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Do you want no raking, no removing debris, no hauling mulch and drastically reduced work in cleaning up your perennial beds this spring?  The equipment you will need is your lawn mower and broadcast spreader.  And the timing is just about now, well not quite now with snow and ice still on the ground.  But pretty soon.
 

This year spring arrived on my calendar at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.  This is the vernal equinox and the astrological spring determined by the sun’s position.  I personally don’t feel like spring has arrived yet where I live. 
Full disclosure:  The pictures in this post are from prior years, we are still in winter mode.  

​The days are longer and the sun is warmer.  There’s a lot of melting in the north.  The average last spring frost date is May 24-30 in zone 3.   You can check out your location on this chart from the National Climatic Data Center.  The chart gives percentages for dates so you know your chances of beating a freeze.  It is also useful in calculating seed starting dates.  Most seeds require starting 6-8 weeks before the average last spring frost date.  For the Hayward, Wisconsin area this means starting seeds March 30 to April 13.