• Trim liriope and other ground covers, including ornamental grasses, before new growth emerges.

• Plant new perennials and pull mulch back from emerging perennials; divide existing perennials and share with a neighbor.

• Mulch planting areas, using 2-3 inches of shredded hardwood mulch for good weed control and moisture retention. Avoid piling mulch around plants, especially tree trunks; too much mulch suffocates plant roots.

• Mow cool-season fescue to a height of 3-4 inches; start compost pile with spring grass clippings.

• Fertilize existing warm-season lawns like Bermuda or Zoysia; lay sod for these now or seed/plug in May.

• Fertilize fescue if you missed fall applications. Use a slow-release fertilizer

• Create new plants by lowering a branch of your favorite shrub and covering it with soil and a stone; when small roots develop, snip off the rooted branch and pot or plant it.

• Remove foliage from spring-flowering bulbs when the leaves turn brown halfway up the blade. Avoid braiding or putting rubber bands on bulb foliage because it restricts food flow to the bulb that creates next year’s flower. Instead, plant daylilies or other spring-flowering, sun-loving perennials among the bulb foliage to camouflage its appearance.

• Prune spring-blooming shrubs such as forsythia and early spirea when done flowering.