Spring is upon us

Although it is not quite Spring yet, now is the time to start working in your garden. Preparation is the key to healthy plants and flowers. Let's get outside and assess winter had on zone 8 plants.

• Trim back dead areas of perennials plants that have suffered from frost or freezing.
• Trim fruit trees before any budding begins in early spring.
• Pull weeds from the bedding areas or cultivate young weeds into the soil.
• Gradually remove the winter mulch over a period of about 2 weeks to avoid shock.
• Add bone meal to any bulb plants, such as day lillies, cannas, irises, hostas, etc.
• Fertilize shrubs with a general 6-6-6 fertilizer.