The ferns in your garden will look much better if you remove the old fronds every spring. The old fronds are usually tattered and unattractive by this time, especially after a hard winter. The new fronds (fiddleheads) look fresh and attractive but they won't be noticeable unless you remove the old ones.

Don't let concerns about weakening the plant by doing hard pruning stop you. I've yet to meet a fern that is harmed in any way by removing the old fronds in spring. Get the job done soon. If you wait too long, spring growth will begin and then it's practically impossible to remove the old fronds without cutting off the emerging fiddleheads.

Rose-pruning session It's time to prune your roses, and it's important to do it right so that you don't harm your plants. A great way to learn how to prune them correctly is to attend the Seattle Rose Society pruning demonstration at the Woodland Park Rose Garden. Considered one of the best in the region, the rose garden is at the Woodland Park Zoo at North 50th Street and Fremont Avenue North.

At the demonstration, experts from the Seattle Rose Society and the zoo rose-garden staff will show you how to prune about every kind of rose. They'll also share information on how to care for your roses, as well as talk about how to prevent rose diseases and control insect pests using environmentally friendly methods.

The demonstration is free (parking in the lot cost $5) and runs from noon until 3 p.m. on Saturday, rain or shine. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call the zoo's senior rose gardener at 206-548-2635.

Don't whack the living tweetle out of your hydrangeas

I love hydrangeas. They're one of the only shrubs that bloom in the middle of summer when color is needed the most, and better yet, they even bloom well in shade.

Spring is the time to prune hydrangeas, but resist the common habit of whacking them back about 2/3rds of the way to the ground to reduce height. Although there are a few new varieties of hydrangea such as "Endless Summer" and "Blushing Bride" that bloom on current season's growth and will still blossom after such hard pruning, most varieties of lace cap and pom-pom hydrangeas only bloom on growth that occurred during the previous season. If you cut back hard, you'll remove last year's growth and you won't get flowers for one or two years.

Pruning hard also causes a lot of twiggy regrowth, leaving the plant crowded and unattractive looking, especially after the leaves drop in winter.

A better way to prune your hydrangea is to symmetrically remove about 1/3 of the canes by cutting them right to the ground or where they come off another cane at the base. Trim any remaining canes with spent flowers by cutting to the first bud just below the seed head.

Admittedly, your hydrangea will be taller after you prune this way, but it will have an open, elegant appearance that will be less imposing, and the plant will look much more attractive even after the leaves drop off. Your hydrangea will show its appreciation by blooming profusely every summer for years to come.