Spring gardening calendar May

It's been a long, cold winter. Getting an itch to see something green? Don't worry, spring is right around the corner. In the meantime, now's the perfect time to start planning the garden tasks ahead. We've done much of the work for you, plotting out, day by day, all the steps to get your garden, trees, shrubs, and lawn ready for a rich, lush spring. Of course, these are just guidelines. You don't have to do something every day — most of us don't have time. But if you can find a few hours on the weekends to get some of the dirty work out of the way, you'll have the whole spring to enjoy your gorgeous blooms and early greens. So dig in. — Ellen Wells, Globe Correspondent