it lie as thrown up by the spade until it is in a
condition to crumble readily under the application of hoe or rake.

Shrubs can be reset as soon as frost is out of the ground. Remove all
defective roots when this is done. Make the soil in which you plant them
quite rich, and follow the instruction given in the chapter on Shrubs as
carefully as possible, in the work of resetting.

If any changes are to be made in the border, plan for them now. Decide
just what you want to do. Don't allow any guesswork about it. If you
"think out" these things the home grounds will improve year by year, and
you will have a place to be proud of. But the planless system which so
many follow never gives satisfactory results. It gives one the
impression of something that started for somewhere but never arrived at
its destination.

Old border plants which have received little or no attention for years
will be greatly benefited by transplanting at this season. Cut away all
the older roots, and make use of none that are not strong and healthy.
Give them a rich soil. Most of them will have renewed themselves by
midsummer.

If you do not care to take up the old plants, cut about them with a
sharp knife, and remove as many of the old roots as possible. This is
often almost as effective as transplanting, and it does not involve as
much labor.

The lawn should be given attention at this season. Rake off all
unsightly refuse that may have collected on it during winter. Give it an
application of some good fertilizer. It is quite important that this
should be done early in the season, as grass begins to grow almost as
soon as frost is out of the ground, and the sward should have something
to feed on as soon as it is ready for work.

Go over all the shrubs and see if any need attention in the way of
pruning. But don't touch them with the pruning knife unless they really
need it. Cut out old wood and weak branches, if there are any, and thin,
if too thick, but leave the bush to train itself. It knows more about
this than you do!

Get racks and trellises ready for summer use. These are generally made
on the spur of the moment, out of whatever material comes handiest at
the time they are needed. Such hurriedly constructed things are pretty
sure to prove eyesores. The gardener who takes pride in his work and his
garden will not be satisfied with makeshifts, but will see that
whatever is needed, along this line, is well made, and looks so well
that