What reading materials are on the end table by your favorite chair?

The vice president’s life story has been purchased and started. I just have not gotten past the first chapters and the ugly words. My favorite HGTV star has published a beautiful book highlighting the many homes they have remodeled in the Laurel area. I spy several devotional opportunities. The new coffee table book by the Alabama (born in Columbus) TV cooking star has been ordered. My current favorites are the spring 2025 editions of seed and nursery catalogues! Wow! I wish I had thought about using them to teach adjectives to second graders.

Before you purchase a plant, especially a perennial, or even a pack of seeds, pay attention to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Most of Lowndes County, Mississippi is in zone 8b with the very northern part of the county 8a. Horticulturists have taken the 30-year average lowest winter temperatures in a given area to determine if a plant is a perennial or annual variety as well as the length of the growing season. There are 13 major plant zones in the United States and each zone is divided into “A” and “B” subzones.

Careful and detailed studies also research temperatures, rainfall, and frost dates.

The weather in our area is still a bit chilly to plant a garden. We have a risk of freezing temperatures. But the warmer days offer numerous opportunities to get ready. Get your garden shed in order. Are your tools all together? Sharpen your hoe. Use a quick squirt of penetrating oil to remove rust and prevent corrosion. Replenish your supplies. Do you need fertilizers, soil amendments, or plant supports? I recently ordered a new garden bucket caddy that fits over a five-gallon bucket to hold small garden tools. I also replaced my folding garden kneeler and seat. David took our mowers and had them serviced.

Proper prep work needs to be done before planting. Clean the area where you plan to garden. Remove any weed matter that might be alive. In a large garden spot, the tractor and plow or tiller will take it back to bare soil. Any mulch or organic matter should be worked into the soil. Be sure no living weeds are around, as they will compete with your garden plants.

Think about what home grown foods your family enjoys. Research and be sure it will grow in our hardiness zone. Then get the site prepared. Will you be growing just a few larger flowerpots of compact veggies on your patio? Wash the containers and add the soil mixture to the pots. Pay attention to the size of a grown plant. A cucumber plant will need support as the vine begins to grow. Maybe you have decided to downsize your garden space. The internet offers numerous elevated garden bed kits. They could be placed closer to the house and the water source.

Are you satisfied with the placement of the shepherd hooks in your garden? Do they need a quick spray paint? Think about a placement that you can enjoy from that favorite chair. Maybe a hanging basket with flowers on one hook and a bird feeder on the other. Watch for new flowerpots. I often see large, beautiful flowerpots at estate sales very reasonably priced.

With a little preparation, you will be ready to plant and enjoy those cool season, early spring vegetables. Lettuce is one of those vegetables that is easy to grow. It is a reliable source of vitamin A and K. There are at least five distinct types of lettuce – loose leaf, romaine, crisphead iceberg, butterhead and stem. Fresh unwashed lettuce can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. Cover with plastic wrap.

Find your favorite varieties of early spring vegetables at your local nursery or garden and farm center. You should be watching for cabbage and onion plants. Radish, turnips, spinach all grow from a tiny seed. David, Swayze, Arleigh, and John David had fun growing potatoes in a barrel.

If space or time does not allow gardening on your agenda, visit my Master Gardener friends at the Hitching Lot Farmer’s Market. It will be open from May through October. Watch for days and times closer to opening dates.

Now is the time to plant trees and shrubs. Trim and divide your mondo grass and liriope. Mulch all plants. Get your hummingbird feeders ready and experience a beautiful spring.

Former elementary teacher and avid gardener Olivia Sansing lives in the New Hope community and shares timely tips on behalf of the Lowndes County Master Gardeners.