Likewise in the prairie garden, the delightful pasque flower may be through blooming, but the prairie smoke , birdsfoot violet , hoary puccoon and blue lupine soon add spots of color. Goldthread , dog violet, starflower and bunchberry make intriguing designs under the evergreens after the early trailing arbutus and bearberry are gone. The over-winter mulch can be removed gradually. Now or a little later it can be replaced with mulches for summer viz. Extraneous material such as dandelions and chickweed should be pulled out by hand.
Cultivation can injure shallow-rooted plants and disturb new seedlings.
The ubiquitous elm and buckthorn seedlings should not be allowed to become entrenched. Plants that spread rapidly, such as the swamp buttercup and wild ginger , can be kept in check by cutting them back each spring. Diseased plants or parts of plants should be removed. Steps can be taken to cut down on slug damage. Stale beer or yeast in warm water in a shallow dish usually' reduces their numbers.