Proper soil preparation is the key to successful gardens in our region, as soil is the foundation for a deep-rooted lawn and healthy plants. In Colorado, you’ll need to add organic amendments to improve soil structure and drainage. Whether your soil is clay, sand or crushed granite, add compost, sphagnum peat moss, or a combination of both. On a warm, dry day, layer about 1.25 inches of organic matter on top of the existing soil and till 6 to 12 inches deep.

Photo by Craig Barhorst

If you think winter snows provided enough moisture to sustain your spring garden, think again. In late winter, west and south exposures dry out fast. So drag out the hose on warm, non-windy days and “frog-eye” sprinkler these areas for 10 minutes.

Also, replace mulch in garden beds as needed. Wait until new growth is established before removing this winter protection.

Photo by PaulaPhoto

As soon as the weather permits in early spring, core-aerate the compacted soil in your lawn. It’s one of the best investments to get your lawn in shape before the heat of summer. Unless restrictions are in place, water your lawn every two or three weeks.

Cut ornamental grasses back to a few inches before new spring growth begins.

Photo by Lim Yong Hian

Prevent young weeds from getting a head start in your garden. While weeds are still tiny, turn over flower and vegetable gardens to dry out weed roots by exposing them to sunlight. After a good rain or irrigation, pull or dig out bigger weeds. And, mulch, mulch, mulch, because it helps smother weed growth.

Photo by Curtis Kautzer

The yellow flowers of this persistent weed pop up in spring, but it’s not too late to control a dandelion infestation. Target individual plants with boiling water or vinegar. Use a small teakettle, or something else with a steady, precise stream, since both boiling water and vinegar will also kill grass.

Plucking dandelions by hand is difficult, since they can regenerate from just a tiny bit of remaining root. Use a screwdriver or a weeding tool to make several incisions under the dandelion to loosen the taproot (which can grow down to 10 inches). As the root yields, gently pull the plant.

Alternately, you can cook up this yellow crop. Harvest the flowers for tea, the greens for salads and the roots for stir-fry.

Photo by Jenny Schuck

Sketch out garden ideas before spring planting to save money, time and effort. With the right preparation, you’ll have color in your garden all season long if you plant a combination of bulbs, annuals and perennials. Add height, texture and sound to your landscape through the addition of ornamental grasses, cacti and other unusual plants. Consult gardening magazines to learn how to make fruit and vegetable gardens more productive, and ways to protect your harvest from wildlife.

Photo by Jakez

Since perennials return every year, plan your plots for how large the plants will eventually grow. (Lots of perennials planted close together look great and are easier to weed.) Place plants based on whether they grow best in sun or shade, wet or dry conditions. Those that like sun need about six hours exposure a day; shade-loving plants should get no more than five hours of morning sunlight.

Photo by Brenda Arlene Smith

Inspect stored bulbs for sprouting, dryness and rot, and discard damaged bulbs. Store new bulbs in a dry, cool place at about 45º F until bulb-planting time in fall and early winter.

Sow annuals, including petunias, asters and marigolds, indoors in new plastic pots and sterile seeding soil. Transplant these to the garden in May.

Photo by Michelle Marsan

New bare-root roses can be planted in early spring, preferably by mid-April (for container-grown roses, wait until after the last frost). Dig a hole twice the diameter of the crown, and bed the rosebush in a mixture of half compost, half clay.

Fertilize existing roses with Epsom salts. Add one tablespoon to a gallon of water, and spray the mixture on the bush.

Photo by Deborah Wolfe

Hold off on planting summer-blooming bulbs, like dahlias, gladioluses and lilies until after the danger of frost (late May). Plant each at a depth of about three times the bulb’s diameter, and make sure the bulb sprout points upward in the hole.

Photo by Elena Elisseeva

Start peppers, eggplant, broccoli, tomatoes and cabbage indoors, but April is the month to plant bare-root fruits and vegetables—like asparagus, horseradish, grapes and rhubarb—outdoors. Choose a sunny location and dig in several inches of compost before planting.

Photo by DiscoDave2000

Early spring is a good time to remove overlapping, unruly or broken branches. Prune trees on a day when the temperature is above freezing. Cut branches as close as possible to the branch collar without removing the collar (removing it could lead to rot). Don’t lop off the top of the tree. Never prune a tree when flowers are forming or falling, when leaves are forming or falling, or when the fruit develops. Instead, prune in the dormant period and after leaves mature.

Photo by Stephen Snyder

Migrating birds scout out homes in spring to raise their young. Clean out birdhouses to eliminate over-wintering mites and other pests so birds can hatch a brood to sing in your garden.

Photo by Dusty Cline