Ready to Start Seeing Green In Your Garden?

Are you ready to start seeing green? Make sure the last frost has passed your area, clean off your lawn, and get back into the garden. Whether you're setting out beautiful container gardens or changing out your flower beds, put your gloves on and get to work.

Ready to set out annual flowers such as begonias, coleus, and impatiens now? Before you do, Google "last spring frost" and your zip code. This will tell you when it's safe for tender plants to be exposed to the elements.

If you fertilize your grass twice a year and it still seems stuck in neutral, then your soil may be compacted and restricting root growth. You can rent a machine called a core aerator that runs over the lawn, removes plugs of soil, and drops them behind
it on the ground. This improves the penetration of air, water, and nutrients into the soil and helps roots grow. More roots mean more grass blades.

Do you have a bluegrass or fescue lawn that is looking sparse or has bare patches? Now is a good time to overseed it. Don't put down a crabgrass preventer before doing this, or your grass seeds won't sprout.

WATCH: The Grumpy Gardener's Guide to a Lawn You'll Love

Many people think ‘Knock Out' roses stay small, but they don't. Unpruned plants can grow 6 feet tall and wide and look unkempt by the end of winter. Prune back overgrown shrubs by a third or more to restore tidiness and also to encourage a burst of blooms. Be sure to wear gloves!

Fight the urge to cut back the foliage of spring bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, soon after the flowers fade. Wait until the leaves turn yellow. If you trim still-green foliage, the bulbs won't bloom next year.