Spring Forward & Start Planting: Tap Into Your Inner Green Thumb Goddess

Every year that spring forward time change shows up with the same energy which most of us don't find to be positive energy. You know that feeling like you're trapped in a bad dream. Why do you feel this way? Simple...because you know for the next several weeks, your inner time clock is going to feel like it's on the fritz. 

Does anyone really want the clock to spring forward? I don't think so. No one asked for it. No one feels emotionally (or physically) prepared for it. Yet suddenly it’s dark at breakfast, you’re wide awake at midnight, and 6:30 in the evening looks like two in the afternoon.

That light does something to a person. It has a huge impact on the body's circadian rhythm which science claims takes most of us a week to adjust to. Look on the bright side. Those extended hours of sunlight offer a built-in opportunity for you to employ your green thumb, or cultivate one if you're new to gardening. Make this the year you grow a garden. A few months from now, you'll casually step outside, clip fresh herbs and veggies for dinner, and say words like “my plants are doing well”.

And the timing of it — the week before the clocks move forward — is actually perfect, because no matter where you live, something is waking up.

Down South, in places where winter was more of a suggestion than a season, the soil is already warm enough to start the fun stuff. This is when tomatoes and peppers start showing up in carts next to bags of potting mix, and suddenly everyone has strong feelings about sunlight. It’s the season of walking outside with a morning coffee and inspecting leaves like you’re running a tiny farm.

In the middle stretch of the country, this is the week the planning turns into action. Seeds start indoors on the counter in those little starter trays with the clear lids that make you feel wildly professional (side note...paper egg cartons work great, too). You tell yourself you’ll remember to rotate them under the grow light every day, and for at least a week you absolutely will. There’s something deeply hopeful about seeing the first green shoots push up while it’s still technically too cold to trust the weather.

And for those who are still scraping ice off their windshields, this is the dreaming phase — which might actually be the best part. This is when you line up your containers by the brightest window in the house, fill them with fresh soil that may smell a little like a cow came for visit, and start herbs indoors. Basil, parsley, chives — the low-drama plants that give you quick wins and make you feel like the kind of person who has dinner under control.

This is the time of the year when your local stores start stocking seeds, soil, planters etc. If you can't find what you want there, hop online. I can almost guarantee you'll find what you need on (insert drumroll) Amazon. Check other sites like etsy. Google for in-depth information on the planting season in your specific location.

New to the farmer in you? No problem. Try starting with a seed starter kit because you “just want to try a few things.” When those little green shoots pop up is the time when you need to decide what you'll transfer them into to finish growing.

Limited on space? No worries. A set of planters would look great on the porch or inside on a window sill that's bathed in sunlight. (Psssssst...you don't need to buy expensive ones. Let your creative side live a little and decorate some low-cost plastic planters.) Having a watering can and a misting spray bottle on hand will prove to be valuable because plants need water and leaves need to be free of dust. Imagine how your "garden" will add to your home's aesthetic vibe. 

If you do have some space in your yard, you have several types of gardens to choice from or mix together. Go old school and plant those seedlings right into the ground. There'll be some tilling and possible soil mixing involved, but your inner farmer will revel in the task. You may prefer raised-bed planting which can be a favorable choice because it eliminates getting down low to the ground, bending and stooping. Not to mention that raised-beds will give dimension to your landscaping. Swap out your annuals for herbs and veggies in you flower bed. And for the over-achievers who are ready to dive in head first, I have one word for you...greenhouse.

Now, before you start stuffing plants in pots or a hole in the ground, you're going to need some potting soil. Companies have become rather sophicated with the types of potting soil they craft and sell so read the bag to make sure you're getting the proper soil for the type of plant your potting. Even if it's going in the ground, you'll want to give that little plant a head start and put some good soil in the hole first. Yeah, by the time you get done with this project, you'll think your plants have better living conditions that you do.

Beware...this gardening thing has a way of changing how you care for plants. Things like adding plant food because you are now invested in their future and getting gloves that actually fit your hands and a small tool set that makes you look like you know the difference between pruning and whatever it is you were doing before with kitchen scissors. And if you have ever tried to kneel on the ground for longer than twelve seconds, this is when you discover the garden kneeler that flips into a little seat and has pockets for your tools. You can even get one with an umbrella for some shade. The only thing missing is a cup holder.

The best part of this hobby garden is that none of this requires a full lifestyle overhaul. You're not making an anatomically correct humanoid scarecrow that needs to be moved every other day in an attempt to fool the birds into believing there's a level a real danger. What you are doing is stepping outside in the evening with the sun still shining and the air finally feels soft again, and pouring water onto your plants while your brain unwinds for the first time all day. That's is. That’s the reset. And it works whether your “garden” is a full backyard, a patio with three pots, or a row of herbs in the kitchen window under a small grow light that hums your little seeds to life.

The timeline takes care of itself in the background. While the clocks are about to jump forward, Southerners are already planting their warm-weather vegetables with a somewhat false sense of security that there won't be a late frost this year. Those in the middle-zone are off to a running start nurturing their seedlings indoors, watching the weather app like it’s a competitive sport. As for Northerners, while patiently waiting for their planting season hit, not only are they planning what they'll grow but they also have a map to scale in finite detail of where each and every plant will be place. Everyone is moving forward at the exact right time for where they live, which is actually a nice reminder that you don’t have to force the season you’re not in yet.