Bermuda grass in Atlanta (flowers, iris, grow, myrtles)

[Jude1948]

Ok, I just want to get the correct information on a few gardening questions. Bermuda grass........Do I use pre-emergence now? Is is a good idea to areate now?

Irises........I cut back all but about 6 inches in fall. Do I cut all the way down or leave as is. When do I fertilize them.

Knock-out roses. Cut back and fertilize?

Crepe myrtle...have not cut back. Is it ok to leave them alone.still have the pods on them.

I know there must be a few experts on these items, and I want to have a jump start on a nice yard.

[azoria]

Gardening doesn't actually have 'rules'. If your crepe myrtles look a bit straggly you can trim them back, but you don't have to. Crepe myrtles are a very low maintenance plant--sometimes they do better when you ignore them.

Roses you can trim to a nicer shape or just leave them alone. Kind of depends on the rose and the space it's in and what you want, and the variety of rose as well. Climbers bloom on last year's wood, so if you trim them back you won't get as many flowers. Hybrid teas can also be pruned after the first heavy flowering in the spring. I don't know what are "Knock-out roses."?

In Atlanta iris will bloom early, if you cut back the leaves to 6 inches last fall, I'd just leave them alone right now.

You want to be careful about too much taming of your plants. I've seen yards where all the flowers and bushes looked liked good little soldiers all lined up and pruned back and disciplined. It's a bit stilted.

Lawn care....not my area of expertise. I generally pull weeds by hand and mow, water it in the summer. That's about it.

[Jude1948]

Thanks for your advise Azoria, I don't like the little soldier look either. The knock-out roses are in front of some Holly's which I want to show off, but the roses tend to grow more quickly and block them out.