10 Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Spring 2026(A Month-by-Month Guide for Beginners)
Spring is almost here! Are you starting to feel that excitement—the one that comes from sowing seeds, watching plants grow, and bringing your garden back to life?
After a long winter spent mostly indoors, stepping outside into your garden can feel like a breath of fresh air. The birds singing and the first signs of nature waking up are simply delightful. Before you jump in, though, there are a few key steps you can take to make sure your garden is fully ready for the season.
In this article, I'll walk you through the essential preparations and share a simple month-by-month plan to help your garden thrive in 2026.
What You Should Focus On First
Before diving into the month-by-month plan, here are the key areas every beginner should pay attention to:
Prepare the Soil: Mostly in March, with some light prep in January and February if the weather allows.
Make a Planting Plan: Start mulling over your planting ideas in January—you can dream a little and picture your garden in bloom.
Sow the Seeds: March is the perfect time to gently plant your seeds and watch your garden come to life.
Prepare Your Gardening Tools: Begin gathering your basic tools in February so that everything is ready and waiting for you when planting season arrives.
With these four areas in mind, you’ll feel much more confident as spring approaches.
Your Month-by-Month Garden Plan for 2026
Follow this simple schedule to stay organized and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
January: Dream Big and Start Planning
January is all about ideas and planning since temperatures are still low. Take this time to imagine your ideal garden and sketch it out on paper.
Make a plant wishlist: Include fruit trees, small shrubs, flowering perennials, ornamental grasses, and evergreens.
Observe sunlight and drainage: Note where the sun hits your garden and where water tends to pool.
Plan plant spacing: Research mature plant sizes to prevent overcrowding later.
February: Place Orders and Get Ready for Spring
As the soil starts to thaw, February is perfect for turning plans into action, but
gently.
Finalize your plant selections and place preorders early, especially for dormant fruit trees and other popular varieties.
Add early spring favorites like roses, clematis, hostas, and perennials.
Prune carefully: Remove only large dead branches and avoid disturbing soil too much while insects and other garden helpers are still dormant.
Seed starting Indoors: It is an awesome way to get your hands in some dirt and get a jump start on spring gardening.
Run a soil test: Test your soil before the season gets busy. Check the pH and nutrient levels, then improve your beds with compost and gentle organic boosters like worm castings or kelp meal if needed. (You can also do this in early March, depending on the temperature.)
Gardening tool to prepare: Gloves
Smart preorder choices include: Apple, peach, and pear trees, blackberry and raspberry bushes, butterfly bushes, roses, evergreen grasses, and dwarf pine trees.
March: Prepare Your Soil and Garden Beds
March is when the real work begins (adjust timing slightly depending on your climate—around 45°F).
Clear debris, weeds, and leftover plant material from garden beds.
Reshape beds if necessary and refresh mulch using compost or arborist mulch.
Plan plant placement: Decide where shade-loving and sun-loving plants will go.
Install edging and irrigation before the planting season gets busy.
Review your wishlist for any last-minute additions.
Planting tip: Some plants can go in once temperatures reach about 45°F.
Tools you’ll need: rake, weeder, compost bin, gloves
Pro tip: Avoid working with very wet soil to protect soil structure.
April: Planting Season Begins
For many regions, April marks the true start of planting.
Plant cold-hardy perennials and ornamental grasses
Add shrubs and flowers that attract early pollinators
Prepare space for berry bushes and smaller fruit trees
Tools you’ll need: dipper, shovel, fork, hand rake, gloves
Planting tip: follow proper planting techniques and water new plants well after planting.
Enjoy the Process
By planning ahead and placing your preorders wisely, you’ll find that gardening feels much easier, and even more enjoyable.
The best part? You get to enjoy the fun stage first—picturing your garden bursting with roses, flowering shrubs, evergreens, berry bushes, ornamental grasses, and colorful annuals.
Every plant you choose now, from its roots to its blooms, lays the groundwork for a smoother, more organized growing season ahead.
Let your 2026 garden plan grow like a well-rooted idea, ready to spring to life in the months ahead.
Happy planting!