Seasonal Garden Care: Spring Through Winter

Learn how to maintain a beautiful garden year-round with our comprehensive seasonal care guide tailored for retired gardeners.

Each season brings unique opportunities and tasks for your garden. Understanding seasonal rhythms helps you work smarter, not harder.

Spring is planting time. Prepare beds by adding compost, start cool-season vegetables, and divide perennials. Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloom. Enjoy the renewal and fresh growth.

Summer requires consistent watering and deadheading flowers to encourage blooms. Harvest vegetables regularly and watch for pests. Take breaks during hot afternoons and garden in the cooler morning or evening hours.

Fall is perfect for planting bulbs for spring color. Clean up spent annuals, but leave perennial seed heads for birds. Plant cool-season crops and apply mulch to protect plant roots through winter.

Winter is rest time for both you and your garden. Plan next year's garden, order seed catalogs, and maintain tools. On mild days, enjoy the garden's winter structure and evergreen beauty.