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Lori Lennon, wbztv.com
BOSTON (WBZ) ― The clocks have moved ahead, which means spring is almost here and the time to start your garden is only weeks away.

Wbztv.com and Brian Petrucci, principal of The North Ledge Landscape and Construction Company, took a trip to the New England Spring Flower Show at the Bayside Expo Center to check out the flowers and talk about some helpful tips for the first time gardener.

Starting your own garden can be very intimidating, but it can be done. The best tip of all: start off small. "As a first time gardener, you don't want to go too crazy," said Petrucci. "When you first start out, buy little things. Buy a few plants, get them established. Try a rhododendron, an azalea and a couple of small perennials… As these plants start to establish, move on to something else that takes more care, like a tall tree or bigger and more ambitious landscape."

Starting off small will help you figure our how your yard works and which places get more sun, or more shade.

But before you even think about planting, you need to take care of some spring cleaning first. Old mulch needs to be scraped away and the twigs, branches and sand from the winter need to be raked off the lawn, shrubs and grass.

If you have perennials, hedges or small trees in your yard, the dead leaves and twigs need to be cleaned off so the plant can re-grow properly in the spring.

The wintertime can be tough on plants. Snow and ice can weigh down on the branches and make the plant lose shape, so it's important to make sure they are properly taken care for spring. "In the winter, (the plant) can be damaged by the snow and ice," explains Petrucci. "When springtime comes along, (the plant) has to come back to its normal resting place. You have to go through with some sharp prunes and clip off some of the dead ends."

You can start planting your garden during the second or third week of April, depending on the weather, according to Petrucci. If you start too early, the plants may not survive.

Trees with root balls, the roots and soil of the tree, can be planted earlier, according to Petrucci.

When your plant first goes into the ground, it will need a "good soaking" every other day until it's established. "Always remember to keep watering when you first plant," said Petrucci. "It's a very important step." 

The size of the plant will determine how much water is needed. If you are not sure what is the right amount, just ask your local plant expert.

It is also important to find out how much sun your tree or plant requires, so be sure to find out the plant's needs before adding it to your garden.

When starting your garden, you must add a tree and shrub mix, and/or a compost mix to your existing soil. Without adding this mix, the yard soil could shock the plant. Petrucci says the mix will help the plant establish itself in your garden.

If you're not sure where to start or what to buy for your garden, Petrucci says there is a very simple way of looking at it. You need "thrillers, spillers and fillers."

Thrillers are the "wow" plants that draw you to the garden, he says. These are usually flowers or unusual plants that catch your eye.

Spillers are usually plants that "overflow," such as a weeping white pine or another tree or shrub that grows wide.

The fillers are your perennials, such as a hosta or a heuchera plant.

So now that you have your basic gardening tips, go out there and start your garden! Just remember, water often and start off small. You never know, you could have a green thumb before you know it!

If you still feel a little lost, here are a few gardening resources to check out.

Gardening Tips: HelpfulGardener.com
Spring Cleaning For Your Yard: Gardening.About.Com
Planting A Tree: TreePeople.org, LewisGardens.com
Light requirements guide: LewisGardens.com/Light.htm
Gardener's Dictionary: TheGardenhelper.com

Chat About It: Gardening Blogs
Earth Friendly Gardening
Common Weeder
FineFlowers
The Flower Expert

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