Time to get down and get dirty

The first job is a good one for the whole family. Bundle up against those chilly April breezes and comb the grounds for the rubbish that always seems to get caught in garden shrubbery. Pick up broken twigs deposited by storms and rake back gravel that’s been pushed from driveways or walks to lawn areas.

On warmer days you’ll want to move into the garden and start cutting back the dead stalks from last year’s perennials. This is also the month to divide them.

When I was in the nursery business, April was the busiest month of the year – a time when close to 200 varieties of perennials were dug up, divided, potted and labeled for the season.

To divide any perennial, lift the root ball out of the ground and claw the soil away from the root with a hand tool. Once the soil has been shaken loose, pull the different sections apart by gripping last year’s stems. You can sometimes make dozens of new plants from the original. Replant these in a compost-amended area.

Over time, hostas and daylilies develop tough, thick root masses that require a sharp bladed shovel or even an ax to chop it into smaller sections. Don’t worry about hurting them. If even a few tendrils of roots remain to each piece, the new plants will grow. Make sure to water each rooted section well in its new location.

You can scratch about in between established perennials to loosen up the ground and throw a handful of compost or organic fertilizer about the base of each plant now as well.

Lawns can be lightly rolled and if you’re familiar with the leaf shape of those pesky dandelion, pick up a weeding prong designed especially for them and see how many you can get rid of. It’s also a great time of year to fill in any ruts or low spots in the lawn with topsoil and seed it over.

In mid-April check your rosebushes for new growth. These shrubs should be pruned as soon as new branches are discernible; to avoid accidentally damaging those you plan on leaving. Prune back by at least half by making a slanting cut right above an outward facing bud. Also remove any weak or dead branches. Finish off by tossing a few generous handfuls of bone meal at the base of each bush.