Southeastern Michigan has been blessed with a mild late winter and early spring, especially the St. Clair County, Sanilac County and south into the Grosse Pointes. But it only takes a spell in the 30s to caution gardeners about jumping the gun.

Here are seven activities that will show your yard and garden some love until it’s finally mid-May and time to plant:

•   Irrigate the lawn and flower beds. It’s been too dry. Where are the April showers?

•   Pop some pansies into a container. These cheerful cool-weather flowers might bloom into mid-summer if moved to a shady spot when it gets warm.

•   Add mulch to beds. It will make blooms pop and help plants and soil retain moisture.

•   Divide hostas before the leaves unfurl. Fall is a better time for this project, but spring is a good second choice. Pry up the clump after digging around it with a shovel or garden fork. Slice down through the roots with a serrated bread knife or hacksaw. Divide the clump like a pie. Replant clumps at the same level. Give excess to a friend.

•   Mild weather has given dandelions a head start, but you can catch up. For lawns, call Greenlawn to get a post-emergent application. For flower beds with loose soil, use a trowel or long screwdriver to dig the dandelions and other weeds out after a rain. Get as much of the long taproot as possible. For beds with clay soils, better reach for the Roundup.

•   Trim dead canes on rose bushes and remove any leaves caught or decaying at the base of the plant. Fertilize starting mid-April.

•   Feed trees and shrubs right away, preferably before they leaf out. Different kinds of plants require different methods and types of fertilizing applications. Greenlawn Landscape Management can help.

If lawn fertilizing or any of these other items is on your to-do list, but your list is way too long, why not call the pros at Greenlawn to find out how we can help?

ANR week – Program book will be available Jan. 20 from any MSU Extension county office. They can also be ordered from the MSU Extension Bookstore at www.bookstore.msue.msu.edu or by calling 517-353-3175

Join us for one of the more than 70 programs featured during the 97th Agriculture and Natural Resources Week.

For more information: www.canr.msu.edu/anrweek/ or 517-353-3175

When it comes to mulching your flower beds, what a difference a day makes. One day your beds are looking tired and barren. And then suddenly — tah-dah! — they are transformed. A layer of fresh mulch is to your landscape what a new coat of paint is to your walls. It makes everything pop.

What can you use for mulch? It can be inorganic, like pebbles or shredded tires. Or mulch can be organic, such as pine bark, municipal tree trimmings or even straw or grass clippings. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages. Some decompose quickly, others never. Some are more attractive than others.

All mulches suppress weed germination if spread three to four inches deep. They reduce evaporation of moisture and insulate soil from temperature extremes.

A popular choice in Macomb County, St. Clair County and the Blue Water area is double-shredded, insect-resistant, 100 percent natural cypress bark mulch. After installation, it mats together and won’t wash or fly away. As it gradually breaks down, it adds nutrients to the soil.

How much mulch will you need?

Visualize this: Have you got 27 feet of garden beds that are three feet wide? Or a nine-by-nine-foot area? Either way, you’ll need one cubic yard of mulch to have it spread a recommended four inches deep.

To get that amount from a big-box store, you’d need to schlep 13.5 of those two-cubic-foot bags of mulch. As you can see, those little bags don’t go very far, and besides, it’s a messy chore. Are you up to it?

Why not give Greenlawn the job? We can deliver as few as ??one? cubic yard to as many as five cubic yards in one load. Our experienced workers will quickly and accurately spread the mulch without harming your plantings. Or, you can spread it yourself.

Greenlawn offers cypress mulch in five colors shown in the photo.