There’s no question that the Midwest is known for its brutally cold weather. But after a seemingly never-ending winter, the spring gardening season is extremely welcome.

Use these tips to help take advantage of the region’s desirably fertile soil and ensure that your garden is in tip-top shape this season.

• Start cleaning up your garden from the winter by clipping off faded blossoms. Brown foliage can be an eyesore and can distract admirers from a pretty spring garden.

• Plant forced bulbs, which you can find at local garden centers, in outdoor planters. Flowers like daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths will fare the best.

• In the beginning of April, keep an eye out for the early signs of weeds. Applying pre-emergent organic weed killer will help you get rid of them before they become overwhelming.

• If you do come across smaller weeds, try to pull them after it rains when the soil is wet. You can throw them in your compost bin to contribute to a nourishing soil.

• For color in early May, choose plants that can handle the well-known chilly Midwest nights. Snapdragons, sweet alyssum, pansies, and fragrant flowering stock can handle the colder weather better than other plants.