Helpful Planting Tips for Springtime

Tomorrow is the first day of spring and hopefully some warmer weather comes with it. As you celebrate the spring equinox this year you may start thinking of upcoming springtime traditions such as egg hunts, getting caught in rainstorms, and starting a garden. If you’re one to exercise your green thumb, this post is all about preparing for springtime with helpful planting tips.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or thinking about trying it out for the first time, these tips will help make planting season easier this spring. This post will go through recommended buys for plant, herb, and flower gardens. You’ll also learn about the best time to plant and useful techniques for growing indoors. These tips for planting in the Midwest will help with your garden success this spring.

What Should You Plant?  

Flowers

Colorful and vibrant, flower gardens can bring some life to your home or yard this springtime.

Blanket Flower

Blanket flowers are wildly colorful and grow best when planted outside in mid to late spring, as they don’t do well with frost. These flowers still thrive during dry spells, so they don’t need much water. A benefit of these flowers is that they attract butterflies instead of deer, making it ideal for Midwest gardens.

Daylily

This is a great choice for the beginning gardener as daylilies are difficult to kill—they can survive both hot and cold temperatures. Aptly named, each blossom only lasts a day, but the plant continues to bloom for several weeks after the first blossom. Plant in early spring for a colorful summer.

Poppy

Another flower able to be planted in the early spring, poppies come in a variety of colors and kinds. Though not as impervious as daylilies, they are easy to care for. As long as you plant them in an area that gets plenty of direct sunlight, they don’t need much watering except through dry spells.

Herbs 

Fresh herbs really add that extra flavor to daily meals. Read these recommendations for an outside herb garden.

Basil

Basil can be planted directly into the ground outside, but it thrives in warmer weather, so wait until late spring to plant this herb. Basil does good in full sun and drier soil, so make sure not to over-water this herb. The soil should have time to dry between waterings.

Dill

You can plant dill seeds outside in the early spring. This herb doesn’t transplant well, so you should plan to plant it where you want it to grow—no reason to plant indoors first. Dill does require a bit more watering than other herbs, especially before the plant blooms. Make sure dill plants also have easy access to sunlight.

Rosemary  

Unlike Dill, rosemary grows better when started indoors. It should be planted outside in mid to late spring, when there’s little chance of frost. After rosemary begins to grow roots inside, you can transfer the plant to outside soil. Full sunlight is great for this plant, plus it’s drought-tolerant, so you don’t have to regret forgetting to water it.

Plants 

Plants are great if you’re looking to start a garden that’s easier to care for or if you want some groundcover in your yard. 

Hosta

Hostas can be planted bare root in mid-spring. These plants are popular because they don’t need much sun and are a great addition to the shady areas of your lawn. However, as a trade-off, Hosta plants do need to be frequently watered.

Angelina stonecrop

This succulent-like plant requires lots of sun, so late spring is the best time to plant. These also last throughout the fall, so you can have some color in your garden even after all the flowers have died or went dormant. Angelina stonecrop is low maintenance and doesn’t require much watering. 

Little bluestem

This plant does well in sunny conditions and is resistant to heat and drought, so no worries over forgetting to water little bluestem. Since it thrives in warm conditions, it’s best to plant this in late spring when the weather is consistently above 60.  

The Best Time to Use Your Green Thumb

Flowers 

Certain flowers can be planted outside in early spring despite the possible late season frosts. These flowers include lilies, poppies, and pansies. Other spring flowers will have to be planted in pots inside first and can be moved outside in mid to late spring after the last frost has passed. These include dahlias, blanket flowers, and begonias.

Herbs

What’s great about herbs is that most can be planted in the early spring. So, on those days where it’s warm enough to spend time outside these next few weeks, you can plan for some herb planting. Herbs are easier to grow than flowers and other plant types, so they’re great for beginners. Lemon balm, cilantro, and dill can be planted outside in early spring.

Plants

Most plants don’t do as well in cold temperatures, so you’re looking at a mid to late spring timeframe for sowing. Though some plants, like Hostas, can thrive in shade, many plants are dependent on sunlight. However, they don’t usually need as much water as flowering plants.  

Maintaining an Indoor Garden  

Flowers

Indoor flowers usually grow better spread out – that way they can get enough sunlight and nutrients without hogging any from other plants. Up the level of your home décor by including hanging flowers, flowering plants in windowsills, and potted flowers on floors or tables around your home.

Make sure indoor flowers are in areas with lots of sunlight and take the time to learn required watering for each to ensure the soil stays moist. Good flowers to grow inside include hibiscus, jasmine, and geraniums.

Herbs

Probably the easiest garden to have inside your home, herb plants fit nicely in window boxes and small containers. Most culinary herbs do well together or in similar spaces, so you only need to plant in a few containers to keep up a thriving indoor herb garden.

Unlike vegetable and fruit gardens, you don’t have to wait for herbs to ripen. Just snip off a few leaves when you need them to add some fresh ingredients or garnishes to your meals. Some herbs to plant indoors include chives, oregano, and parsley. Pro Tip: Avoid mint for your small space herb gardens. 

Plants

Similar to flowers, plants need space to spread out inside a home. Floor plants and hanging plants are my favorite, but smaller potted plants such as succulents make great additions to windowsills.

Such plants also require lots of sunlight, but other types of plants can tolerate low light such as peperomia, cast-iron plant, and Chinese evergreen. Spider plants, hoya, and English ivy are great hanging or trailing plants to place on pedestals and bookshelves or suspend around your home.

What Will You Grow This Year?

Plants, flower, or herbs—what’s in store for your home this spring? Whichever you choose, hopefully these planting tips have given you a good place to get started with your springtime gardening adventures. Check out our Stola Utility Tote to help with all your gardening needs. Let us know in the comments what you plan to grow this year! 

Sources:

Better Homes & Gardens

Midwest Living

Countryside Network

Written and Published by Jessica – Writer at HMS Mfg. Co. for the Stola™ brand

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