Select and plant flowers with a long bloom season. Bleeding Heart, Sea Thrift, and garden phlox. Clematis cultivars such as 'Jackmanii', 'Nelly Moser and 'Ernest Markham' bloom on current year's growth later in the summer, so in early March they can be pruned back nearly to the ground. The same is true for Sweet autumn Clematis. Varieties which bloom in May should be pruned immediately after flowering.
Older trees grow and bear well in grass and sod.
When present, grass should be kept mowed. Be sure not to hit tree trunks with mowers or weedeaters. A 3-inch mulch layer will help suppress weeds. Pre-emergence herbicides are not recommended for home fruit plantings. Get fruit crops planted in early March, while they are still dormant.