Mulch not only puts a nice finishing touch over bare dirt, but will improve your soil by benefiting drainage, save on water and even prevent some weeds from germinating. All are available in bulk or in pre-packed bags. Since we mentioned saving water, our hot weather will be here before we know it. It's not too early to get your drip irrigation system in place. Tubing and drip emitters are inexpensive and available at any garden center.
Drip irrigation is ideal for flowers, vegetables and individual plantings.
If it's a large area, consider traditional sprinklers or soaker hoses. If you have drip or sprinkler systems in place, this is the time to test them out, unclog sprinkler heads and buy replacement parts. For individual plants like roses and fruit trees, consider forming dirt basins around their bases. This allows for deep soaking and encourages deep, healthy roots rather than simply sprinkling surface roots. You can plant practically anything this time of year.