Tips of the week

• Think color: Now is the time to get your early flower color started. Pansies, snapdragons, calendulas and primroses can all be transplanted into flower beds and containers now.

• Clean up yard: Rake leaves and other blown-in debris from your lawn. Core aerate lawns now and again in fall.

• Sowing season: Over-sow grass seed on bare spots and in thin lawns after core aeration

- CSU

Gardening on a Shoestring

by dig contributor Rob Proctor, (Johnson Books, $20).

The beauty of this book is that Proctor has an undying passion for gardening in Denver and is happy to share all of his tricks. Follow his personable advice page-by-page and you, too, will be able to turn a parched backyard into a riot of color and pleasure for yourself and your pets. Includes lots of Proctor's photographs, checklists and names of plants that work.

• Site searching: Want to learn about organic alternatives in lawn and garden care? Visit safelawns.org.

What's in bloom?

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis): Usually the first perennial to bloom, Lenten rose opens as early as late February. Nearly impervious to cold weather, its five-petaled flowers may be pink, cream, dusty rose or maroon, often charmingly speckled. Each blossom may last as long as two months. Native to mountainous regions of Turkey and Greece, the plants fare best in partial shade in moisture-retentive soil.

- Rob Proctor

Flexible gloves

offer protection and support. Mechanix offers dozens of colorful styles. Machine wash in cold water. Available at some garden centers or online at mechanix.com, starting at $24.99. Customer service: 1-800-222-4296.