Plants in Flower:

Crabapple, Carolina Silverbell, Dogwood, Redbud, Flowering Cherry, Viburnum, Pearlbush, Lilac, Carolina Rhododendron, Sweet Shrub, Piedmont Azalea, Banks Rose, Exbury Azalea, Spirea, Pieris, Evergreen Azalea, Kerria(Easter rose), Drooping Leucothoe, Weigela, Wisteria, Periwinkle, Ajuga, Candytuft, Violets, Columbine, Trillium, Flags(dwarf iris), Bloodroot, Bleeding Heart, Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Anemone and Siberian Squill.

What to Fertilize:

--Don't be an April Fool!-Fertilize all early spring flowering plants (like forsythia) and evergreens like holly, juniper and camellia in early April. Deciduous plants like viburnum and dogwood also benefit from feeding this month.
--The garden literature says to fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons after their flowers fade. To make life simpler, we suggest you feed your azaleas and rhododendron in early April when you are fertilizing your other landscape plants.
--Fertilize blackberries, grapes, blueberries and raspberries.
--Once you can determine whether your fruit trees have any fruit, you can decide how much fertilizer to give them.

What to Plant:

--Set out flowering perennials like purple coneflower, rubeckia, etc. when plants are available at local garden centers.
--Annual flowers can be planted outside in late April after the danger of frost is past. Some commonly planted annuals are begonia, geranium, marigold, petunia, salvia and zinnia.
--Plant gladiola corms this month and continue through mid-June.
--Many gardeners prefer to transplant azaleas in April so they can group the plants according to their flower color.
--The following vegetables can be planted this month: beans, beets, cantaloupe, corn, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, Swiss chard and watermelon.

What to Prune:

--Prune spring flowering shrubs like azalea, lilac and weigela after the flowers fade.
--Prune berry producing shrubs like holly and pyracantha while they are flowering so you won't remove all of next winter's berries.(Berries normally form on 1 year old wood-often annual trimming removes the growth that is most likely to have berries.)
--If needed, prune spring flowering trees like Bradford pear, flowering cherry and redbud.
--Prune out any winter damage that may have appeared this year.

Pest Outlook:

--Check the following landscape plants for these insects and spray if needed: azalea-lace bug, boxwood-leaf miner, camellia-tea scale, euonymous-scale, and hemlock and juniper-spider mites.
--Spray hybrid rhododendron for borers.
--Spray iris beds for borers if problems have existed in the past.
--Spray red-tip photinia weekly with a recommended fungicide if leaf spot has been a problem.
--Protect broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower from worms with an organic product known as BT(Bacillus thuringiensis).
--Spray your squash plants at the soil line to control squash vine borer when the plant first begin to flower. Continue through June 1st.
--Spray apple and pear trees with streptomycin when trees are in bloom to prevent fire blight.To protect honey bees, do not spray trees with an insecticide while they are in bloom.
--Begin weekly tree fruit protection program after the flower petals fall.
--Start a fungicide spray program for bunch grapes.
--Continue with weekly rose spray program to combat the black spot fungus.

Lawn care:

--It is too late for pre-emergence crabgrass control if the dogwoods have begun flowering.
--Plant warm season grasses like Bermudagrass and centipede grass this month. Zoysia is planted in May.
--Do not fertilize cool season lawns(tall fescue & bluegrass) until next September.

Propagation:

--This is a good time to layer new plants.

Specific Chores:

--Visit the local garden stores or nursery to see what products and plants are available.
--Mulch your landscape plants as needed. Pine needles, cypress mulch and pine bark are good mulches.
--Organize your gardening supplies. Clean up, sharpen and repair tools. Check equipment for proper operation.