The following is an excerpt from an article by John Jemison, 

UMaine Cooperative Extension Professor

Of the 22 winters that I have spent in Maine, this one has to rank as one of the hardest that I can remember.   However, signs that winter may be easing its grip are evident; patches of lawn are showing up here and there, and with the longer days and stronger sun, spring is inevitable.  You will be gardening before you know it.

As we start to think about the upcoming year, it's good to prepare yourself.   We have run a half-acre community garden for the past 10 years, and we give vegetables to low income seniors in our area.  I will draw from those experiences as I think about helping you prepare for the spring.

The first thing to do after the snow has melted and the ground has thawed is to look over the garden area.  Did you sow a cover crop last fall? If so, how did it fare the winter?  If you sowed oats in the fall, you can gently turn them under so that they can start to break down.  Are weeds such as perennial grasses (ex: quack grass) or winter annuals/biennials (ex: chickweed or shepherd's purse) growing?  You will want to dig early weeds out while the ground is moist.  Weeding and turning under cover crops are good first steps to get your garden ready. 

The next consideration is what to grow, how to grow it, and assessing any things you need to purchase now to be ready.  Some vegetables do better when transplanted, while others do not transplant well and must be directly sown into the garden.  Carrots and parsnips are excellent examples of plants to direct sow.  Getting carrot and parsnips to germinate can be challenging due to slow germination.  Its best to lay a sheet of row cover (remay) over the sown beds to ensure that the beds stay damp and seeds germinate. Other plants, like tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and onions do much better as transplants.  Start early with onions, leeks, broccoli and cabbage.  If you missed the opportunity to start crops that take a long time to develop indoors, plan to buy the seedlings early at your local garden center.  

Did you make a map of what was planted where in your garden last year?  Maybe your memory is better than mine, but you need to rotate where you plant specific things in your garden to avoid vegetable diseases.  I try to follow this pattern: root - fruit - leaf - legume crops.  For example: plant carrots in 2014, follow with squash in 2015,  plant spinach and possibly double crop with a late string bean in 2016.  Rotating plant types can potentially reduce disease in your garden.  Using raised beds can improve soil drainage and also help prevent disease. 

These are a few things you can do to get prepared for the growing season.  Remember to stretch out well prior to working in the garden and take frequent breaks.  Gardening is more like a marathon than a sprint.  Gardening is good exercise, but you should also take care of yourself and not overdo.  Enjoy the wonders and the benefits of growing at least some of your own food.  Remember others that might not be able to do what you can do and you might consider sharing what you can with them.  If you have questions, contact your county office of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.  Happy gardening!