The winter of 2007-2008 was a little like a rodeo -- full of excitement and ups and downs. If we weren't experiencing or recovering from a violent wind storm, we got whiteout snowfalls that dumped so much fluff it took half a day to shovel out. Some of the time it was bitter cold. And then we might have a few days of calm before the storms began to rage again.

Spring officially arrived last week, but who knows if Mother Nature is finished with us yet? Spring weather is fickle and we could still have another snow storm and more cold weather -- possibly today or later this week if the weather forecast is correct. But this past week has been a tantalizing foretaste of spring with weather that has beckoned people out to survey their yards. That has been a mixed sight for most of us.

The crocuses, which never did have very good sense about the weather anyway, are already bobbing their heads in many yards and the tulips and daffodils have tested the air, found it inviting and are sending buds forth. Biennials such as pansies that were planted last fall have developed root systems and are already showing some color.

Unfortunately, as the snow that covered the ground melts, it reveals much more than the spring flowers trying to make their debut. It also exposes a host of chores that will be necessary to get the landscape ready for summer. We may wish for the temperatures to dip so we can justify thinking things over and waiting to do the work another day. Well, "another day" will have to arrive sooner or later.

Evaluate lawn

Spring cleanup can include many tasks. Lawns are conspicuous as they are just now emerging from dormancy and only beginning to green up.

If time got away from you and autumn leaves didn't get raked off last fall, get out a rake and do it now. The wet snows forced them to mat down and they smother the lawn under them. Clear them off to encourage the grass to grow back and fill in.

You may also find evidence of snow mold which grows on the grass under the snow. In bluegrass lawns, it will likely clear up on its own once the snow and attendant moisture are gone. Rake off these areas and let the sunshine do the rest.

Rodent problems

You may also find strange serpentine patterns over the grass. These are the trails left by mice and/or voles that lived under the snow all winter. During the winter, the snow offered a place to hide, and it is much easier to tunnel under the snow than through the soil. These opportunistic little creatures took advantage of that situation and developed paths under the snow, still safe from their predators. The snow is gone now, so these rodent pests have gone underground to find shelter. They won't be using these paths any more this spring. You can probably find holes near shrubs or other areas where they can dig easily and find food.

If you have a bluegrass lawn, as most of us do, a tincture of time should take care of the trails. Rake off the area to get rid of dead materials and the running roots of the bluegrass should fill in rather quickly.

Mounds of loose soil in your lawn or any other area of your yard are caused by a different rodent. Gophers remain underground winter and summer and dig around to find the tasty roots of plants. You are more likely to have these pests if you live near an open field or similar area. Otherwise, if you are lucky you may never have to deal with them.

These pests are death on many plants, both large and small, eating off all the roots. Your only hope to get rid of them is to trap, bait or gas them. Otherwise, they will continue munching happily on the plants in your landscape.

Clear out flowerbeds

Your flowerbeds can use a helping hand in the spring as well. Clear out dead weeds or other plants left from last season and show off any spring-blooming flowers you have planted. For the most part, bulb plants have their source of nutrients built into the bulb. Adding fertilizer after they bloom will help nourish the bulb to prepare it for next year, but won't do anything for this year's blooms.

Prepare garden plots

Clear off vegetable garden plots whether you plan to plant soon or not. Removing dead plants and the debris that somehow appears over the winter will encourage the soil to dry out so you can till it.

Now that we've had some warm weather, it is tempting to till the soil and prepare to plant. Be a little bit cautious in doing this. Tilling before the soil dries out enough creates heavy clods that remain for the entire season. Test the soil by digging several inches deep and taking a handful. Squeeze it into a ball and toss it into the air and let it land on your hand. If the soil ball shatters, it is ready to till. Otherwise wait. If you tilled last fall, your soil will probably dry out sooner and may be soft enough to begin planting.

You can sometimes turn the soil over with a fork to break it up for a bit of early spring planting. It is not too early to plant the early-season crops provided the soil is ready. You may find spaces in your flower beds that are a little softer and more ready for planting. Don't panic, however if you don't get the seeds planted this week. Most spring plants can be put in the ground for several weeks..

Consider such crops as broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, beets, peas, radishes, or spinach. You can also plant carrots, cauliflower, endive, lettuce, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, and Swiss chard.

Mend damaged shrubs/trees

You may have shrubs and trees that did not fare well in the heavy snows and winds of winter. Remove any dead and broken branches without leaving stubs or ragged edges that invite disease. If those damaged branches are high in the tree, hire an arborist to take care of the job. This is a dangerous business and chain saws, ladders and lack of training do not go together.

If the branches are close to the ground where you can remove them without using a ladder, cut it close to the trunk or the nearest adjoining branch without cutting into that adjoining branch or trunk. Save the branch ridge bark -- the thickened area of bark at the base of the branch -- as it will provide the material to close over the wound.

Do not paint open cutting wounds with any sort of paint or tree sealer. The air is the best treatment and allows the tree to close over naturally.

If your arborvitae were not protected from heavy snows during the winter you may find that the branches are spread and ragged looking. If they are bent to ground level they may never come back and the plant will not fill in for a long time.

Other shrubs are more resilient and bent and spreading branches are likely to recover and fill in over the summer months. If your shrubs are spring blooming, wait until after they bloom to prune them. Then use the renewal pruning method. Remove one-third of the stems clear to the ground choosing the oldest this year. If you do that each year, you will keep the bush developing young and resilient branches each season.

You may also find that shrubs along roadways might have sustained salt damage. It will appear as the other plants grow and these do not. You cannot undo salt damage, but you can water enough to leach the salts away down through the soil. Obviously the water will not drain until the soil has dried out, so hold off on this procedure until warmer, drier weather.