As we step into the enchanting world of spring gardening, full of blooming flora and buzzing fauna, it’s crucial to consider every detail, even down to the shoes on our feet. The average American spends $991 annually on footwear, but when it comes to gardening, functionality and safety should outweigh style and fashion.

I may need to heed this advice, as I’ve been known to sneak into my garden wearing flip-flops for a spur-of-the-moment check on my plants or other gardening tasks. Not the wisest move! No matter how lovely a garden may be, potential hazards may be lurking, like snakes slithering by or forgotten garden tools left lying around. Pollinators? Oh, I doubt a hummingbird or butterfly is going to attack my flip-flopped feet, but what about the unintentional foot contact with a bee or wasp? They too are pollinators! This spring, let’s leave the old tennis shoes behind – if they are no longer good for exercise or just right with a cute outfit, it’s probably time to discard them. For the garden, instead think waterproof, easy-to-clean, and durable ... durable in the muck we might encounter and durable in offering protection to our feet, and even our ankles. Sure, our feet may be tired and achy at the end of an early spring day in the garden, but we don’t want any injuries!

If the task at hand is more rugged than using the leaf blower or raking, it might be time to upgrade from waterproof garden clogs to water-resistant boots with a comfy lining and a lug sole. Whatever gardening footwear you choose, make sure it fits well and provides stability on uneven ground to avoid falls. I have found that once you reach a certain age, your doctor will harp on that subject – accessorize yourself appropriately and stay safe. Now, let’s move on to talking about plants!

Did you craft a plan during the winter months of how you envision your spring garden? Perhaps tidiness was a top priority. For instance, hellebores have been blooming beautifully for the past couple of months, but their evergreen leaves may have begun to look a little ragged … if so, use hand pruners to remove the spent leaves. Once the oversized leaves are gone, the emerging greenery will look fresh and beautiful, allowing the flowers to shine even more.

If there are still some leftover autumn leaves scattered around, rake them out and mulch them with your lawnmower. Use the leaf “dust” as a mulch for your garden beds, or if you have only a small amount, let it enrich the soil in your lawn as a natural fertilizer and soil enhancer. Additionally, it’s important to note that you should have started fertilizing your fescue lawns by now too.

Spirea, azaleas, dogwoods, and rhododendrons will be blooming soon, if they have not yet begun to blossom. After they end their season, shape them up if any issues are identified. Handling this chore right after bloom time will keep you from destroying next spring’s show. Waiting too long will find you cutting off next year’s early developing buds.

Hostas will be emerging in early spring. In a pot or in the ground as warmer temperatures harken, so will the fresh, vibrant green of spring hosta tips. If you didn’t divide some of the larger clumps last fall, do so now. Lift and divide the clumps, returning some to their original home and replanting some of the root-bearing pieces in their new locations. This process – making a new plant from an existing one – is called division. You have just propagated! Depending on the plant, you may need to cut the roots if you cannot tickle them apart. A sharp garden shovel, spade, or a hori hori knife can assist with this task. You don’t have a hori hori? Next time you are shopping at your local garden center, search for this handy tool. Mine is serrated on one edge and smooth cut on the other … it even has inches marked on the blade. From weeding to planting and dividing, and even cutting the bindings on bales of pine straw and opening bags of mulch, this versatile gardening tool is indispensable for a variety of tasks. Try it and you’ll wonder how you ever gardened without one.

Do you have a bed full of perennials such as black-eyed Susans and snapdragons, or maybe some yarrow, liriope, or daylilies that need to be divided? Grasses that have overclumped in your garden benefit from division every few years. Ferns can be divided too – although, if you’re a fern purist and would rather germinate spores, you can take the time for that process. Either way, you would be propagating. Some plants, like coleus, begonias, and African violets, can be easily rooted …

simply break off a stem with a leaf and put it in a small vase or jar of water. Make sure it receives adequate light – but not full sun – and watch for roots to begin forming after a week or so. For plants like azaleas, hydrangeas, and gardenias, rooting may take longer. Personally, I’ve had success with hydrangeas and gardenias in water, but have found a peat moss bog to be the most efficient rooting system for woody selections. My formula is using a half whisky barrel and filling it with peat moss. To truly fill it with peat moss, add a thick layer in the barrel, wet it down, then add more, and repeat. Continue these steps until the barrel is nearly full, leaving about an inch from the top. Drill holes about halfway down the barrel, spaced about two to three inches apart, to ensure proper drainage. In such a bog, I plant pitcher plants and Venus fly traps year-round. When I inadvertently break an ornamental sage or rosemary due to my occasional heavy-handedness and distraction in the garden, I simply stick it in the bog. Within a month or so, voila! I have another plant ready to transplant into my garden. It’s a win-win situation – double the pleasure of unique plants to enjoy and an area primed for propagation success.

Friends, we put our gardens to bed several months ago, and now it’s time to wake them up. However, let’s not expect to restore them to order without putting in several days of work. It’s early spring, and we have many months of garden chores ahead of us. You know the song, It’s a Jungle Out There. Well, it’s true … plan to tackle what you can, not win a gardening race. We’re all striving for that first vase of cut flowers and a fresh, juicy, tomato sandwich. Rather than racing to complete everything all at once, let’s focus on what we can realistically accomplish … starting with the basics of site prep and soil amendment. Dare I ask again? Have you done your soil test? If not, head over to the local extension office or Saturday morning farmers market and pick up a kit from the Master Gardener tent. It’s a simple yet essential step to ensure your garden thrives this season.

And be on the lookout for local plant sales too. School FFA chapters, garden clubs, and various other organizations will be tempting us any day now. And keep an eye on your local garden centers – they’ll soon be stocking up on fresh new plants and even introducing some exciting new varieties for us plant collectors. It’s the perfect opportunity to add some color to your garden and support your community at the same time.

Spring has sprung, garden buddies! Grab your muck boots or shoes, throw on your garden hat, and let’s enjoy the season together. Happy digging!