By Erik Braunitzer and courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Agency, brokers for New YorkCity Apartments.

 As spring quickly approaches and your gardens starts to slowly show signs of new life, you can prepare your yard or garden area for a grand entrance into spring.

 Make a Plan

In order to keep your garden space looking beautiful without looking cluttered or disorganized, it is good to make a plan before you get started. The common temptation is to go out and buy a large variety of plants for your garden and plant them anywhere you have place. Yet this can detract from the space of your yard and reflect a chaotic feel. Choose which areas you will add your new plants to. Sometimes less is more. Too many plants in one area can take away from the unique beauty of each individual one. Consider important factors like height, size, color and so on before making your final decisions.

 Maintenance and Other Personal Circumstance Considerations

Although some plants can be high maintenance, others require little or hardly any care throughout the spring. If you are a busy professional without much time to spare, it may not be a wise investment to purchase a variety of plants that require your constant attention. A plant that grows rapidly and needs to be trimmed constantly might not also be worth the effort, and might cause your garden to look unruly if not attended to at regular intervals. In addition, if you have purchased a new pet that will cause damage to your expensive orchids, you might want to wait to save yourself much frustration and save your valued plants for next spring.

 Research, Research, Research

You should also consider the climate of your area before adding any new plants to your yard or garden. A further consideration is where you will place your plant in your yard or garden. For example, a plant that needs lots of sunlight will not thrive in your backyard under the big oak tree, and so on.  In addition, be sure to research the particular needs of your plant. For example, some bulbs need to be planted in a particular time before spring. If they are planted too early, they will die in the ground.

 Prepare Your Soil

There are many types of soil. Knowing your particular type of soil not only helps you choose the plants that would thrive in your yard, but also helps you make the right preparations to help your plants thrive. You can take a sample of your soil to your professional or do your own research. For example, if your soil is too acidic, you can buy an alkaline product to neutralize excessive acid. You can also purchase a wide range of fertilizers to enrich your soil and plants.