I think we are all ready for these teasing late frosts to disappear for good. We were all led like the lamb to the slaughter with the mild winter weather in late January and early February, and since then we have been waiting for the last shoe to drop. Hopefully, there will be no more late freezes, but we must be aware of the possibility, as we begin our planting.

Many of us were not prepared for the late cold snaps that occurred. If you have any late winter damage, give the plants a chance to begin growing, before you start pruning. We had many plants in bloom before the late February freeze that were recovering and then the later snaps occurred. Lets assess the damage and move forward. What was looking like a particularly early spring, got a big set back in late February, and we haven't seen a huge reprieve. Every time it looks like the cool season has passed, another one sneaks in. Buds that were not showing color are still trying to bloom, so don't be too quick to prune out winter damage, until you know for sure.

April is a prime month for gardening. If vegetables are your gardening favorite, this is a good season for planting. Not only can you still plant all of the cool season vegetables through mid month–lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, radishes and spinach –but it is time to begin planting the warm season crops as well. Since Easter comes a tad early this year, many gardeners use the "Good Friday" date as the prime date for planting warm season crops –including tomatoes and peppers. If you do plant early, keep mulches handy, and pay attention to the weather forecast, since there is still the remaining chance of frost.

As your spring blooming plants finish blooming, prune any that need it. Forsythia, the early spring blooming yellow plants, bloom on one year old growth. To keep flowers forming from top to bottom, thinning out a third of the older growth each year after the bloom period has finished will help. Never prune the tops, since this leaves older growth which doesn't produce as many blooms as the new growth. Other spring blooming plants to prune following flowering include: camellias, azaleas, spring blooming spireas, and dogwoods. Any plants that bloom in the spring set flowers in late summer to early fall, so if pruning is needed, do s-o as soon after flowering as possible.

By now, some of the early spring flowering bulbs have had a long enough growing season that their foliage can soon be cut. Keep in mind, the foliage needs only six weeks of green growth following the flowers before you cut the leaves off. You do not need to let the leaves die completely down before you start cutting. Research has proven that a minimum of six weeks following flowering is needed to set energy for spring flowers to form. Keep in mind, that some species of bulbs are easier to maintain than others. Daffodils and crocus can easily repeat, while tulips often need annual replanting for an impressive spring show. An easy way to plan for cutting back the foliage–when the very last bulb flower in your garden fades, count out six weeks and mark an X on the calendar. You can safely prune off all the leaves then.

Yes, it is April, and we consider it prime time to move out those houseplants that have been infringing on indoor space. Keep in mind that all chances of frost have not passed, so don't get too impatient. Personally, I wouldn't begin to move outdoors until mid month. Gradually expose them to full sun, so you don't burn the tender foliage. Tender, tropical plants such as hibiscus, Mandevilla and bougainvillea, all can be moved outdoors with the heat of summer.

Roses are kicking into fast growth. If you have climbers, let them bloom before you do any pruning. Prune out two to three of the older canes after bloom to keep them a more contained plant. Climbing roses–even those that can rebloom all summer, often have their best display of flowers in the spring. If they bloom all summer still prune after the first spring display of blooms by removing a few older canes. Antique or heirloom rose bushes have different pruning needs, depending on season of blooms. As a general rule, if your plants bloom only in the spring, prune as needed after bloom.

Our lawns are slowly greening up. If you live in south Arkansas, by early month, you may being to fertililze. Warm season grasses–Bermuda, zoysia, centipede and St. Augustine, are greening up–at various paces statewide. Allow your lawn a chance to totally green up before fertilizing. Keep in mind, that nitrogen–the first number in a fertilizer bag is the element most helpful in lawn growth. It is also the element that can leach out of the soil the fastest. That is why it is recommended as the lawn is totally green so that full utilization of the nitrogen can be accomplished.

Strawberry season is about to hit Arkansas. Commercial growers have been struggling during these late frosts, but hopefully we will still have a good crop. Before you head to a field to pick be sure to call ahead to make sure there is a crop to harvest that day.

Hydrangeas are common plants in the Arkansas landscape. Some plants were beginning to grow as the last few frosts occurred. Keep in mind, that many hydrangeas set flower buds in the fall, and look like dead sticks all winter. If growth begins only at the soil line on your hydrangeas without growing from the "dead sticks": you won't have flowers this season. Hopefully, that won't happen this season, and we will still have a full display of flowers. In years without flowers, we see rapid foliage growth, since there is nothing to slow them down.

Tomatoes are still the number one vegetable grown in the garden. Tomatoes are not the easiest vgetable, particularly since so many people plant them. Keep in mind, that the more common a plant is, the more susceptible it will be to a disease. A disease triangle needs a host plant, favorable environment plus the fungal or disease material. The more common the plant, the more problematic it is. Practice crop rotation–not planting in the same spot for three years, use disease resistant plants, and monitor for problems.

Azaleas still rein as the most common blooming plant in Arkansas landscapes. If they are getting too large, let them finish blooming before you do any pruning. If you want to add more azaleas to the garden, buying them in bloom can help you match colors. The new "Encore" azaleas can give you both a spring and fall display, with a few scattered flowers in between. They may not be reliably hardy in the northern part of the state. Choose new azaleas for their eventual height, to prevent frequent pruning chores.

Summer bulbs are available at many different outlets these days. Caladiums in particular prefer a warm environment prior to planting. For most of the summer bulbs, waiting until all chances of frost have passed would be ideal. Being patient, and allowing the soil to completely warm such as naturally occurs in mid to late April, would be best. Many people get spring fever and begin planting too early. This year, our late frosts, may have actually prevented some common early planting problems.

While it is common for us to prune our summer blooming plants, including roses, crape myrtles and buddleias in late February, our unusual late cold snaps had many of us delaying these annual pruning chores. Now some, believe it is too late to prune. Not so. Keep in mind, that most of the summer blooming plants (besides gardenias and big leaf hydrangeas) set their flower buds on the current season growth. If you don't prune them, they will be huge bedraggled plants with smaller and fewer blooms. Our weird weather has delayed spring growth, or set it back, but don't delay in pruning if you haven't done so, or you will delay their flowering season.

Winter annuals should last at least another month or two before the heat makes them begin to stretch. Summer bedding plants are arriving daily. You can safely plant annuals all summer, so don't be in too much of a rush to plant, unless you don't have any annual color. Try some of the new plants and varieties that you find. There are some fabulous coleus varieties; the dragonwing begonias, should come in pink and white this season, along with the outstanding red, and the penta flowers are great for all summer color.