As the days begin to warm, I always wish I would have done more to get my gardens ready for the spring show before I stopped gardening for the winter. Fortunately, there are several quick ways to spruce up spring gardens.

Make a spring display:

Take a look around your gardens and see if you have any large bare spots, including areas where your perennials are still dormant. These areas are perfect for creating temporary displays. Just take a pretty pot and fill it with a good potting soil. Remember that you want an eye catching, instant display, so tuck in an entire six pack of pansies. Grab a few smaller pots in coordinating colors and plant them with more spring annuals or use them as slipcovers for plastic pots of forced bulbs. Arrange the smaller pots around the larger pot to create your display. Keep an eye on dormant perennials to be sure pots aren’t covering them when they begin coming to life.

Give your garden a slipcover:

Even the most untidy garden looks better after it has a top dressing of fresh mulch. If you pick organic mulch, you will have to replenish it as it breaks down, but you will also be enriching your soil. If you have messy spring trees in your gardens, you may want to wait until they are done dropping petals before you spread your mulch.

Accessorize your eyesores:

Do you have troublesome areas where the ground is stony or filled with tree roots? Find a bird bath, bench, or other ornament to fill in the gap. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, try making your own creative garden ornament. Some things I have done include taking an old chair and making it into a planter by removing the seat and stapling chicken wire to the bottom, painting a bowling ball with metallic paint and using it as an unbreakable gazing ball, and making a birdbath from concrete. (You can use a trashcan lid covered with plastic for a birdbath mold.)