Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Every spring, birdwatchers across the country welcome the return of hummingbirds as they migrate north. These tiny, beautiful birds are a delight to watch as they hover and dart throughout the garden, and the males put on quite a show as they protect their territory and attract mates. And while hummingbird feeders do provide nourishment to the energetic birds, let’s face it – an active feeder is a source of pure pleasure for gardeners and bird-lovers alike.

To the initiated, an aerator resembles a lawn mower only a little wider, squatter, and heavier. The undercarriage looks like a medieval torture device, with a spinning cylinder of rotating coring spikes, much like a round hair brush on steroids. The idea behind aerating your yard is to break up the compacted soil which in turn has several benefits for your grass.

The birds are singing and the grass is growing, so what better way to celebrate the arrival of spring and mark the launch of our new “Around the Yard” lawn and garden section at dannylipford.com than by giving away a Cub Cadet Zero-Turn Lawn Tractor valued at $2,699! To enter, simply fill out the Cub Cadet Riding Mower Giveaway entry form. Entries will be accepted from May 1st through June 15th 2008, with the winner selected on June 16th.

Well pruned shrubs and trees are a hallmark of a carefully tended yard or garden. Foundation plantings are lush and full, and blooming shrubs display their blossoms on shapely branches that accentuate each plant’s unique style.

Spring has officially arrived! To help you shake off those winter blues and get motivated to spruce things up around your yard we’re giving away a cornucopia of lawn and garden gizmos and gadgets including everything from solar powered lights to an electronic timer for your faucet. To enter, simply fill out the entry form on the right side of our Around the Yard section.

Spring is on the way, and warm weather is beginning to peek around the corner, inviting us outdoors and begging gardeners to get their hands dirty. But unless you live in a tropical climate, there is still plenty of freezing weather to come, so don’t get ahead of yourself! Resist the urge to set out new plants, and use this promising season to pay a visit to your garden and tend to what’s already there.

While other parts of the country are still buried under a thick blanket of snow, here in the Deep South, the azaleas are already in full bloom and the first bright green leaves on the trees are beginning to unfurl. What better time than the first day of spring to launch our new website dedicated to your lawn and garden!

Determining when to plant in the spring can be harder than predicting the ups and downs of the stock market. Part science and part superstition, deciding when to plant is the biggest decision of the year if you farm for a living. For the rest of us, it usually just means a little extra work and another stop at the nursery if the weather doesn’t cooperate.