Spring has sprung

Real spring doesn’t start until late April, when the white stuff that falls doesn’t stay around longer than a day or so.

Meanwhile, on those beautiful days when it’s a sin to stay inside, there are many early spring garden chores that can be accomplished.

The first job for me is to remove the circle of turf that’s grown up around each of two-dozen bridal wreath spireas I planted last year for a hedge. I neglected to mulch the base of these bushes and grass and weeds are competing with these ornamentals, robbing them of nutrients, in addition to making them look unkept. Once the undesirable growth has been removed, I’ll place several layers of damp newspaper around the base of each spirea and spread a thick layer of bark mulch to cover.

This is also a great time of year to prune this species, as well as hydrangeas, potentillas, honeysuckle, grapevines and wisteria. Roses can be pruned back by at least half and a large handful of bone meal can be scratched around the stems.

Your lawn needs attention too but try to keep traffic on it to a minimum until the ground has dried and is firm to walk on. Rake up the debris and pick up branches. Roll "frost bumps" with a light roller and apply a quality slow release lawn fertilizer. Sprinkle compost enriched soil over bare patches, rake grass seed in lightly and roll to compact.

Perennial beds can do with a tidying up by clipping old dead stalks back to their base. Loosen up the soil with a hand cultivator and shear ornamental grasses back to encourage vibrant new growth.

You can satisfy your hankering to plunge hands in dirt by potting up some of those summer blooming bulbs now, like tuberous begonias and cannas.

Primroses are one of the earliest blooming perennials of all. I’ve read that it’s recommended to divide them after flowering but for many years I used to dig them up as soon as the soil thawed, shook the soil from their roots, pulled the clumps into smaller sections and replanted them.

Remember to stretch your limbs thoroughly before spending your first few hours in the garden. It will take a while for your muscles to get into the outdoor routine again.