If you have azaleas, camelias, or another plant that blooms early in the spring, now is the time to cut them back. I like the natural look of most plants, so I recommend cutting off individual branches that have gotten too tall or are reaching out too far into the walkway, driveway, or into the lawn area. I encourage people to follow the offending branch back into the plant past the canopy and cut the branch where it won’t be seen. If the plant is a tree, then I suggest making the cut near a side branch to avoid any unsightly little nubs.

With it being Mother’s Day or simply to just add some color inside the house, many of us like to cut a few flowers for a vase or an arrangement. Cut those flowers early in the morning, remove any lower leaves that might keep the flower from sitting right in the container, and place the cut stem in water as quickly as possible. I like to take a bucket of water out with me and put the stem right into the water after it has been cut. By doing this extra step the stem will remain full of water until you can arrange it for the best viewing and enjoyment. There’s nothing quite like a bouquet of fresh cut flowers to liven up a room.