In the summer gardening revolves around pruning, weeding and mowing. All the annuals have been planted and the clean up from the previous winter's been done. The first this to do after the spring clean up is to give the shrub beds and perennial gardens a new edge and fresh layer of mulch. Don't be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. Cut back the foliage of bulbs which are turning yellow.

Perennial gardens need alot of care. They require weeding, deadheading (the removing of past blooms) this keeps the garden looking clean and healthy. Make sure the garden doesn't get too dry during droughts. Keeping the weeds at bay is an ongoing chore. Cultivating the soil regularly can reduce the weeds and also allows water to reach the deeper roots. Annuals in the garden need similar care. Deadheading the blooms and/or cutting the blooms to take indoors encourages new growth and more blooms. An occasional fertilization also can help with the blooming otherwise use a slow release fertilizer in the beginning of the season. As the plants begin to grow, especially toward mid-summer, staking becomes important in order to prevent the plants from flopping over and falling over one another. Use bamboo stakes, they usually blend right in the garden and are hardly noticeable. For the larger plant use three stakes in a triangle formation. Wrap garden twine around the plant looping around each stake as you go.

In the summer rose care is constant. To keep your roses looking great keep up with deadheading the past blooms. Though this is for aesthetic reasons it will also keep the petal from fall all over the foliage creating unsightly brown spots. Check often for disease or insects and make sure to resolve those problems. A systemic fertilizer applied twice a year usually does the trick.

Pinch back the old flowers on the rhododendrons, this will force the plant into putting its energy into forming next year's flower buds rather than this year's seed heads.

Monitor the lawn as well, If there area which is walked on often or played on there may be the need for aeration. This is the process of loosening up the soil. Grass does not grow well in compacted soil. Every few years run a aerator across the lawn. The plugs which are removed from the soil allow water and nutrients to reach the deeper root of the grass.

Don't forget to enjoy the garden!

Each spring I enter my own garden with a sense of optimism, even when faced with the mess left by the previous winter. With garden centers putting out their new stock and the temperatures getting warmer how can you not be optimistic. To help your garden get off to great start follow some of these basic garden tips.

After the initial spring clean-up, examine the trees and shrubs for winter damage. More likely than not the snow and wind has broken a few branches. Start with those, prune any damaged trees & shrubs and remove any hanging limbs.

Once the winter damage is fixed move on to the perennial gardens. Start by cultivating the soil; loosen it up to allow nutrients to reach the deeper roots. Be sure not to cultivate directly next to the plants, just the spaces in between. Add to the gardens a general slow release fertilizer for a prolonged feeding. Look for areas in your garden which are bare and begin planning which annuals you'd like to use. When working the perennial garden in the spring tread lightly, you don’t want to crush new shoots coming up through the soil.

In late mid to late spring, when there is no chance of frost, plant your annuals. For best effect, I plant them in large massings. When preparing the garden, dig up an area turn over the soil and mix in some peat moss and compost. As you plant the annuals loosen their roots, being in pots can constrict root growth. Often the roots will be growing in circles. Loosening them up encourage healthy growth. Add a small handful of slow release fertilizer as you plant as well. Spring a great time to divide perennials that have for their spot. Adding light mulch, such as buckwheat hulls, to perennial beds, herb gardens and annuals keeps weeds at bay and helps the soil hold moisture.

Pruning roses in the spring is critical their health. You'll want to cut back the dead or damaged branches. Wait until the buds are red and swelling, this with help in your decision of where to prune on the stem. Choose spots just above outward facing buds to avoid crisscrossing branches and to allow air flow through the center of the rose. Other shrubs to prune now are established evergreens and those shrubs which bloom after mid-summer.

Spring is an ideal time to plant new shrubs. When planting new shrubs you'll need to add a mix of compost and peat moss to the soil. This will give the plant plenty of nutrients as well as the soil ability to retain the water. Dig a hole at least twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Place the shrub in the hole, making sure that the top of the root ball matches the existing grade of the garden. Never install any plant below grade, its always detrimental to the health of the plant. Backfill with a mix of the existing soil and compost. Water well to remove air pockets.

After the new plantings are installed, spread bark mulch to the depth of about 2” to 3” in all your shrub beds. A fresh layer of mulch each season will help garden soil retain its moisture and help reduce weed growth.

Take a walk around the lawn to see if there are any thin spots. Spring, as well as the fall, is a great time to fix up the lawn. There two ways to go about patching your lawn. Loosen up the soil in the thin spots, grade it and smooth it out. Add the appropriate seed then take a metal leaf rake turn it upside down and gently pull it across the area. This will bury the seed just slightly creating optimal conditions for germination. The other option requires renting a machine called slice-seeder; this does basically the same thing. You run it across the lawn, as you go the machine slices the soil and drops seed in the crevasses. It’s a great time saver for larger areas. Be sure to water and keep the soil somewhat moist.

As winter approaches most gardeners hurry to finish their fall clean-up and plant spring bulbs before the first snow. They then begin to fondly look forward to gardening again in the spring. If you can tolerate the cold and don’t want to spend a few months inside you don’t need to quit just yet, there’s still quite a bit you can do to stay busy in the garden through the winter. Planning next spring’s projects during the winter months is essential but there are other chores to be done as well. Here are a few gardening project for the winter months.

Though there are outdoor projects to be done, winter is the perfect time to plan new project for the garden. Think about what was successful and what could be improved in the garden. General changes, such as adding Perennials which have out grown their allotted spot could be divided and serve as the starting point in a new garden bed. Consider planting for the winter landscape. Evergreens provide the stark winter landscape with some welcome color. Often, a large evergreen serving as an anchor shrub or specimen shrub can improve the look of your garden in winter. Also include in your new plan, shrubs which produce colorful winter berries and trees and shrubs with interesting form or bark.

Begin by reviewing last season’s garden journal. Search through seed and gardening catalogs and spend a little time online researching the plants you’d like to use. Careful planning is essential when designing a garden and ensures the time and money that you invest in your garden is worth it. Once you've decided what you'd like your new garden to offer, begin a site analysis. Understanding of you’re your local environment is important and will enable you to make informed decisions regarding design and plant selection. The following factors should be taken into consideration; climate & micro-climate, sun & shade conditions, wind exposure, soil composition and existing vegetation.

Plant hardiness zone maps divide the country into zones based on the lowest average winter temperature. Find out the zone in which you live and use it as guide during your plant selection process. A plant that is adapted to your hardiness zone is one that can tolerate the lowest winter temperature your zone typically experiences.

Along with the overall climate conditions of your area, micro-climates within your specific site also determine what is appropriate for your garden. A stone wall facing south with little shade, for instance, will be much warmer than its surrounding environment. Planted against such as wall, flowers or shrubs which are borderline hardy have increased chance at survival. Being aware of the sun and shade conditions in your garden is important to successful garden design and to the long term health of your new trees, shrubs and flowers. Improperly placed plants are a main reason for unnecessary transplants. Most plants prefer at least some shade during the day.

Getting to know the conditions of your local environment before you begin planning and planting can be the difference between success and disappointment.

Aside from reworking your garden design, there are some tasks which will need to be done in the garden during the winter. For instance, prune your deciduous trees and shrubs in the winter while they are dormant. Check your on shrubs after a snowstorm and give any broken limbs and clean cut with a pruning saw or pruners.

Check on your stored bulbs. Check your perennial gardens for heaving, especially in areas prone to repeated freezing and thawing. Recycle your Christmas tree as garden mulch or a bird feeder. Feed the birds and provide them with some unfrozen water. Shake the snow off of your evergreen shrubs after snow storms. Also, sharpen your tools so you'll be ready to get to work when the ground thaws. Though the plants are dormant and snow is on the ground, winter is the ideal time to prepare for a busy gardening season.