- Remove winter greens from containers, once unfrozen
- Rake out beds, trim brown stalks, assess winter damage and prune out
- Prune shrubs such as inkberry, holly, yew that may be overgrown
- Prune butterfly bush, caryopteris, smoke tree, St. Johnswort, and other cutback shrubs
- Shear ornamental grasses
- Shape lavender, sage, germander, thyme and other woody herbs by cutting off at least 1/3 of the old growth
- Cut back any perennials left standing last fall
- Edge beds
- Plan to divide and transplant fall blooming perennials mid April to mid May
- Continue dormant pruning of fruit trees and other decidious material
- Plant containers with spring flowers when nights are reliably above freezing
- Plan for first spraying of horticultural oil on fragrant viburnum, V. carleii, to prevent damage from snowball aphid
- Return contracts by April 1 for tick and mosquito spraying, antidesiccant and deer repellent and compost tea applications – along with fine garden maintenance!
- Prune raspberries and blueberries if not done earlier in the winter
- Sow seeds of salvia and lettuce indoors now but hold off on starting more vegetables until April 10 for basil, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers
- Houseplants can be fed a diluted fish fertilizer every two weeks for a spring pick-me-up