WEEK 1

William Berry/AJC Staff (ENLARGE)

File photo / 1997 Bring your amaryllis outside.

LEE REICH/HO (ENLARGE)

Associated Press Remove ants from peony petals.

Louie Favorite (ENLARGE)

LOUIE FAVORITE / 2004 photo Dahlias can attract hummingbirds.

JOEY IVANSCO/AJC STAFF (ENLARGE)

Too much sun can bleach leaves on new Japanese maples.

Amaryllis you've kept indoors since winter can be placed outdoors in a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Leave it potted if you want to force it for winter blooms; otherwise plant in a well-amended, porous garden bed.

Wisteria, trumpet vine and English ivy should not be allowed to climb trees. Cut the vines at ground level and then spray glyphosate (Roundup etc.) or triclopyr (Brush B Gon) on the cut stump.

Boston fern roots fill a pot rapidly, making it hard to keep them evenly moist. Fill a half-liter water bottle, cap it and make a few holes in the side with a thumbtack. Place it in the center of your fern so water slowly trickles out.

WEEK 2

Protect sweet corn from marauding birds by covering the row with an arched "tunnel" made of 1-inch mesh chicken wire. You could also use bird netting suspended on short stakes.

Now is a good time to prune 'Lady Banks' rose. Select three to four vigorous canes. Follow each up into the mass of stems and leaves; tie yarn on the stems so you can identify them. Remove older canes and everything attached to them. Train the remaining stems onto your fence or arbor once again.

Don't rush to bring peony flowers indoors. Dip the blooms into a bucket filled with water for a few minutes to drive ants out of the petals. The ants don't harm the peonies, but they can be a nuisance in the house.

WEEK 3

Plant hummingbird-friendly flowers like bee balm, dahlia, hollyhock, verbena and salvia. Don't forget the recipe for home-made hummingbird nectar: 1 cup sugar to 4 cups of hot water.

Large tan patches of dead fescue usually indicate that too many seeds were spread in one spot. Rake out the dead grass and scatter new seed thinly over the area.

Collect the balls of feathery clematis seed after the blooms fade. If you enjoy the plant, press individual seed gently into the soil at the base of upright shrubs or roses. The new vines will bloom next year.

WEEK 4

Spittlebug nymphs and adults do minor damage to landscape plants, but if you choose to control them, now is the best time. In a centipede lawn, mow and irrigate 24 hours before applying insecticide.

Fill shallow lawn ruts with a 1:1 mix of dry sand and dry bagged topsoil. Scatter it across the grass, then sweep it down with a broom. Apply no more than one-half inch at a time. If needed, you can top-dress again in early August.

Examine newly planted Japanese maples for bleached leaves. This usually indicates too much sunshine on them. Either plant a taller shade tree nearby or move the maple.