Westminster Canterbury Richmond has fifty-five acres of professionally landscaped grounds, so our staff knows a thing or two about gardening! Our horticulturist, Kathleen Pender, shared her spring tips for gardeners.

• Now is the time to prune dead wood and old blooms from perennials
• Clean weeds out of mulch beds and apply pre-emergent to help prevent additional weeds from forming.
• Take a soil test for lawn and mulch bed areas to determine what is needed before applying additional nutrients or fertilizers.
• Only prune flowering plants after they bloom, or you will prune off this year’s blooms.
• Consider space needed for veggies and how much produce you hope to harvest.
• Consider companion plantings, such as planting marigold near tomatoes or garlic near roses.

“Gardening is therapeutic for people of all ages!” says Kathleen. It provides exercise and nourishment for the soul. It can create healthy options – growing your own food is as fresh as it gets, and there is pride in knowing you cared for your vegetables. Joining a gardening community provides opportunities for social connection where you can share stories and offer support and tips with others. For seniors especially, gardening can be healing. Joy is found in the reward of hard work, growing beautiful flowers to bring indoors or picking a ripe tomato to enjoy for lunch. Hearing the sounds of nature, birds in springtime or water over the rocks can be peaceful and calming. Feeling the soil in your hands and the coolness of the water you give your plants can provide satisfaction. Smelling the fragrance or gardenias, roses or lilacs in bloom is a rite of spring that can trigger a memory of times past. Tasting the sweetness of a ripe strawberry or tomato is the treasure of it all! Get outside and garden this spring, whether in an expansive garden, a few raised beds or simply a few herbs growing in pots. There’s no better way to experience springtime!