Your spring cleanup checklist

Spring cleanup is mostly about order: some jobs have to happen before the plants wake up, others are better left until they have.

First

• Clear leaves and winter debris from beds and lawn.
• Cut back last year’s perennials and ornamental grasses before new growth gets tall.
• Prune summer-flowering shrubs while they are still dormant.

Then

• Re-cut bed edges.
• Mulch once the soil has warmed, keeping it off stems and trunks.

Wait

Spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilac set their buds last year — prune them after they bloom, or you cut off this year’s flowers.