Wake Up Your Garden: 5 Essential Spring Cleanup Tasks

Spring is one of those magical times in the Garden when everything starts to stir—buds swell, perennials push up from the soil, and the whole place feels like it's stretching after a long nap. But before you dive into planting, there’s some housekeeping to do.

Giving your garden a proper spring cleanup helps set the stage for healthy growth all season long. Here are five practical steps to get things going:

1. Start with a Gentle Cleanup

Winter usually leaves behind its fair share of mess—branches, soggy leaves, and dead plant material. Begin by clearing out anything obviously dead or diseased, but hold off on a total leaf cleanup until temperatures consistently reach 50°F. Many native bees and other pollinators overwinter in that leaf litter, so it’s worth waiting a bit for their sake.

2. Prune with Intention

Now’s a great time to trim back damaged or dead branches on trees and shrubs. Just be careful with spring-flowering plants like lilacs, forsythia, and viburnum—pruning too early means cutting off this year’s blooms. Wait until they’ve flowered before giving them a trim. As for perennials, remove last season’s growth to make way for new shoots.

3. Freshen Up Mulch (No Need to Rake It Out)

There’s a common idea that you have to rake out all your old mulch every year—but really, there’s no reason to. Just fluff it up a bit to break up compaction and add a fresh 2–3 inches if needed. Mulch helps conserve moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. It also just makes everything look tidier.

4. Divide and Transplant Perennials

Perennials like daylilies, hostas, and coneflowers can get crowded over time. Spring is a great moment to divide them up—before they put too much energy into new growth. Replant divisions elsewhere in your yard or pass them along to a neighbor. The cooler temps and moist soil give transplants a better chance to settle in.

5. Prep Beds for Planting

Before planting anything new, take time to prep your beds. Gently turn the soil to loosen it and mix in some compost or organic matter. Skip this step if the soil is still too wet—it’s better to wait than risk compacting your soil and creating drainage issues later on.

Taking a little time to ease your garden into the season makes a big difference. It’s less about rushing to plant and more about setting the stage for a strong, healthy growing year.

What are you tackling first in your garden this spring? Let us know in the comments—we’d love to hear what’s sprouting in your corner of the world.