Check out these 12 items for your spring gardening check list by home and gardening expert Danny Lipford. We'll give you the first three here. Click here to get the other 9 checklist items.
Spring is on the way, and warm weather is beginning to peek around the corner, inviting us outdoors and begging gardeners to get their hands dirty. But unless you live in a tropical climate, there is still plenty of freezing weather to come, so don't get ahead of yourself! Resist the urge to set out new plants, and use this promising season to pay a visit to your garden and tend to what's already there.
1. Give your shrubs a makeover. This is a good time to prune shrubs, except for those that bloom in the spring. Remove any deadwood and encourage the shrub's natural shape.
2. Complete that “Honey-Do” list. Finish building that trellis, raised bed, or stepping-stone path you started last fall. Inspect your garden for any needed structural repairs.
3. Clear out the rubbish! Remove debris from drainage ditches, gutters, and planting beds. Clear unwanted brush and undergrowth. Cut back dead foliage on last year's perennials and ornamental grasses before new growth starts.
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