Don't be too hasty about starting seeds indoors
Make the most of the dormant season. Use this time to plan for the growing season, to get your tools and equipment ready and to place your orders from seed, bulb and plant catalogs.
It's fun to grow plants from seed, but don't make the mistake of starting them too soon. Some seeds are easy to sow directly in the ground in late spring; morning glories, sunflowers, scarlet runner beans, hyacinth beans, cosmos, zinnias and nigella are easy to grow from seed and will brighten up your garden all summer.
Cold to warm to cold again
Remember that old commercial: "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature?" Just bear in mind that Mother Nature has no qualms about fooling us -- a few unseasonably warm days do not a spring make. Many perennials die each year after their roots have heaved out of the ground during a freeze-and-thaw spell. Mulch can help keep the ground temperatures even, but to be safe, periodically check your plants and rebury the roots in soil if necessary. When adding mulch, avoid piling it around the base of the plant, which can encourage it to rot. Excessive mulch can also provide shelter for rodents who will find the plant stems and roots a tasty snack. A 3-inch layer of mulch should be about right, hollowed out away from the base of the stem.
Dealing with ice and snow
Pristine white snow, glistening ice coating the branches and berries -- winter can be deadly in its beauty. A heavy snow load can break a birch, while ice can split the trunks of some flowering pears. Conifers are particularly susceptible to damage from snow, ice and winter winds. Dwarf conifers covered in snow are often trampled. Broadleaf and needle evergreens can desiccate in drying, winter winds, and large conifers can be bent or broken under the weight of a heavy snow. Waxy anti-transpirant sprays can protect evergreens from the wind, but new transplants may require the extra protection of burlap screens in a severe winter. Use an old-fashioned broom to carefully shake snow off conifers, large and small, if they become noticeably bent or buried. Remember that many plants are susceptible to damage from road salt, especially those that are planted along curbs or driveways.