Got a chronic case of green thumb? Like getting your hands dirty? Adrian Higgins, garden editor for The Post's Home section, is here to help. Higgins is a firm believer in "tough plants for tough times" -- the varieties that combine good looks with stiff resistance to disease and pests. He currently rules over a garden filled with spring bulbs, daffodils, ornamental onions, perennials, asters, yarrows, hostas and day lilies. Higgins, an avid organic gardener who believes chemicals are a last resort, also tends his own herb and vegetable gardens where he grows peas, garlic onions, lettuce, rhubarbs, radishes, carrots and more.

Today Higgins offers advice on what to do to get your garden ready for spring.

Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.

Catch up on previous transcripts of The Garden Plot.

Higgins is the author of two books, "The Secret Gardens of Georgetown: Behind the Walls of Washington's Most Historic Neighborhood" and "The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region."

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Charlottesville, Va.: Adrian,

Last fall I couldn't renovate my lawn because of a drought and mandatory water restrictions. Now the reservoirs are full, the restrictions lifted, and my yard full of weeds and bare patches. How soon is too soon to put down seed? What else do I need to do before I seed? What about after seeding? Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: First of all, welcome, and I hope you're all itching to get out there and resolve to have a better 08 than 07. I wouldn't assume that we are out of the woods, in terms of the drought. I think the reservoirs are still low and another year of dryness would be very bad news indeed. You can prepare the bare patches now -- grass seed must have good contact with soil to germinate -- and then sow in mid March when the soil has warmed a little. Seeding now will preclude the application of crab grass preventer and weed and feed stuff, which may not be a bad thing. Count on a major overseeding in September, however.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Adrian, can you please talk about screening? I desperately need to screen out a neighbor's unsightly carport/driveway. I need something that will fill out quickly but not get to wide or "out of hand," so to speak.

Adrian Higgins: This is the principle of screening. You can get instant screening now and pay for it for the next 30 years, or you can wait four or five years and get screening that will not become a monster. One way to get around this is to plant miscanthus grasses, which will reach a mature size in two or three years, and grow to about seven feet high. In time, however, their clumps will spread to as much as four to five feet. And dividing them takes a backhoe.

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Arlington, Va.: Adrian,

My hedge of Emerald arbor vitae is not looking very emerald, and one bush is mostly brown. Should I attempt to trim the brown parts in March, and hope for the best, or is it too late for this one bush? And is there anything I should do for the rest? I ran a drip hose to them last summer during the drought, so I hope they weren't too stressed from that.

Adrian Higgins: Do not cut it back now. This may be natural winter coloration and the hedge may well green up nicely in the spring.

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Starting corn inside?: Hi Adrian,

I'm so glad your back - a sign it's almost spring!!

My questions is this... I usually start my vegetable seeds indoors. I've decided to try to grow some corn this year and the directions say to direct sow the seeds. Is there any reason they can't be started indoors?

The reason I ask is that I'm a big fan of weed fabric and find it works best when I put it down first and cut holes for seedlings. Obviously this won't work for direct sown seeds! Any suggestions? Thanks very much and happy (almost) spring!

Adrian Higgins: Way too early to start corn, even indoors. Corn needs really warm soil temperatures or risks rotting. It also puts down a pretty long root and is not good for transplanting. Sow it directly in May. As for the fabric, I just don't like that stuff in a vegetable garden, weeds inevitably emerge at seams, and it's impossible to weed it. It also looks dreadful. A light mulch of screened compost or even straw would be better.

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compost question: would shredded-up miscanthus grass make a good addition to my compost pile once I chop it down next month, or is it too woody or something?

Adrian Higgins: It is sort of like Hamburger Helper, filling but not much else. I find it doesn't break down in a compost pile.

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Bowie, Md: Is it too late to prune trees? I didn't get around to it last fall, and there are some very messy branches that need to be trimmed. The trees are flowering kwanzan plum and maybe a Bradley flowering pear.

Adrian Higgins: Bradford pear. My sympathies. Yes, now would be a good time to do some dormant pruning, in which you remove whole branches where stems are crossing, inward growing, diseased or damaged. Go easy, and make sure you leave the collar where the branch hits the trunk. This will cost blooms but make for a healthier tree.

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Arlington, Va.: With the growth of a neighbor's tree, our usual garden plot in our small backyard has become ever shadier over the years.

This year, we are thinking of moving the veggies to the sunnier front yard, building a fairly compact raised bed, planting intensively, and shielding it from the street with a flower bed.

I'd love your thoughts on front-yard vegetable beds. My husband thinks they are not really in good taste but he's willing to try this with adequate shielding so we have a more conventional front yard appearance. Can you suggest ways to make it blend in better? I've already added herbs to some of the flower beds, etc. Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: I'm all for it, though they can look scruffy and this offends the sensibilities of certain people. I would work hard to make it as pretty as you can -- a white picket fence goes a long way to herding tomatoes, aesthetically.

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Bethesda, Md.: What are your thoughts on raised garden beds over ones dug into the existing soil? My yard has so many shallow roots - even in areas far from the trees - that it's very difficult to get a contiguous bed in place, or it's tough to align plants correctly. I want to make some new perennial beds but I dread it. I was thinking of sparing my back and my garden ax and just removing the turf then making raised beds - in one area a berm behind an existing bed, in another area a framed bed. But in all my years of gardening, I've never had to do this before. Your thoughts about materials, maintenance or plants really not suited for higher elevations? Many thanks.

Adrian Higgins: A raised bed will be inherently freer draining, but if you are hoping to defeat tree roots, you may be in for a disappointment. In a season or two, the roots have simply moved into the improved soil, and who could blame them? Unless you are dealing with a thick mat of maple roots (in which case, simply mulch) you can plant ground covers that take dry shade. One of my favorites is epimedium. Slow, expensive, but effective and long lived.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm interested in planting perennial primroses, but am hesitating because I have read that they need a lot of moisture and aren't that heat tolerant. Still I remember my mom growing them in NC. I'm interested to hear what you think about growing them in DC and if so, what variety would be best. I have a mostly shady spot and will water them if needed, but don't really want to mess with them if they really won't do well here.

Adrian Higgins: Primula is a very large genus. The common and polyanthus primulas, that bright plant of early spring, is great as a temporary cheerful annual in pots, etc. but not a long term bet. In a wet situation, you can grow the marsh primulas, which are at about their southern limit in North Carolina, but be aware that they will be difficult to get rid of once established.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Dear Adrian,

My question deals with the groundcover from hell: Bishop's Weed. How do you eradicate it--or is it even possible to. In my yard, in a few places, it's mixed in with other perennials, so I can't apply something that will uniformly kill root systems. So far, I've managed it by manually pulling, trying to capture as many roots as possible. This has definitely lessened my problem, but stopped short of eliminating it entirely. I wonder--since it hasn't surfaced yet--perhaps there is something I can do to pre-empt?

Double bonus points: Good or bad idea to compost it?

Thanks,

Anne Marie.

Adrian Higgins: Gosh. Do you have a chain saw? This is a tenacious beast, spreading by underground rhizomes. Ironically, it doesn't look good this far south, the heat and sunlight scorch the leaves, so you have the worst of two worlds. Invasive and sickly. Since yours are intertwined with perennials, rather than shrubs, I would lift the whole clumps, hose off the mud, pick out the rhizomes, and take the opportunity to divide your desired perennials. Do not under any circumstance add the plant to the compost, it will continue to grow and infest your pile.

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Southern Maryland: Re: that black fabric you put down to discourage weeds... I have a rose bed covered with weeds and put down this black fabric on two occasions that is supposed to kill weeds. I then layered it with shredded cedar mulch. This seems to do the opposite. I'm still pulling up bigger and stronger weeds.

Is there anything out there that keeps weeds from growing in a mulched flower bed?

BTW I've pruned back my roses and have daffodils and tulips up out of the ground about 8 inches.

Adrian Higgins: I like the old fashioned way. A sharp hoe, clean the bed, and then mulch it, and continue to stay on top of the weeds. It's worth mentioning that if you haven't been into your garden lately, you will find chickweed, annual poa and henbit about to do its thing, i.e. flower and seed. SO get out there.

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Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: Don't know if this question is for you but I live in a condo with a back patio and we want to plant some herbs so that we can pick them as needed. This is the first time I will be attempting this and I have no idea when the best time to plant them is. Any advice? Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: You can plant a range of pot herbs now, the cold hardy ones such as parsley, thyme, sage, chives and rosemary, but make sure they have been hardened off before placing outside.

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More re raised beds: The raised beds I was thinking of doing will be in full sun and a good 25-30 feet away from the trunk of the tree - but the tree is a massive, 50 year old bald cypress with a never-ending root system. That thing has to be 70 or 80 feet tall. The bed would only be approx. 3'x12' so it's not like a large fraction of the yard would suddenly get deeper... do you really think the roots would still grow up into it? Thanks again.

Adrian Higgins: That's what bald cypress roots do, and in water they send up knees. An old bald cypress is a magnificent native plant, please don't compromise it with short term perennials.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Hello Adrian, with the recent warm weather my tulips seem to be coming up, ahead of schedule! Should I worry about this, since we are likely to have at least another frost or two?

Adrian Higgins: They will figure it out. I have yet to see my tulips freeze blasted.

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Baltimore, Md.: Hi Adrian, I really enjoy your column each week. I'm determined to get a head start on my garden work this year. Can you give me "to do" list of general clean-up chores and even plant selection that I should be doing now--and beat the crowds at the garden centers in April?

Adrian Higgins: I would finish bed clean up, which includes raking windblown leaves, weeding, cutting back perennials and grasses and last chance at dormant pruning. Stay off beds that are squishy, unless you have a plank to spread the weight. Don't go to a garden center without a firm idea of what you want, where it will go, and how big it will get.

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Richmond, Va.: I aerated and seeded last fall, only to have the siding contractors come ahead of schedule (not complaining) who piled their equipment and supplies on my new grass for 2 weeks, ruining it. I'd like to try to seed in the spring just to see if anything happens. What is the best time to try this? Hopefully we will be fully recovered from the drought by then (no water restrictions).

Adrian Higgins: Again, you can seed in early March but your major renovation will have to wait until September (assuming cool season grass like fescue).

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Washington, D.C.: My spring bulbs are coming up and making me so excited for gardening season! But I have a few questions about tomatoes. This year will be my first attempt with them, though I only have space for about six plants. In our climate, when should they be started inside from seed? And will a very large south facing window be enough light for them until it's time for them to be moved outside?

Thanks for the chats; I always learn a lot from them.

Adrian Higgins: Try them from seed if you wish, but if this is your first attempt, I would also have a plan B, which is to go to a herb specialist in April and pick out some of the more unusual varieties that are now available as seedlings. You may need to buy them early to get the selection you want but it would be a mistake to put the tomato plants out too early. You can harden them off by bringing them in at night for a couple of weeks before actual planting, which should occur no sooner than late April. Two sources that come to mind: The Greenhouse Nursery at the National Cathedral, and DeBaggio Herbs in Chantilly.

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Rockville, Md.: To cut back or not to cut back? Should I go ahead and start cutting back grasses now or enjoy them a little longer? It seems so mild and spring seems to be just around the corner. Also, if I do cut back, should it be as far to the ground as possible?

Adrian Higgins: Cut them back now, you will find you don't have time in a month. I've tried many methods of cutting grasses, the best and safest, I feel, is to use really sharp hedging shears.

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Virginia Beach, Va.: Adrian, I have two clematises which are growing quite well on my property. One (a white, large-flowered variety) needs to be regularly cut back every spring. I'm less sure about the other one. It is a "Polish" variety with smallish purple flowers that blooms profusely in the late Spring. Currently there is a lot of old, dead growth under the blooming vines. Will I damage the plant if I cut it back this month as I do the white one? or should I just try to cut back the dead section and leave the rest be? Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: You could cut back both, but make sure you leave some lateral buds on the stems, at about 12 to 24 inches.

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Pittsburgh, Penn. 15217: I am wearing all green today, in protest of February, I have missed gardening so much!

This will be my second year with my little veggie and herb garden, and I have ordered plants and seeds. My tomato and herb plants are scheduled to arrive at the end of March (veg seeds have already arrived) but the avg. 'last frost' here is mid-April.

I am not sure if I should invest in an indoor light for them (house is too dim otherwise), or keep them outside on a temporary basis and bring them in when it gets cold.

Thanks for all the expert advice!

Adrian Higgins: You won't get seedlings to sprout reliably outside unless you have a cold frame. Start them indoors under lights and set them out in eight weeks, hardening them off as you do.

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New Carrollton, Md.: Need suggestion(s) for what kind of tree to buy to hide me from the neighbors. Soil is acid, not much light. Any ideas? Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: Not really because I don't know the dimensions, but I urge people to consider deciduous material for screening, not just evergreen.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Help - my entire family will descend on me for Easter and my front yard garden of annuals and perennials looks like the moon. I never got around to planting bulbs last fall - can you recommend anything that I could plant that would survive mid-March temperatures and give me a little color? Thanks!!

Adrian Higgins: As temporary measures, you could spruce up the beds with pansies, snapdragons, heathers and primulas.

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Front Yard Gardens: just some quick comments for the chatter thinking about putting a vegetable garden in the front yard.

I put one in two years ago because like the chatter, we had a backyard that was too shady for vegetables. At various times during the year it doesn't look great, but during the summer I think it looks good, but I like the way the plants look.

Also, it is a great way to interact with neighbors. My sons (3 and 2) and I are usually out in front working on the garden and folks passing by will stop to chat with us (mostly them, but occasionally me too) about what we are growing.

Last fall we dug up the other half of our front yard and put in a blueberry garden... we're hoping that pays off this summer.

Adrian Higgins: Thanks for the input. A hedge of blueberries would make the perfect screen for a vegetable garden. The key is not to put in a hedge that is going to rob your veggies of the sunlight they desperately need.

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Springfield, Va.: Adrian, Thank you for taking my question.

My husband and I are about to purchase our first house! The backyard has a small gardening area partitioned off. Right now it's overgrown with weeds (or maybe a groundcover, it looks pretty uniform) and stuffed with leaves from the fall. We don't move in for another month, but when we do, what should we be doing to this area to prep it for gardening? Turn everything under the soil for fertilization? Clear it out entirely? Watch it for a season to see what happens? I have very little knowledge about gardening, but I'd like to give it a shot and see if I can get some veggies for the kitchen. Any advice you can give would be helpful.

Adrian Higgins: Be patient and, as you say, watch to see what grows, where the light patterns are, what drains and what doesn't, and what sort of soil you have. To get you through, you can plant up some nice containers around the patio, and spend the season removing all the scrubby weeds and seedlings that infest neglected sites.

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Nags Head, N.C.: I have a house literally built on the sand. Also own two small dogs that are learning agility, which involves some jumping and weaving and so on. I want to fence in an area to make it dog-safe, and cover the sand with some sort of ground cover that will hold the sand down, be safe for the dogs' paws, and not require much maintenance. Turf grass is out because that would also require an irrigation system in this climate, plus regular mowing which I don't want to do. Any ideas? Would clover work on sand?

Adrian Higgins: I would consider some of the dune grasses that are designed to cope in such a hostile environment. See if you have a local native plant society, they will give you plant lists that will work for you.

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Mathews, Va.: Hi Adrian, thanks for these chats!

I'm wondering if you know any good wildflowers/plants that can tolerate more "brackish" soil. I'm helping my dad start some garden beds at a river house that's right on Mobjack Bay off the Yorktown river. The water is mostly fresh, but more brackish depending on the tides. The soil is sandy, Virginia clay. Any thoughts? I was thinking of just spreading some wildflower seeds, but would like to start building something more permanent. Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: You will need plants that specifically thrive in marshland conditions, again the native plant folks should help you. Various mallows and bottomland shrubs and trees would flourish.

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Bethesda, Md.: My Carol Mackie daphne has just died, the second in 15 years. They both grew well to about 3.5-4 feet and then gradually died, one branch at a time, over a period of about 2 years. They were both grown in soil amended with leaf mold with about 5 hours of midday sun and very open shade the rest of the time. Any ideas? This is a great shrub and it makes me unhappy to watch it die.

Adrian Higgins: Daphnes are one of those mysterious but lovely shrubs that are famous for deciding to quit after about 10 years, in spite of optimum care. I would replant, this is a lovely variegated variety, but pick a fresh site.

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Severna Park, MD: Hi Adrian, ready for spring? I sure am. I finally broke down and ordered some knockout roses (I've always avoided specially engineered plants, seems like cheating but they are so nice I'm trying them this year). Are you planting anything new this year?

Adrian Higgins: I'm itching to go. I'm working up a plan to plant my neglected front yard. And yes I considered a veggie garden but felt it would be too scruffy, so the plan is for a cottage effect with lots of perennials and grasses, and perhaps a few annuals and biennials thrown in.

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Wheaton, Md: ciao Adrian,

a quick question about spring vegetables... when is the proper time to plant swiss chard and beets in the spring?

Adrian Higgins: I would sow the chard in foam cups now indoors under lights and then move them out as seedlings in about six weeks. I would direct sow the beets in early April, and be prepared for a second sowing a month later if germination is spotty.

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Bethesda, Md.: I enjoyed your recent article about organic gardening--especially your observation that the key to success is matching the plant to the specific characteristics of its location. I shudder to think of all the money I used to waste by not paying attention to such simple things as the light requirements of a plant. I used to plant mums under mature trees and wonder why they died. I've also resigned myself to the notion that my shady backyard will never be a rose garden.

Adrian Higgins: Thanks, if you missed the column (hopefully it's still available as a link) it talked about Jeff Gillman's new book, The Truth About Organic Gardening. I commend it.

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Fairfax, Va.: I'm a brand-new vegetable gardener. I built raised beds in the fall, filled them with top soil and compost, and then put a layer of shredded leaves on top as mulch. When should I remove the mulch to let the beds warm up?

Adrian Higgins: Soon I'd say. And you might want to spread and staple black plastic over the beds for a couple of weeks, to dry them out and warm them up in advance of sowing. Good luck, sounds like you're off to a very good start.

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Evergreen seedlings?: I have a terrible time over-wintering evergreen seedlings. I heel them in immediately when received from growers, or put them in pots; I water, do everything I know to do, but few survive. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: Cool season vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and chard can be sown now indoors, or direct sow them in a month. Warm season veggies like cucumber and corn should be sown in early May. Some wildflowers are perennials and are best started indoors, I think, and others. annuals like cosmos, are quite happy being sown directly in May into warming soil. Others, such as poppies and larkspur, should be sown in the fall. Alas we are out of time, but I am encouraged by the flood of questions. We will resume these chats on a weekly basis in a very short time. The sap is rising, friends.

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