To Do list - March

Things I need to remember to do as the days get warmer and I can be outside (and the snow melts!)

Prune back the perennial bed. The Russian Sage should be cut back to a fan a couple inches high. Everything else should be cut down, removing all the dead old growth while watching carefully for new growth.

Prune the snowberry (the big one.) It needs major help. Cut above a bud or junction, and remove about 1/3 of the canes. Cut the remaining canes back to about 2/3 their height. You won't kill it. But it needs pruning. You may need new shears or repaired shears for this job.

Don't touch the lilac.

Cut back and remove dead stalks from the hostas.

Start to remove winter mulch from the bulbs as the days get warmer and growth appears.

Inspect roses and remove and dead growth. It will be hard to tell for a little while.

Clear the growth from the veggie bed.

Start clearing the space for new beds, but don't work the soil until it is dry enough to be worked!

This year the lawns will need to be aerated / cored and reseeded. Wait until MAY to do this though, and drier soil.

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For the record, as of now (March 15th) we have about a foot of icy snow left on the ground. We had 3 feet fall within a week at the beginning of the month, but since then we've had a week in the 50's. Fickle spring! Everything is melting fast but temps are below freezing at night about half the time now. I can see the edges of the lawn and flower beds, about a foot away from where it was plowed.

My seeds (onion, broccoli, peas) all germinated in 2 - 3 days! They are now in the East window getting some light but I will move them to the shelf / artificial light as soon as I can.