P. Allen Smith of Garden Home says that he makes a long list of garden chores for May because that's when the garden is at is peak and the chores give him an excuse to spend extra time outside.

Here's part of his list. We'll give you the rest next Friday so you don't try to get all this done in one weekend.

Enclose your veggie garden with a rabbit proof fence. A 30-inch tall chicken wire fence will keep rabbits out of your garden. To keep them from digging under the fence bury the wire about 1-foot deep and bend the top of the wire outward about a foot so they can't hop over.

Evergreen magnolias such a M. grandiflora should be planted in late spring when their roots are actively growing. If transplanted in late fall or winter their roots will not be able to grow quickly enough to become established.

Wrap tomato seedling stems with aluminum foil to deter cutworms. Once the plants mature the stem will thicken enough that these pests won’t be a problem and you can remove the foil.

 Deadhead rhododendron blooms. This will direct the plants energy toward producing flower buds for next year rather than seeds.

Repot houseplants that have outgrown their accommodations. Move them outdoors for their summer vacation when nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 60 degrees F.

Change the color of your old-fashioned hydrangea blooms. If you have a blue hydrangea, and would like it to have lavender to pink flowers, raise the alkalinity in your soil by adding 4 ounces of lime around the base of the shrub. Do this incrementally until you get the color you want. Depending on your soil, it could take a few growing seasons. To turn a pink hydrangea blue, add aluminum sulfate to the soil around the base of your plant. Follow the label directions carefully and don’t overdo it.