-Mulch shrub beds with a thick layer of compost, manure or bark to cut down on summer weeding and moisture loss.

-Plant pot-grown evergreen shrubs this month, but remember to water them regularly if the weather is dry.

-Begin to stake early flowering herbaceous plants, such as peonies, that usually flop over. The earlier they are staked the more natural they will look when they flower.

April 16, 2003 14:30