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Gardening Tips for National Gardening Day

By Bria Zegarelli

April 2, 2025

National Gardening Day is right around the corner on April 14th, and with some warmer weather starting to emerge in April as well, it is the perfect time to pick up gardening as a spring and summer hobby for 2025.

The purpose of National Gardening Day is to encourage both beginner and advanced gardeners to celebrate and prioritize gardening as a way to kick off the summer months–and hopefully an everyday habit of gardening. If you love gardening or think you would love it if you tried, consider using this upcoming National Gardening Day as a way to try out the following gardening tips!

Focus on soil health

The health of your plants is heavily affected by what they are growing in, so it is really important that you are not only focusing on your plants themselves but also the nutrients of their soil. This is especially important for Pittsburgh because the soil here can be a lot denser and clay-rich than other environments, so it is recommended that you add more organic matter to it in order to make it healthier for your plants. Adding used coffee grounds or DIY compost to your soil can not only help reduce waste but can also improve the nutrients for your plants.

Save your vegetable, fruit, and flower seeds

A great DIY tip you can use for your garden is to save the seeds from your vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Not only will this save you money, but it’s also a fun way to get started with your garden!

Plant pollinator, native, and perennial plants

In order to make your garden the healthiest possible, it is helpful to sow plants that are natural pollinators or are native to your local area. Pollinator plants (such as goldenrod and coneflowers) attract bees and other helpful insects such as butterflies, so planting these can allow your garden to thrive just from natural causes. Planting native plants (such as milkweed and coneflowers for Pennsylvania) is also incredibly healthy for gardens because it supports the local wildlife instead of acting as an intrusion; in other words, it is working with the local environment instead of working against it. Planting perennials (such as daffodils) is also great for a garden because they do not require as much maintenance as other plants, so they are wonderful options for beginners. Their deep roots also help the nutrients of the surrounding soil.

Grow a diverse selection of plants

One of the easiest ways to have a thriving garden is to have a diverse selection of plants, which can help improve biodiversity and therefore your garden’s resilience to different conditions.

Plant in-season fruits, vegetables, and flowers

When starting your garden, make sure to check to see what fruits, vegetables, and flowers are in-season. This will help you have an easier time growing them because the weather will coincide with what the plants naturally thrive in, and through this research, you will also know important information about when to plant and then harvest specific kinds of plants. Also pay attention to which plants are hardy through rain and cold, which is important to know for Pittsburgh since it has such inconsistent weather. In general, foods and flowers such as carrots, peas, strawberries, potatoes, marigolds, and poppies are recommended for planting in April.

Propagate your plants

If you want a fun DIY gardening task, look up plant propagation. Propagation consists of creating new plants from already-existing ones, so if you already have a few plants growing, you can use these to create more. There are many different ways to propagate, so research which kind to use for your specific plants.

Start inside, then move outdoors

Sometimes you don’t have to wait until warmer weather in order to start a garden. For many plants, you can start them out inside and then move them outside once the weather heats up.

Research local companies that prioritize gardening

If you want extra tips for gardening or if you want a gardening community, research local groups, websites, or companies like Phipps Conservatory or Grow Pittsburgh.

Incorporate companion planting into your garden

Companion planting is a gardening method in which certain plants are grown together for a mutually beneficial relationship. If you incorporate this technique into your garden, it could help soil health, pollination, plant resilience, and/or pest control.

Make DIY seed pots

If you have toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, or paper egg cartons, don’t throw them away; you can use them to make DIY seed pots! When the seedlings get too big, you can move them to a different area.

Consider growing a wildflower garden

If you want a garden filled with flowers, consider growing large patches of wildflowers instead of set types of flowers. This will promote biodiversity, and wildflowers are generally more low-maintenance than other flowers.

Use window screens as seed protection

If you’re worried about birds, squirrels, or other animals getting into your garden and seeds, you can place an old window screen on top of the area so that the plants can still get air, sun, and water, but animals won’t be able to get in.