Gardening is a popular hobby in the lower mainland with many people wanting to get started as soon as spring has sprung. But how early can you get started tackling your garden? The simple answer is that in the lower mainland where the ground almost never freezes solid and snow is relatively rare there are almost always things you can do to get a head start on the gardening season.

Some good outdoor tasks for late February and early March are turning over your soil, pulling weeds before they get too settled in and adding well rotted compost to your gardening beds so that you are ready for planting once the temperatures really start to climb. You can also remove any dead annuals and cut back your perennials, removing any dead leaves or rough branches to help your perennials get a head start on blooming.

While it’s probably too early to start planting annuals there are some cool weather plants that you can get going right away. Hardy herbs, bushes, bulbs, and tubers are naturally protected by either natural hardiness or the soil itself and can get started as soon as the frosts are over. However the climate can be unpredictable so it’s never a bad idea to keep an eye on things and be ready with blankets and coverings should we get hit by some unseasonable cold.

With their long growing seasons, Tomatoes, Peppers, Melon and Squashes are great plants to get started as seedlings indoors. With sunlight and watering they can be already sprouted by the time it’s good to plant them outdoors, enabling you to enjoy the delicious results of your garden sooner as well as avoid any possible frost that may hit in fall. And even if you don’t plant anything yet, you can still plan what to plant in the spring, and order your seeds, so you will be ready.

Hopefully, we’ve given you some great tips to get started gardening early so that you can enjoy the fresh greenery and produce of your garden throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Art Knapp has 15 locations across British Columbia and is well known as the go-to garden centre for everything garden-related. Art Knapp, himself, began the business in the 1940's, and now, 80 years later, you can find more than he ever dreamed of in our stores. Come and see us on King George Boulevard in Surrey.

If you have any questions about this article or want to talk to us about gardening, just give us a call at (604) 596-9201.