Clematis, other vines cling to a garden trellis

Monitor and train vines such as clematis on their supports. It is best to do this on a regular basis to direct the vines where you want them to go. Once they have been allowed to grow out for a few weeks without support, it will be difficult to train them back up.

• 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 the wood of trunks because it is unattractive and can cause rotting at the base of the tree.

• June is a good month to shear your hedges. Prune formal hedges slightly wider at their base than at the top. This ensures the sides of the hedge will receive equal sun exposure and helps to keep the foliage full from top to bottom.

Many hedges in the home landscape are not pruned properly and are usually wider at the top than the base.

Pruning hedges in June will help create a denser hedge. There likely will be more growth so plan on shearing again in July.

• Prune dead wood out of trees and shrubs as needed - if there are no leaves on a branch by now, it is most likely dead.

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