Chicgao, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/14/2012 -- Dig out the shovel and sharpen up the shears because everything is green and growing again, which means for homeowners it’s time to get out the lawn furniture, the barbecue grill and the lawn mower. Topiarius, a Chicago-based leader of urban garden and floral décor services, has come to help.

“Consumers can take the frustration out of spring cleaning their lawns and gardens if they start with a plan and a checklist,” said Craig Jenkins-Sutton, president and co-founder of Topiarius. “The dramatic seasonal change does not have to translate to an expansive chore list from pulling weeds and transplanting flowers to scattering seeds and raking leaves.”

First, make a plan. Are there areas that need some improvement? Do you want to add any additional containers or plants? Did you want to prepare a space for a vegetable garden? A plan ensures there are no mistakes and makes shopping for annuals and perennials easier, allowing persons to avoid the wrong colors, sizes and quantities.

Second, put aside a couple hours to pick and choose the tasks you need to complete. A list of chores may include:

- Get a garden or lawn soil test. They’re inexpensive and provide good information on what nutrients are missing and the type of fertilizer that are needed
- Turn on outside spigots and attach hoses. Be sure hoses and sprinklers are in working order
- Clean, sharpen or replace outdoor and garden tools
- Fuel and oil mowers and other power equipment; make sure electrical cords are in good condition
- Rake the lawn to get rid of dead growth, stray leaves, twigs and winter debris, and remove leaves and weeds from borders and beds.
- Pull out weed patches by hand; seed any bare spots
- Prune broken or dead canes - start high and prune down until you find life in the stems
- Pot up cool-tolerant annuals such as pansies, alyssum, snapdragons and ranunculus Divide hostas, grasses and daylilies once they show signs of growth. Now is a great time to move plants to a more desirable location
- Plant cool-weather veggies like lettuce, peas, beets and radishes
- Mulch flower beds to a depth of two inches
- Prune forsythias and other spring-flowering shrubs after they have bloomed, not before
- Plant shrubs and trees in in rich, loose soil, no deeper than they were in their pots
- Begin hardening off seedlings
- Clean outdoor furniture

Don't let the weeds get the best of you. It’s important to organize tasks to fit your own time, schedule, energy and interests. Indoors and out, it’s time to get growing. For more information about spring maintenance or to learn more about Topiarius and their seasonal color program, visit www.Topiarius.com.

About Topiarius Urban Garden and Floral Design
Founded in 2003, Chicago-based Topiarius offers the best in urban garden and floral décor services. Co-owned by Craig and Sara Jenkins-Sutton, Topiarius offers outdoor landscape design and care from the construction and installation of furniture to regular maintenance, urban gardening, special occasion and event floral design, exterior and interior seasonal decorating and snow and ice care. Their distinctive designs and professional installations are known for breathing new life into indoor and outdoor spaces. For more from Topiairus, follow them on Twitter and like their page on Facebook.