Getting Ready for Spring Gardening

Normally my spring garden would not be on my mind, but today the temperature was 70 degrees Fahrenheit and this spring-like day has got me thinking of my garden. Normally the weather is cold, with snow but this year the weather forecast is calling for warmer than usual.

Know that we do need a hard frost and bitterly cold temperatures to kill off the ticks and to enable the spring bulbs to sleep before awakening in late January – early February. But nature this year has a different idea because today when I removed a patch of leaves in the yard I saw the grassy foliage of my crocus had broken ground and the green stems were two inches above the soil.

The spring bulbs breaking ground has got me thinking about gardening and getting a head start on my preparations.   I went out to my greenhouse today and sterilized some pots for planting. Normally I start my annuals, herbs, and vegetables in mid to late January in the portable greenhouse that I bought at tractorsupply.com last year. But since we are having spring-like weather I thought I would get a head start with my gardening chores.

I am thinking that by the end of December, I will have my window boxes sterilized and painted also. This year I am thinking of planting the tulips and crocus that I have in cold storage,  I have had good results with forcing the spring bulbs to bloom and will probably force the bulbs to bloom indoors and give the containers away as gifts. 

Here is a video that will show you how to force spring bulbs to bloom in approximately five weeks indoors.

Getting ready for spring in December is an activity that I am not accustomed to but do like that I can get many tasks done now while the weather is warm.