Mulching mowers are best, but not in tall, wet grass

Use a mulching mower that deposits grass clippings on the lawn. This means less work for you and it recycles those extra nutrients back to your lawn.

Regardless of which mower you choose, you need to mow more frequently during spring because of rapid grass growth after spring rains. Mulching mowers, in particular, do not work well in tall, wet grass.

Rake out any wet clumps of grass that remain on the lawn. Keep the blades on your mower sharpened for a better cut. A good general rule to follow is to sharpen them after every eight hours of use.

Mow grass at 2½ to 3 inches in height, and frequently enough so that not more than one-third of the total height is cut each time. Most lawns are cut too short.

Maintaining lawns at a taller height promotes a strong root system and helps choke out weeds. In hot weather, short lawns can turn brown more quickly and weeds are more likely to move in.

• Prune back any unshapely growth on your shrubs to improve their appearance and encourage the development of a fuller plant. Cut out any dead wood that now is easier to see.

• Go ahead and remove spent flowers from your tulips and daffodils; my preference is to prune out the entire flowering stalk and not just the spent flower at the top. It is best to wait to cut back the bulb foliage back until it turns completely yellow/brown, as the leaves continue to make sugars that are stored in the bulb for next year's flowers.

Prematurely cutting the bulb foliage back will decrease the vigor of the bulbs and reduce flowering. The bulb foliage can persist for some time when springs are cold, so be patient.

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