If you're planning to work on your yard this Memorial Day weekend, you're not alone. A survey conducted by Briggs & Stratton finds that nearly 47 percent of homeowners plan to do the same.

Warmer weather can put a spring in our step, and this holiday weekend launches months of mowing, edging, cutting, blowing, painting, staining, dirt-hauling, planting and weeding.

"It is a very busy time for us, and I think it will be more for us this year because of the way the weather's been," said Dan French, manager of Hardware Hank in Rapid City.

With the cool, snowy spring, most gardeners haven't had a chance to get their hands dirty, but now, "It's time to get started," said Lori Anderson, owner of Heritage Nursery in Rapid City. "I think a lot of people are still cleaning out their beds and mulching."

She expects homeowners to be putting in shrubs, perennials and trees this weekend, in addition to prepping their gardens.

French said that although it's not uncommon for people to do nothing with their gardens until May 15, "We've been spoiled the last few years, when we were able to get out into our gardens earlier."

Cleaning out the flower beds and laying down bark and mulch will take up much of the weekend for many, he said. He also suggests people make sure their lawn mower is tuned up and ready to go, and expects to see customers in the store buying line for their trimmers.

"I noticed when I was out in the yard this weekend that the weeds were starting to come," he said, so now's the time to start fighting back.

It's also a good time to check the roof and driveway for any needed repairs and to clean out your gutters and downspouts, especially if you didn't get them done last fall.

"Obviously in the spring, we've had snow and everything else, and gutters and downspouts take a beating during snow and ice season," he said.

Add in staining the deck, updating the patio furniture and painting the house, and you've got a chore list that will last you through Labor Day. (For more ideas, check out the lists on this page and on Page C2.)

How to get it all done and still leave time for a quick trip to the lake, a family hike in the Hills, a visit to a cemetery and the requisite barbecue? Anderson suggests getting the whole family involved in the yard and garden work, which should leave time for a few glasses of lemonade on the porch.

Patch your driveway

y Remove all loose concrete and other surface grime using a garden hose attached to a power washer.

y Mix up a batch of vinyl latex concrete patching compound and, using a metal concrete trowel, pack the patching compound into the voids.

y Remove the excess and use the trowel to level the patch.

y After the patch material has had two to three days to dry, seal the entire surface with a high quality concrete sealer. The sealer will prevent water from making its way into the concrete, which leads to spauling.

y Consider using a non-corrosive ice melt to further prevent damage.

Do some lawn mower maintenance

y Change the oil in your lawn mower. Manufacturers recommend changing the oil in your engine every spring. If you wait more than two spring seasons to change it, you risk damaging the engine.

y Keep a spare air filter handy and replace it in your lawn mower according to the manufacturer's instructions. Usually you should replace the filter every two years.

y Lawn mower spark plugs wear out. Blocked air filters and oil filters can affect the performance of the spark plug. As a rule of thumb, replace spark plugs every spring.

y Replace the lawn mower blade every year or at the very least every two to three years to get a better grass cut.

y When it's time to cut the grass, add fresh gas and don't forget to add gas stabilizer to the tank or to the container holding the gas. Gas should really be used up within 30 days of purchase to ensure good volatility and engine start-up.

y Be sure to clean the underside of your lawn mower if you have recently mowed wet grass and throughout the season. Use a paint scraper if necessary. Grass clippings that build up in the underside of your mower can impede blade movement when you start the engine.

Contact Deanna Darr at 394-8416 or deanna.darr@rapidcityjournal.com.