The Productive Landscape Journal: April 2, 2026
There’s a certain tension in working in the garden this time of year. The gardening books and the extension agent say we should be planting – Bareroot trees and shrubs, perennials, lettuce, peas, kale, potatoes – but the soil tells a different story. Yes, it’s warm enough to plant in, but it’s also waterlogged. Digging or working the soil right now would be a mistake that would have outsized effects the rest of the season.
Gardening on a flat site can be a challenge, but it does have its advantages – Our clay and silt loam soils in Indiana hold on to water, making spring planting a challenge, but irrigation is almost unnecessary in the summer for main crops! The primary solution to this challenge is really staying on top of soil structure – Avoid working the soil when wet, keep crops on the soil as much as possible (Cover cropping really shines here), and add plenty of organic matter.
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This Week in The Landscape
The weather has continued to be volatile, but this time it’s rain we’re dealing with. There is some cold weather predicted next week, which is typical – We can still get freezes and frosts this time of year. What’s interesting is that we can often more or less predict when these cold snaps will occur – I wrote about East Tennessee’s Little Winters last week, that’s a great rule of thumb to go by even up here in Indiana.
It is warm enough to plant lettuce, kale, and peas in the garden now. I’ll probably hold off for another few weeks as the soil is very wet still – We are meant to get 2 to 3 inches of rain this week, which isn’t going to help in that regard.
What We’re Working On
My main goal this week was to get our vegetable garden broadforked. I mentioned last week that I had received the Bully Broadfork as a gift – This has been the single most productive garden tool I’ve ever owned! It only took me about an hour to work most of the garden. What I do is work in 10 to 12 inch sections, lifting the soil but not turning it. This introduces macropores which (in theory!) introduce oxygen and infiltration paths, allowing the soil to dry more quickly after this rain event.
I am also trying applying a soil penetrant called Penterra – This helps to work the water through the soil profile and is supposed to be particularly beneficial for heavy clay. I’ll keep some notes and share my findings!
In Bloom Now
This week, I’ve got Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and daffodils in bloom. I’m also seeing the Plantainleaf Sedge (Carex plantaginea) trying to bloom, these were hit hard by the frost two weeks ago.
Native Plant of the Week: Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Commonly found in floodplains and mesic forests throughout the Midwest, Appalachia, and Mid-Atlantic, Virginia Bluebells are a true harbinger of spring. The plants have a fresh, green look about them that captures the essence of spring, with beautiful flowers that transition from pink to sky blue as they open.
Virginia bluebells are true Spring Ephemerals, going completely dormant by summer. This can be an advantage when integrating them into a designed landscape, though, as they make way for summer-blooming and season persisting perennials later.
A Supporter in our Ecological Function Classification System, Virginia bluebells are a primary food source for emerging queen bumblebees, as well as mason bees, and butterflies. They can function both as an accent and a filler in our Design Role System, depending on how they’re integrated.
Do This Now
We are now in full spring here in Indiana, and you’ll be even further ahead if you live further South. This week, focus on getting the following done:
- Plant Bare-Root Trees, Shrubs and Perennials: If your soil is workable, now is the time to plant any bare-root plants you’ve received. Getting them in while it’s still cool and rainy gives them a chance to establish before the heat of late spring turns on.
- Plant Hardy Crops in the Garden: Now is the time to set out kale, lettuce, and peas. I personally will hold off on beets and onions, but if you live in the South you might be able to plant them now – A good rule of thumb is to plant onions and beets after the cold snap that often comes around the time Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is in bloom.
- Get Down Pre-Emergent: This week is really the last chance to get down lawn pre-emergent if you’re planning on it. It may already be too late in the South.
Design Insight of the Week
Have something blooming every week of the growing season.
This may be a tall order, but having something blooming every week of the growing season is extremely important for supporting local pollinator populations. Pollinators, especially bees, have high metabolic rates. A gap of even 7 to 10 days without available nectar or pollen can cause a colony to collapse. By ensuring something is blooming every week, you ensure the pollinators have something to feed on.
Recommended This Week
Penterra Soil Penetrant / Wetting Agent
Sourced From: Amazon
Penterra is touted as the fastest-acting wetting agent on the market, and indeed it holds to its claims in use. I use Penterra particularly as a wetting agent for potting mix – Mixed at the 16 oz / 100 gallons rate (roughly 1 tsp per gallon), it is very effective at hydrating difficult-to-wet potting mixes.
Penterra is also claimed to help aggregate clay soil, working water through the soil profile – I’m doing a test on this in our garden and will keep everyone posted on the results!
Fiskars Steel Garden Knife
This is another one of my most-used tools in the landscape. I use this for digging planting holes, digging seedlings to transplant, dividing perennials, digging dandelions – An all-around top tool and the main one I carry around with me whenever I’m working the garden. And for less than $20, it’s very economical for the price.
Closing Note
Nature doesn’t follow the calendar, it has its own schedule. If your soil is currently saturated, don’t fight it. As the Virginia Bluebells show, even in the muddiest, most “unworkable” weeks of April, Nature is still hard at work. While you wait for the ground to dry, remember that sometimes the most productive thing a gardener can do is simply stay off the soil and enjoy the view!