Mulch around trees to protect them from damage

Trees planted in lawns can benefit from a mulched ring to reduce competition with grass roots and keep mowers and weed whips from damaging trunks.

If the tree is small, mulch out to the drip line of your tree. If this is not feasible, extend the mulch as far as you can. Even a 6-inch-wide mulched saucer will help protect tree trunks from serious damage.

Do not mound mulch or soil around trunks because it can cause rotting at the base of the tree.

• Groom your borders to improve plant appearance and maximize flower production. Gently remove dried or yellowed bulb foliage if you have not done so yet, since the bulbs should be mostly dormant by this time and have already stored nutrients for next year's flowers.

Deadhead spent flowers on your annuals and perennials to encourage them to continue flowering. Remove yellow foliage to keep the plants neat and tidy.

• Weeds growing between cracks in brickwork or sidewalks are unsightly but easy to eliminate. Treat them with a nonselective herbicide when they are small to avoid having to pull them out by hand. Avoid spraying on windy days so adjacent good plants are not damaged.

• This is a good time to cut some of your outdoor flowers for indoor display. It is best to cut the flowers during a cool part of the day and to put them in water as quickly as possible.

Remove any foliage that will be underwater in the vase. Keep your arrangements in a cool room out of direct sunlight. Adding a preservative to the water can lengthen the life of the flowers.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.