I like to finish my spring cleaning by the end of March, so I can devote more time to gardening the second the weather turns warm. (Never mind all the dirt I drag in after working outdoors.) I feel the same way about spring lawn care. With all due respect to those of you who prize a lush, green lawn, I’d rather be planting than de-thatching. But as David Beaulieu points out, "If you neglect spring lawn care you could end up paying for it the rest of the year." So if you are lucky enough to actually be able to see your lawn grass at this time of year, run down 10 Tasks to Consider Before the Mowing Season. The rest of us can put these tasks on our do to list, while we clean our windows and press our noses against them awhile longer.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.