Join us as we countdown to spring!
Spring is just around the corner and we at Fine Gardening could not be more excited. Every gardener is primed and ready for that magical date, March 20th, when we know that spring should – in theory – arrive. In fact, we’re already planning, and some of are already planting, having sown our seeds in preparation for transplanting after last frost. If you haven’t and you would like to, see our best practices for sowing seeds to get started the right way. If you are looking for some new design ideas, or want to play with a border or bed, check out the many design ideas offered on the site. With relish we look forward to the smell of the thawing earth, the heavily scented warmth of the greenhouse, warm winds, longer days, and the feel of the dirt in our hands.
There’s so much to look forward to that we thought it would be great to list some of the plants, books, gear – and more! – we are especially excited about for this season. So, our editors put their heads together and came up with twenty things they think every gardener should consider for the season ahead.
What are you excited about for spring? We want to hear about your goals, plans, and designs for a wonderful growing season. If you’ve got pictures, send them in for a chance to be featured in our Garden Photo of the Day blog.
Here we go, folks, we’re in the home stretch now! It is with great pleasure being our Countdown to Spring!
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ArticleDays to Spring: 20 - The Wabi-Sabi® Dwarf Doublefile Viburnum
I have always adored the white spring blooms of a doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum, Zones 5-8), but I have never loved its size. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 19 - A New Hydrangea for Small Spaces
What’s not to like about hydrangeas? They’re big, they’re bold, they’re beautiful. These are all spectacular traits for a plant to have in the garden, except, if you have limited space. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 18 - Year-Round Color with ‘Daub’s Frosted’ Juniper
This plant caught my eye during a couple of photo shoots last year. The first time I noticed it was at Whistling Gardens in Wilsonville, Ontario. It was mid-January, and the shrub’s feathery... -
ArticleDays to Spring: 17 - A New Summer Squash to Try Out
‘Tempest’ summer squash is a new cultivar from Johnny’s Selected Seeds that is being touted as having “outstanding culinary quality.” So as a consumer of outstanding culinary quantity, I am definitely interested in growing this veggie. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 16 - Gardening Boots You'd Give Your Left Foot For
Nothing says spring in many parts of the country like cool and muddy conditions. When wandering out into the garden for the first chores of the season, you need a good pair of comfortable work boots. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 15 - A Sturdy, Well-Designed Seed-Starting Tray
It’s seed-starting season, one of the best times of the year! My favorite way to start veggie and flower seeds is in a 72-cell plug flat, and last season I discovered an especially well-designed version. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 14 - Pelletized Seeds for Easier Sowing - and Designing
I have always admired gardeners who put in the effort to arrange their vegetable plots in an attractive manner. The artful arrangement of lettuce plants... -
ArticleDays to Spring: 13 - This Garden Tool is a Must-Have
There isn't much that Eliot Coleman doesn't do well. He's a farmer, author, lecturer, and arguably the father of the modern organic movement. Now add to that list inventor and garden tool innovator. -
DesignDays to Spring: 12 - Native Plants for New England and Beyond
Like many gardeners, my awareness and appreciation for native plants has greatly increased in recent years. I love discovering native plants that are well-adapted to my garden's soil conditions and climate.. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 11 - Keeping Garden Records Just Got Easier with These Water-Resistant Notebooks
History has taught me that if I wait to write things down when I get back to the safety of the house, I will forget completely. So it should come as no surprise that when I found Rite in the Rain notebooks, I immediately bought a bunch of them. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 10 - A Book Full of Beautiful Peonies
It really is the gorgeous peony that deserves our unwavering love. They are, arguably the most beautiful flower in the world. Author Janet Eastoe seems to agree, since she just released the new book, Peonies: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden. -
Kitchen GardeningDays to Spring: 9 - 'Cascade' Hops - An Easy-Care Vine for Full Sun
An aromatic vine that will come back year after year, 'Cascade' hops are a welcome addition to any front porch, trellis, or fence. Grow them, and use them to brew your own wine and beer, too, if you like. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 8 - A New Wall Planter We Can't Wait to Use
I have to admit it: my backporch is a little boring. This wouldn’t be much of a problem, but I have one of those houses where the back door is the main entry to the house. The walkway to the porch is flanked by pots.. -
Kitchen GardeningDays to Spring: 7 - This New Tomato Variety is Pretty and Tasty
Usually you get one of two things in a tomato: It tastes good or it’s good for making sauce. It’s hard to find tomatoes that are delicious for snacking on straight out of the garden, and are excellent for forming the base of Grandma’s famous red sauce. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 6 - An Affordable Way to Buy Native Plants
Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona, Minnesota is a mail-order company specializing in North American species for prairie, savanna, woodland, and wetland ecosystems. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 5 - Great Garden Gloves That Are Cheap and Warm
I don't know about you, but my hands get cold and raw when working outside in spring. I know those of you gardening in the Deep South can't relate, and you're lucky! But for the rest of us, there is a specific need for gardening gloves that are warm -
Kitchen GardeningDays to Spring: 4 - Plant Some Parsley With a Purpose
I like to use parsley in my container designs. It provides a strong hit of green to my designs, and its mid-size bulk is necessary -- but often hard to come by -- to bridge the gap between taller and smaller neighbors in the pot. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 3 - A Spacious Planter That's the Right Height
The VegTrug™ Patio Garden is a great solution for gardeners with limited space, yet it provides ample room to get some serious gardening done. Gardeners of all ages will appreciate the way it puts plants at a comfortable working height... -
ArticleDays to Spring: 2 - Red Hot Pokers That Are Pretty Cool
I have always thought red-hot pokers (Kniphofia spp. and cvs., Zones 6-9) were striking plants. Their unique flowers always draw attention, but they were always orange, or shades of it. -
ArticleDays to Spring: 1 - Get a Jump on the Season with Gro-Caps
No matter how early it arrives, it never feels like spring arrives soon enough. If you're like me and you like to tempt fate and get a jump on the season in the veggie garden, you should invest in a pack of Gro-Caps.
