If you haven’t trimmed your spring flowering bushes and perennials, you should do it now. Cut 80% of the sucker starts as soon as they appear. Cut out old, diseased, or dying branches. Lilacs respond well to having 1/3 of its branches trimmed out each year as well as all of its old blossom ends. Your spring-flowering bulbs should all be done now also. Cut the leaves off now, but mark the placement of them so that you don’t dig them up when potting in new plants. (This info is something I put in my Annual Notebook.)
    If you are planting perennials, here are some “tough” sunny plants...don’t take much care or much water (except when first planted):

• Sedum
• Cleome
• Yarrow
• Day Lily
• Fountain Grass
• Gloriosa Daisy
• Lamb’s Ear
• Salvia
• Lily Turf
• Bellflower

Here are some “tough” shady plants (perennial and annual*):

• Ostrich Fern
• Solomon’s Seal
• Hosta
• Impatiens*
• Lungwort
• Coleus*
• (Pulmonaria)
• Spiderwort
• Ajuga
• (groundcover)

Annuals for dry areas:

• Dusty Miller
• 4 o’clock
• Lantana
• Marigold
• Bachelor Button
• Gazania
• Mexican Zinnia
• Moss Rose

Perennials for dry areas:

• English Lavendar
• Aster   
• Butterfly Weed
• Yarrow
• Gaura

HAPPY PLANTING!  JB