the spring planting season. And when it comes to garden prep, there's no one more knowledgeable than lifestyle icon Martha Stewart. In a recent interview with Better Homes & Gardens, Stewart shared her top 5 must-do tasks to get your garden in prime shape before the first blooms start to emerge.
1. Protect Your Pollinators
One of Stewart's top recommendations is to plant milkweed in your garden. This hardy perennial is a critical food source for monarch butterflies and other vital pollinators. "Milkweed is essential for the survival of monarch caterpillars," Stewart explains. "And the nectar-rich flowers will also attract bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators to your garden."
2. Embrace Wildflowers
In addition to milkweed, Stewart advises incorporating native wildflowers into your garden design. "Wildflowers don't just add beautiful pops of color, they also provide crucial food sources for adult monarch butterflies as they flit from bloom to bloom," she notes.
3. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
One of Stewart's most underrated tips? Using cardboard as a natural, eco-friendly weed barrier. "Just lay down some flattened cardboard boxes around your garden beds and cover with a few inches of mulch or pine needles," she advises. "It's an inexpensive way to keep weeds at bay without resorting to harsh chemicals."
4. Protect Tender Plants
To prevent delicate plants from getting trampled by hoses and foot traffic, Stewart recommends creating simple DIY hose guides. "Just hammer a piece of rebar into the soil and slide a length of copper tubing over it. It acts as a gentle barrier to guide hoses around corners without crushing your precious plants."
5. Be Proactive With Snow
Finally, Stewart emphasizes the importance of staying on top of winter weather, even as spring approaches. "Heavy snow can wreak havoc on your garden if you're not prepared," she cautions. Her advice? Stake out snow markers to keep pathways clear and mulch sensitive plants to insulate their roots.
What this really means is that even the most seasoned gardeners can benefit from Stewart's wealth of practical, time-tested tips. By getting a head start on these smart spring prep tasks, you'll set your garden up for its most vibrant, productive season yet. As Stewart puts it, "Gardening is a lifestyle for me - the time I spend outside is highly rewarding, and I want everyone to experience that same joy."