If you garden in the Pacific Northwest, you know the feeling. After a long, gray winter, there’s a shift. The rain feels a little warmer, the days get a little longer, and a specific kind of excitement starts to bubble up. Spring is finally, truly here.

For us, the sign is when the nights are consistently staying above 40°F. It’s the green light we’ve been waiting for! This is the crucial moment to start moving tender plants from their protected homes in the garage or greenhouse out into the world.

If you’re as excited as we are, here are a few things to focus on as the PNW spring garden comes to life.

Hardening Off Your Starts

Those plant starts you’ve been babying for weeks need to be slowly introduced to the outdoors, a process called “hardening off.” The sun and wind are much stronger than a grow light in the garage.

  • Day 1-2: Place them outside in a shady, sheltered spot for just a couple of hours, then bring them back in.
  • Day 3-4: Increase their time outside and introduce a little gentle morning sun.
  • Day 5-7: Gradually increase the amount of direct sun until they can handle a full day without wilting.

What’s Blooming Now

One of the first rewards of the season is seeing the perennials return. Right now, our bearded irises are beginning to bloom, and it’s always a surprise to see what colors will emerge.

We also had a wonderful surprise from a plant I had completely forgotten I planted: a beautiful bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis). Its delicate, heart-shaped flowers are such a welcome sight and a true sign that the garden is waking up.

What’s Next?

With the soil warming up, now is the time for planting cool-weather crops and preparing beds for the summer vegetables to come. It’s a busy, wonderful, and promising time of year on the homestead. What’s the first thing you’re excited to do in your spring garden?