Spring has sprung and that means many Lower Mainland residents are getting back into the garden.

And an increasing number of people are turning to more sustainable and natural gardening methods.

A good place to start when getting any garden ready for spring planting is with a little spring cleaning -- clean out the garden beds and pull any weeds that have popped up over the winter. Many weeds have enjoyed the mild winter and could be thriving as spring takes hold.

"Soil preparation is the most important thing," says Patricia Fleming, executive director at Earthwise Society, a local not-for-profit organization aimed at cultivating sustainable communities through environmental education and stewardship.

The society runs an organic demonstration garden in Tsawwassen and offers workshops in different aspects of gardening.

Once the weeds have been pulled, Fleming says, the next and most important step is to look at top dressing the soil. She recommends applying two to three inches of compost to the garden.

"Anyone with a home composter, this is the time to harvest," she says, adding that if your compost does not look ready, that would be a good time to re-activate the compost and add some fresh material. Soon after it should be ready for the garden. If you're mulching an existing garden, the compost can just be left on top.

"We generally recommend this as an annual treatment," Fleming says.

However, if a new garden is being created, the compost should be dug into the soil.

Spring is a good time to re-assess your garden as perennials begin to come back to life.

Fleming says it's an opportune time to lift, divide and move perennials if needed since those plants will still be dormant in early spring.

Planting new perennials, trees or shrubs can be done at any time, but gardeners should wait for warmer weather before planting any annuals or warm weather plants. Fleming says those kinds of plants need warmer soil and should not be planted earlier than May.

For more information about the Earthwise Society, visit www.earthwisesociety.bc.ca.