How to Get Your Yard and Garden Ready for Spring

I love working in the yard this time of year. It's not too hot, not freezing cold, there are few bugs and the spring rains keep the ground soft. In most places it'll be too early to plant seeds or young plants due to the danger of frost and freezing at night but there is still plenty of work that can be done.

- Clean up -- this is pretty self-explanatory. You want to go through and pick up all the sticks and branches that have fallen into your yard over the winter. Then rake up all the leaves that have blown in against the house, shed, and in the yard. If you have a flower bed you'll want to rake up all the leaves and plants that are still there from last year, too.

- De-thatch your lawn. You can buy a special de-thatching rake for this or use an attachment on your riding lawn mower. It's important to pick up all the dead grass and leaves that is matted against the ground. Once this is removed, the grass will be healthier because light, water and fertilizer will reach the roots more effectively.

- Fertilize your lawn. Again this is pretty self-explanatory. You can do it yourself or hire a lawn care company. I prefer to use a fertilizer and weed killer mix. If you haven't done this for awhile or your yard is in bad shape, I suggest taking a soil sample to a local gardener supply store. Most places test it for free and it'll tell you the Ph of your soil and how much and what kind of fertilizer to add.

- Trim trees and bushes. If you wait until there are leaves on the trees, you risk bringing down a bird's nest or other animal's home. When you trim a tree you kick start it out of dormant mode and it'll start budding soon after. February and March are the best months for trimming. You want to take it easy and don't cut off more than 1/3 of the tree or bush at once or it may not survive.

- Start a compost pile. OK, so it's not really necessary, but it's a great idea. You just raked up a bunch of leaves, collected sticks and cut off some branches -- why not toss them into a pile instead of the garbage can? There are many types these days. You can go simple with a pile or surround the pile with chicken wire or you can spend a lot of money on an enclosed plastic bin. There are pros and cons to both so go with whatever design works for you.

- Lawn mower maintenance. Before you use the lawn mower, you should check it over. Change the oil, sharpen the blade, check the spark plug, etc. It's just like a car - with good maintenance it'll last many years.

- Transplant bulbs. Once the soil warms a bit and is workable, you can dig up and divide your bulbs. If left alone for too many years, they get overcrowded and end up not growing like they should. All you need to do is dig them up, split and remove about half, cover back up and take the bulbs to the new location to be planted.

- Weeding. Everyone hates weeding but the spring rains make it easy to do. Once you've cleared a bed, cover it with mulch to prevent them from coming back.

- Yard redesign. Or whatever you want to call it. Have a bush you no longer like? The spring rains make the ground very soft so it's much easier to dig up big plants and bushes.

The cool air makes working outside a pleasant experience, especially after being cooped up all winter. Once it gets hot yard work loses some of its appeal. By taking care of these chores in the spring, you'll reduce the amount you'll have to do during the hot summer months. When July rolls around, you'll be relaxing by the pool and enjoying a nice yard. If the thought of a nice yard isn't enough to motivate you, how about the fact that a nice yard can greatly improve your property value? Spending the time now to improve your yard is definitely worth it.