Celebrate the First Spring Day: Garden Rituals to Welcome the Season

Is there anything better than that first genuinely warm spring day? Celebrate with a full day of puttering—tending chores, sprucing up, and treating yourself. (Fresh herb cocktails in the garden, anyone?)

B. Jane Gardens

Treat Yourself to New Gear

Kick off the season with a morning garden center run: a bright watering can, fresh gloves, a wide-brimmed hat—whatever sparks joy.

Le jardinet

Fill Your Steps with Blooms

If you planted bulbs last fall, bravo! If not, grab potted spring flowers while you're out. A stoop bursting with color is an instant mood lifter.

Linden L.A.N.D. Group

Hang the Hammock

Today's the day. Pull it out, hang it up, and take that extended break with a book and coffee. No judgment.

Lucy Call

Make Pretty Plant Markers

A fun first-day project. Paint plain stakes with leftover paint, then use alphabet stamps for labels—far nicer than Sharpie on popsicle sticks.

Seedlings Gardening

Tidy Garden Paths

Transform dull dirt into inviting paths with mulch and stepping stones. Stand back and savor the accomplishment.

Related: 5 Gravel and Stone Types for a Rockin' Landscape

Colin Cadle Photography

Spruce Up the Back Entrance

The garden entry is always a mess. Sweep, organize tools, line up boots. Good enough is perfect.

gail olsen, ASID

Set Up a Potting Station

Doesn't need to be fancy—just a sturdy, washable surface. Shelves for pots and soil bags are a bonus.

Amy Renea

Get Creative with Found-Object Planters

Plant lettuces in a rusted bucket, wildflowers in an old wheelbarrow or toy truck. Let imagination roam.

Related: See 14 Crazy Places to Grow Edibles

Finch Photo

Scrub Outdoor Furniture

Wash tables and chairs with soapy water and a stiff brush. Quick-spruce cobwebby pots too.

Sarah Greenman

Add Softness

Freshly laundered cushions, plump pillows, a draped throw—instant cozy for when the sun dips low.

Pritzkat & Johnson Architects

End with a Garden Cocktail

Muddle homegrown mint for a cocktail or steep for tisane. Rosemary simple syrup, lavender, thyme—your herb garden is a mixologist's dream.

Tell us: Does it feel like spring where you are? How do you welcome the season?