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Start in spring to prepare your landscape for a fantastic growing season. Here are three tips to help you reach spring perfection:

DIVIDE AND TRANSPLANT PERENNIALS. Spring is the perfect time to divide some of those overgrown perennials. Hosta, Daylily, Yarrow, Black-Eyed Susan, and Coreopsis are just a few ideal candidates for spring propagation. In April, when the plant is beginning to poke out of the ground, use a sharp spade or soil knife, and cut though the center into the roots. Work your spade under and around the section you are removing, and gently pull it out of the ground. Now it’s ready to become a beautiful addition in a new area of your garden!

ADD COMPOST TO YOUR ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS AND PERENNIALS. Many landscape beds suffer from soil compaction or nutrient depletion. Compost adds organic matter to your garden, helps the soil retain moisture, and adds beneficial organisms to the soil for better plant health. This can be added when transplanting or around plants already in the ground. Using a soil fork or trowel, loosen up the soil around the base of each plant and work in an equal amount of compost. If you don’t have your own compost bin handy, it is available at most garden centers in Columbia.

MULCH YOUR LANDSCAPE BEDS. Spring is the best time to mulch your landscape beds. Mulch slows soil moisture evaporation, keeps plant roots cooler in the summer, and helps to prevent weeds. Choose the type of mulch that fits your garden style, whether it’s a chipped dyed hardwood for a manicured look, or shredded leaves or straw for a more native look, try to use a natural mulch that will break down through the growing season.

Sue Laffey & Kent Roehlke, River Hills Landscaping

Sue Laffey started River Hills Landscaping in 2002 as a one-person residential garden maintenance business. Sue’s husband Kent Roehlke joined the business a few years later, and River Hills Landscaping has since grown to include residential and commercial clients throughout Columbia and the surrounding area. River Hills Landscaping specializes in landscape design, installation, maintenance, hardscapes, and seasonal color installations. Meeting with customers is one of Laffey’s favorite parts of the job, and she always loves to see a project come to life.

Contact River Hills Landscaping at 573-289-4609 or riverhillslandscaping.com.