Some homeowners are already cutting and removing dead grass from their lawns.

But be careful not to cut too low until the threat of cold weather is over. If you cut the grass really low and we get some cold weather, it could damage the root system and delay green-up.

When the weather warms up consistently, it will be your signal to start removing all the dead grass and leaves that have accumulated during the winter.

To be safe, you should wait until after April 15, the last chance of a killing frost. Then rake or mow and bag dead grass and leaves. By removing the dead grass and leaves, you are allowing fertilizer and water to penetrate to the root system. This will help dormant grasses produce new growth.

If you want to leave grass clippings on your lawn, use a mulching mower so they will decompose faster.

Fertilizing warm-season grasses with a nitrogen fertilizer should be done in late April or May. The root system will be able to make use of the fertilizer by then.

Also, it is important to apply lime to lawns to raise the soil pH if it is too low. The pH range for most lawns should be 6.0 to 6.5. A soil test will help determine the pH of your soil. The Extension Service has information on how to take a soil test and submit it for analysis.

E-mail your questions to bleigh1@utk.edu. Include your name and where you live. For more gardening information, call the Tipton County Extension office at (901) 476- 0231 or the Shelby County Extension office at (901) 752-1207. Booker T. Leigh is the extension director for Tipton County.

Croton-on-Hudson, NY – The crocuses have been up early this year, the air is warming up quickly, so what should you be doing to get your garden ready? Brian Panessa, owner of Hilltop Farms Garden Center in Croton-on-Hudson, offers some tips.

One of the easiest things to do while you’re waiting for the ideal planting day is to clear any leaves or debris that have gathered in drainage areas over the winter. Seedlings always do better in soil that drains well so now is the best time to clear specific areas before bushes and trees begin to sprout. You can use any decaying material for composting.

Early spring is an excellent time to rake the lawn and begin to introduce light and air into the soil for stronger grass growth. Add lime to your soil if it has a pH below 6.2 as it should be added several weeks before planting.  Re-seed areas that need it by using a metal rake to break up the hard bare areas and give the seeds ample opportunity to grow and be sure to water often.

Spring is also a good time to transplant any bushes, trees or shrubs because of the relatively consistent moisture in the soil. Be sure to dig down under the root ball to avoid cutting any roots and place the plant into a large enough hole to back fill with soil, compost and organic fertilizer.

Start looking for, and removing, early spring weeds. Roots are shallow now so they are easier to pull. It is also a good time to mulch in any bed areas that are bare to minimize the growth of weeds. Be sure to spread to a thickness of 3-4 inches. Some gardeners use this time to put down plastic sheeting to reduce weed growth, then mulch on top. Remember to keep mulch a few inches away from young trunks to reduce the possibility of rot that could occur around small trees and shrubs.

While we had a mild winter this year, we were hit with that ferocious October snow storm last year and many trees and shrubs suffered broken limbs and trunk damage. Now is a good time to assess the damage and properly deal with any branches or bushes that have experienced a break of some kind.

If you have an established bed, don’t dig; you could disturb a complex ecosystem which is already functioning well. Instead add nutrients from the top and let them work their way down into the soil. If you have perennials in that garden however, this is a good time to split or divide them while roots are still short.

There are several early spring vegetables that you can plant once the ground is free of ice crystals. Peas, spinach, and lettuce all do well planted early. After 2-3 weeks you can plant broccoli, cabbage, kale and other hardy vegetables. Remember to cover anything you plant early with some protection should a frost be predicted. This is also an excellent time to plant bulbs.

Early spring gardening can go a long way to ensuring you have a healthier and more robust landscape this year.

Enter to Win a Garden Makeover from Hilltop Farms!

Hilltop Farms located in Croton-on-Hudson is looking for a garden in need of a makeover. To kick off the spring gardening season, they will select one Westchester resident to receive a complete garden bed makeover valued at $2,500. To enter, send a photo of your garden and in 200 words or less indicate why you feel your garden should be selected. Submissions should be sent to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or they can be dropped off at Hilltop Farms located at 2028 Albany Post Road. Entries must be received by May 1st. The winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 13th at Hilltop Farm during their Mother’s Day Tea on the Porch event. Questions should be directed to 914-358-1531.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT HILLTOP INCLUDE:

Saturday, March 31, 10am – 11am
Wake Up Your Garden for Spring
Learn how to prepare your landscape for spring, how to sow an edible garden, plant early spring vegetables and cold crops, and how to feed your evergreens.

Saturday, April 14
The Power of Herbs
Bonnie Rogers, local Herbalist Wellness Coach, will discuss developing a healthier lifestyle through the use of herbs including growing medicinal herbs, herbs for digestive and anxiety support as well as growing culinary spices.

Sunday, April 22
Earth Day Workshops For Kids and Adults!
Celebrate Earth Day at Hilltop Farms. Join Tony from Jonathan Green for an Eco Friendly Lawn Care workshop and at the same time the kids can attend My First Garden workshop where they’ll create their own little garden in an ‘eco-friendly container’.

Saturday, April 28, 10am – 11am
Landscape Design for Improving Your Home’s Value
Learn how a well planned and effective landscape design can actually improve your home’s value by up to 12% in a one hour workshop. Bring photos of your home’s site for a brief consultation.

Saturday, May 5, 10am – 11am
Creating a Deer Proof Garden
A lively discussion on how to create a landscape you love and one that deer won’t! Topics will include installing deer fencing, using deer spray, and which plant materials are more deer resistant than others.

Saturday, May 5, 11am – Noon
Composting for a Healthier Lifestyle
Composting is a wonderful way to help the environment and help your family. Learn how to begin composting with Hilltop Farms experts.

Sunday, May 13
Mother’s Day Tea on the Porch
Hilltop Farms will once again offer “Mother’s Day Tea on the Porch.” Come over and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee from the Hilltop Farms café and let mom choose her favorite plant or garden decoration as a gift. Hilltop Farms will announce the winner of our Garden Makeover Contest at this event so be sure to enter to win and then join them to hear if your garden is the winner.

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ASBURY PARK — Move over, Don Draper – Bob Giraldi was one of the original “Mad Men,” and he sees advertising as lucrative and as interesting now as it was in the 1960s.

Giraldi was a featured speaker Saturday at the Wonder Bar, as part of the Garden State Film Festival.

“I was a ‘Mad Man.’ I had a Peter Gunn haircut. Back then, working for smaller, hipper places was a step up.

Now, the hipper places are the agencies handling new media information,” Giraldi told a crowd of more than 30 people at his presentation, called “So You Wanna Direct?”

The multi-award winning director offered advice to future directors of music videos, films and commercials. Giraldi has experience directing in all those areas.

“I knew I could direct my own work and the work of others,” Giraldi said.

It took him a year of transition from working as creative director at the Young Rubicam Advertising Agency during the 1960s to become a full-time director.

He directed more than 4,000 commercials and won numerous Clios and other advertising awards. Giraldi was named one of “101 Stars Behind 100 Years of Advertising.”

Giraldi said a good example of a commercial utilizing new technology was “the E-trade kids commercials. That is a good integration of a concept and technology.”

The director stressed that to make a good commercial, short film or feature length film, “you need to make your point and keep it short.”

Diane Raver, the co-founder and executive director of the Garden State Film Festival, agreed. “Many directors fall in love with their own footage. You have to give it up and tell the story.”

“I never fell in love with my own footage,” Giraldi said.

Aspiring actress Jenna DiMartini of the Lincroft section of Middletown was among the attendees at Giraldi’s program. She asked him how difficult it was for directors to cast the right actor in the right role.

“Directors have to be flexible. You have to look at those who audition and say could this part be filled by someone older or younger,” Giraldi said.

In the 1980s, Giraldi shifted from commercial work to music videos on MTV. His work included Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

“I came along at a good time. I was fortunate. Timing in this business is everything. It was the same when I came into the advertising business. That was at a time when it was starting and was very innovative,” Giraldi added.

Giraldi’s presentation Saturday featured a 20-minute video featuring snippets of his work in commercials, music videos and films he directed.

Hosting a get-together in your garden? Here are a few tips that can make your little soirée fun and festive

First things first
Before throwing a garden party, one essential thing that needs to be looked into is whether your garden is in good shape. “The conditions of the plants and grass make a big difference to the atmosphere of the party,” says Aslam Gafoor, COO at India Grillco-Weber. “The host should ensure there are a lot of green, leafy plants and even bamboo, which adds to the whole outdoorsy feel,” he says.

So before having a party, make sure the lawn is mowed, the bushes are trimmed and the flower beds are well-maintained.

Furniture
The first key element to your garden party is the furniture used. This is important not just for the overall look and feel, but also for the comfort of the guests. “Cane furniture or wrought-iron furniture are great choices as far as outdoor furniture is concerned,” says Shreen Malani of Renaissance Gallerie. “Using plastic can give a bit of a tacky look. Also, small, round tables give a nice and cosy feel and don’t take up much space. But the main idea is to keep furniture as inconspicuous as possible and do your best with what you have.”

For those who don’t have too many cane or wrought-iron furniture pieces, Aslam suggests weatherproof sofas and chairs. “You get a whole variety of garden furniture today that is both comfortable and practical. You don’t have to worry about anything getting spoilt if left outside,” he states.

Lights
“The lighting should be subdued. A good option for this is mashal lights, a few of which can be left around the lawn. They create a very ethereal atmosphere,” says Aslam If you’re looking to keep it simple, there are plenty of options to choose from as far as lighting up the party is concerned. Shreen gives us some handy tips when it comes to lighting. “I think candles and fairy lights are great. They provide good light and look pretty. Candles can be placed strategically or on every table in glass containers so that they do not get blown out.”

Food
The food of course, is the other main focus of any party. While hosting garden parties, it’s best to keep the food simple and easy to serve. This saves you a whole lot of running around.

“A mobile bar is essential for a garden party. It makes the whole process more convenient. Also, as far as food is concerned, I think something like a barbecue is the best option. A barbecue is also an ideal cooking device for both meats and veggies, and makes sense for outdoors,” says Aslam.

Shreen agrees and says, “The food should be laid out so that people can help themselves. So a barbecue works well to maintain the whole casual atmosphere. Throw in a lot of garlic bread and salads and you’re set.” In order to minimise the mess, the food can be served in disposable areca plates, which are eco-friendly and look earthy. This also makes cleaning up post-party a lot easier.

Adding that extra touch
An easy way to add to the look of your party is to use floating candles and flowers in glass bowls. There are plenty of other interesting things you can do to add a bit of your own personal flair to the event.

“For a garden party, a guitarist playing soft music would create the ideal atmosphere,” says Shreen. “As far as the visual imagery goes, table cloths in red and white, or other bright colours give a very festive look. Also, flower arrangements and bud vases look great too. The key to an enjoyable garden party is to keep it casual and informal,” she signs off.

A composting workshop will be held Saturday in Torrance to encourage reuse of green waste.

Sponsored by Los Angeles County and the city of Torrance, the workshop will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Home Garden Learning Center at Columbia Park, 190th Street and Prairie Avenue.

Composting reduces waste, saves money, conserves water and restores nutrients to the soil for a healthier garden.

Attendees will learn about ways to reduce and recycle their yard and kitchen waste by:

Composting – The natural way to replenish the soil using decomposed yard waste and kitchen scraps.

Grasscycling – Leave clippings on the lawn to add nutrients to the soil and save water.

Worm composting – Create great compost by letting worms recycle kitchen scraps.

Water-wise gardening – Reduce water use and yard trimmings by planting drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants.

Compost bins, worms and worm bins provided by L.A. County will be available for purchase after the workshop.

For more information, call the L.A. County hotline at 888-CLEAN LA (888-253-2652), visit www.smartgardening.com, call the Torrance Public Works Department at 310-781-6900 or link to www.TorranceCA.gov/PublicWorks.

While most beginning gardeners don’t think of the money they’ll save on grocery bills, long-time gardener Joanne Davis, of Lake Worth, says it’s well worth it. Just expect to lose money in the first year’s outlay.

“Setting it up is expensive,” says Davis. “It’s $75 or more of materials. Then it takes $100 or $150 to fill a bed with dirt, even more if you have the soil delivered.”

But there are ways to keep expenses down. She buys her soil in bulk from a soil and mulch company, which is cheaper than buying by the bag at home improvement stores.

“Borrow a friend’s pick-up truck or rent one for $19 and go get the soil yourself,” she says. “They’ll load it for you there.”

Davis grows tomatoes, peppers and lettuces and, as a professional landscaper, helps others build gardens of both tropical plants and vegetables.

“I can show someone how to do it, or go in and set up the whole bed,” she says. She works mostly in the Lake Worth area but travels outside the county to build entire gardens.

As a cook, she uses her harvest to make stuffed peppers with ground turkey, tomatoes and rice.

“I enjoy working in it when the weather cools down. It’s not so great when it’s hot, but it’s rewarding — definitely worth the effort.”

—Jan Norris