by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | Spring is here so it’s time to get busy sorting out your garden, whether it be on your rooftop, balcony, front yard, community plot, window box, street allowance, at your friend’s place or what have you. With the insanely gorgeous weather we’ve been having (up until now), how can one NOT have getting their garden prepped for spring on the brain? Honestly, there is so much happening in gardens right now (don’t even make us go off on a tangent about the in-season purple sprouting broccoli shoots that never cease to create excitement, or the first asparagus spears coming up) it’s difficult to choose what topic to write about this week; but, overall, sowing seeds is of utmost excitement for all at this time of year.

Regardless of the kind of space you’re working with, a couple of key points to consider when prepping your beds or boxes. Rake in any decomposed leaves into the soil you may have added to the surface of your beds as mulch last fall – they add nitrogen and “organic matter” into the soil. That’s very important in terms of maintaining healthy soil structure. Add only the well-rotted leaves. Add organic compost! Dust a layer of organic fertilizer. We like an all-purpose like Welcome Harvest Farm’s “VeganO” 3-3-3. It has kelp, sunflower hull ash, alfalfa meal and pure goodness. Plus, it smells like a barn. Want to start composting yourself? No problem. It’s something you can do even in an apartment. (If you need advice, Victory Gardens is hosting a composting workshop this weekend led by expert Emma Holmes).

What else can you do in prep for spring seed sowing? If you like organization, draw up a garden map. What do you want to grow? How much light do you need? If you plan out your growing space and timing of plantings, you can maximize your harvest.

And finally, SEEDS! What can you grow this time of year? Here are a few of our top picks: arugula, kale, peas, mustard greens, and radishes. Now get in there and sow!

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Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their goal is to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards.