The Spring Sprint

You may have noticed that I’ve been absent from the blog for the past few weeks. You see, I’ve been participating in a race. No, it’s not an official race; it’s more of a sprint. I call it the Spring Sprint. The dictionary defines a sprint as moving at full speed, especially for a short distance. Yup, that about sums it up. Spring for growers is a sprint. Let me explain…

Spring is probably the busiest time of the year for growers and gardeners. The never-ending to-do list looms over us, and just as we cross off one item, we add three more. There are so many items on that list that require our attention, pulling us in many different directions. Here is just a sampling of what the Spring Sprint entails:

Taking care of plants inside and out: Spring is for sowing seeds indoors and directly in the garden. An entire season’s worth of flowers often starts in the few short months of spring. Once planted, they require constant attention: watering, adequate light, temperature regulation, and hardening off before being transplanted into the garden. Tubers and summer bulbs also need to be planted in the spring so that you can enjoy those beautiful flowers in the summer and fall. So much planting happens during the Spring Sprint!

Spring cleaning in the garden: After a long winter’s nap, our gardens often need a little sprucing up. Spring is a time to get our garden beds back in shape by weeding, pruning, and mulching. April showers do indeed bring May flowers, but they also bring lots and lots of weeds. They seem to appear overnight and in droves. As fast as you rip them out, they pop up. Don’t turn your back, or they will taunt you by taking over your garden.

Transplanting seedlings: If I manage to get the seeds I sowed indoors to grow, there comes a point where they’ll need to be transplanted outdoors. But first, I will play the plant tray shuffle every day for a week or more as I prepare them for the move. Inside, outside, inside, outside is a mantra that I will repeat over and over. I must pay close attention to the temperatures and timing. They are like Goldilocks at this stage, wanting the perfect amount of sun and shade not to get sunburned or wilt. Weeks of careful tending can be wiped out instantly if I do not follow the hardening off rules to the ‘T’. Such drama!

Harvesting spring flowers: Oh, and at the same time that all of these garden chores and seedlings need my attention, thousands of bulbs I planted in the fall are in bloom! When temperatures rise, it’s time to harvest those tulips and daffodils, bluebells, and hyacinths several times a day. And if you’re a flower farmer, you must also market and sell them!

Establishing the vegetable garden: If you enjoy growing edibles and ornamentals as I do, spring is also the time to establish your edible gardens. Planting your tomatoes, peppers, peas, lettuce, and more is yet another task for you to complete during the Spring Sprint. But it will be well worth it when you finally taste the fruits of your labor.

Garden infrastructure: It’s also time to put in all of your garden’s infrastructure. Adding supports for climbing or top-heavy plants, installing netting over your fruit bushes and trees to ward off those hungry birds, laying down irrigation, and checking your fencing to ensure it is still intact are all tasks during the Spring Sprint that require your attention.

Flipping beds with successions: Spring is also a time for flipping beds to allow for successions. Once the tulips, ranunculus, and poppies are done blooming, their beds must be cleaned up and planted with the next flower variety. This is especially important when you want to maximize your growing space.

Mother’s Day (need I say more): Amongst all these spring garden tasks, in walks Mother’s Day! One of the biggest flower holidays of the year. For a flower farmer, this holiday requires a lot of our attention. We love sharing flowers with all the moms and mother figures in our community, but it does require weeks of planning (and a lot of hard work) to provide them.

So, I do apologize that I have been absent from the blog lately. The Spring Sprint can be a bit overwhelming. I certainly don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining. These are the garden tasks that I missed and dreamed of during those long winter days. It feels great to be back in the garden again! But, make sure you have your running shoes on because spring is a mad dash to get everything planted, all while harvesting and tending to spring flowers. Oh, and remember that we also need to be vigilant about monitoring for pests and diseases, lest slugs devour our efforts. But we are up for the challenge, and together, we can get through the Spring Sprint. Hang in there, garden friends! We’re almost there, and it will all be worth it when we’re enjoying the fruits (and flowers) of our labor this summer.