What to Do in Your Garden When the Temps Hit 10°C: It’s Go Time, Gardeners!
We made it!! It’s that magical shoulder season—after Easter but before May long weekend—when the days get warmer, the sun sticks around longer, and we finally feel that little zing in our green thumbs again.
If you’ve been holding off on doing all the things in the garden because you know better (high five for protecting the birds, bees, and beneficial bugs!), now’s your moment. Once the daytime temps reliably hover around 10°C, it’s officially time to shake off the mulch dust and dive in. Here’s what you should be doing in your garden right now:
1. Clean-Up… But Make It Kind
Yes, it’s finally okay to rake, tidy, and cut back the garden beds—but do it gently. Many overwintering critters have begun to emerge, so avoid deep disturbance where you can. That leaf litter and plant debris you so lovingly left all winter? Time to compost what’s not needed and make room for new growth.
2. Mulch It Like You Mean It
If you’re clearing out beds or removing protective layers, be sure to replace that coverage with something. My go-to? A top dressing of composted sheep and cow manure. Why both? Because each brings different nutrient profiles—like a natural blend of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) that helps boost plant health and build your soil’s structure.
Top dressing with composted manure is low effort, high impact, and totally in line with regenerative gardening practices. Your soil—and your plants—will thank you.
3. Spring Planters, Activate
If you’ve got the itch to plant something pretty, now is the perfect time to start your cool-season spring containers. Think pansies, violas, nemesia, dusty miller, ornamental cabbage, and other hardy spring annuals that can handle chilly nights and warm days. They’ll carry you beautifully through to early summer, when you’ll do a little refresh.
4. Start Planting Hardy Crops
Depending on your zone (hello, Zone 5–6 friends), you can begin planting hardy greens and roots like kale, spinach, radishes, peas, and spring onions. If you’ve got row cover or cloches, now’s the time to put them to work!
5. Welcome the Pollinators Home
If you haven’t already, set out those ladybug homes, bee houses, or butterfly waterers (yes, they exist!). I’ve got a few ready-to-go kits on the website that make perfect additions to your spring garden—and help support the little creatures we rely on for balance and biodiversity.
6. Get Into the Swing of Spring
This is the season of momentum. It’s the moment where a little effort pays off big time later. So fluff up those beds, feed your soil, plant a few early veggies, and give your garden its first big seasonal pep talk.
Spring’s here—and she’s ready to party.
