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Things to do to pass the time til Spring

© Carol Wallace

While Chicago was having a deluge that apparently echoed the great flood, much of the rest of the country has been blessed by warming days and sunshine. Gardeners in the warmer zones, and even in Connecticut are reporting that the crocus are in bloom; there have even been a few sitings of daylily scapes. Vancouver had its first robin last weekend. New York actually spotted a confused bluebird. Signs seem to point to spring--but don't be fooled into anything so foolish as removing the mulch or pruning the roses just yet.

In gardening, the early bird doesn't get the worm--they get confused plants who think it's time to break dormancy, only to get hit hard by the next frost. So most pruning is out for most of us until we're sure the last frost date is history, as is fertilizing, weeding and most cleaning up projects. It seems unfair, when the sun is shining, to be all dressed for gardening with nothing to do. If you're not sure of your average last frost date, you might check this frost date chart to get at least an estimated date.

Luckily, there are several gardening chores to help us while away the time til spring is really here.

For a quick lift, go out to the yard and cut branches of forsythia or other early flowering shrubs and stick them in a vase of water. The warmth will hasten the bloom, giving you a sneak preview of things to come. Monthly Gardening Advice--February from Greystone Gardens gives some helpful pointers on forcing blooms, as well as suggestions for branches you may have never thought to cut.

If those pruning shears are still flexing after that, you could prune your grapevines. According to the New York Botanical Gardens, February is prime time for this. Connecticut State U provides a nice, clear guide to pruning grapes and other ornamentals.

Take an inspection tour, toting along a sprayer full of anti-dessicant. These thaw periods often lead to drying out of some of the more delicate plants, so a blast of Wilt-pruf now provides insurance that your favorite shrubs and vines will make it through to bloom once more. Many people winterize their shrubs by wrapping them to protect them from freezing and drying winds. If so, leave them tucked in til you know the frosts are past, and don't even worry about spraying.

If you really yearn to get your hands in the dirt, take a quick inspection tour. This is a good time to look for plants heaved out of the ground by the alternate freeze-thaw cycles so many of us have been through. Set them back before they even notice what's happened.

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