Curious about your frost dates? You can find them for your area here.

Many of us are 4-6 weeks away from our last frost of the season, which means our garden tasks are ramping up!

Today we’re going over a few tasks that you should be doing now to prepare for your peak gardening season once last frost has passed.

#1 — Start Your Seeds if You Haven’t Already

If you haven’t started your seeds, take a look at your seed packets to find the ideal time to start them. Many may be able to be started now, and others may do best directly sown into your beds once the danger of the last frost has passed.

#2 — Check on Seedlings

If you have started your seeds already, check on their progress. Remember, seeds need heat to germinate, which is where a heat mat comes in handy. Once germinated, take them off the heat and give them adequate light or they will start to get leggy. We hang shop lights 1”-3” from the tops of the seedlings, raising them as the seedlings grow. Also, make sure that you harden off your seedlings before planting them out.

#3 — Buy Starter Plants and Summer Bulbs & Tubers

If you’ve decided to purchase seedlings instead of starting your own, now is the time to place your orders for cut flower seedling kits or visit your local nurseries to get first choice of what’s available.

Now is also the time to think about companion planting herbs for both pest control and use in recipes and teas! Some great herbs for this are:

• Basil

• Chives

• Dill

• Lavender

• Mint

• Rosemary

If you haven’t already done so, it is also the time to purchase flowering perennials and summer-flowering bulbs and tubers such as dahlias, gladiolus, and lilies.

#4 — Build Garden Beds

If you’re building any garden beds yourself — whether raised beds or ground beds, now is the time to finish them up to ensure they’re ready for planting in about a month. Remember to top-dress the beds with compost.

#5 — Order Your Supplies

Now is also a great time to order any garden supplies you don’t have yet.

Make sure you have:

• Stakes/plant supports

• Fertilizer

• Pruners

• Plant tags

• Flower buckets

Once the average last-frost date has passed and you’re busy in the garden, you won’t want to have to hunt down necessary supplies! Check out our Amazon Storefront for our recommended tools & supplies.

If you want to continue planning your garden for the season (and beyond!), check out our Eco-Friendly Flower Garden Planner & Journal. As a sneak peek gift, sign up below to receive the planning sheets for the 4-6 weeks before your last frost date for free!

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