Spring is finally here! Before new growth fully kicks into high gear, it’s important to set the stage for the new growing season.

Winter has a tendency of littering your flower beds with sticks, leftover fall leaves, and old growth from last season’s annuals. This debris accumulates over the colder months and creates obstacles to emerging perennials. Clearing your beds before new blooms have sprouted is much easier than trying to navigate young, delicate annuals.

Now is also the time to prune away any dead, dying, or damaged limbs or branches. Before new buds have bloomed, it’s easy to identify which branches need to go. Pruning early also helps your trees and shrubs focus new growth toward the healthy parts of the plant, resulting in robust and healthy development.

Early spring is also time to check your lawn equipment to make sure that everything is ready to go in advance of the new season. Mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers and pruning tools should be inspected and repaired if necessary so that they are 100% operational when needed.

Spring should be exciting, not overwhelming. Thorough cleanup and lawn prep are key to avoiding springtime stress.