Four Things to Consider this Spring for your Home Garden

Green up your garden this spring by using more eco-friendly products in your yard

It’s almost April and like many homeowners that means gardening season is just about here. I spent this weekend cleaning out my beds in preparation for this year’s gardening activities and also to scope out new areas to expand the garden. As you start preparing for this year’s outdoor gardening activities in the yard, consider some of the following green ideas.

1. Greening up your soil. This year I vow to skip the convenience of the big box retailer and head over to my local nursery to make my organic soil purchases. No more (brand I won’t name here), I’m going the local route. I think YouGrowGirl provides some great tips on choosing the right organic soil for your gardening needs.

2. Using natural fertilizers. Like with soil, I’m getting off the convenience bandwagon (of using that green plastic bottle that I screw onto my hose) and planning on talking to someone at my local nursery about which natural fertilizer is best for my needs. I get intimidated with fertilizers — liquid vs. dry, too many mix varieties to choose from, etc. — so I’m finding a knowledgeable person who can help guide me in the right direction.

3. Growing from seeds. Another experiment this spring could be the addition of growing herbs, flowers and veggies from seed. Not only are you reducing all of the environmental impacts from transporting these products, but also you’re eliminating the packaging waste. Plus the choices in seed varieties allow you to have things growing in your yard that no one else on the block has blooming.

4. Think twice about your hose. After this weekend’s yard clean-up, I was identifying areas of my yard for a new flower bed when I realized that my hose wasn’t going to reach that spot. I was looking online to find the longest hose length when I came across this article from Raising Natural Kids that shocked me. It got me thinking about not only how these toxins could harm humans but also our fury friends. Scary stuff here but now I know what to look for when purchasing my next hose – PVC free, lead free and avoiding ones labeled with the “California Prop 65 warning.”

Athena Snow

Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.