10: Cut some branches to bring inside for forcing. Fruit tree blossoms, pussywillows and Forsythia can give an early taste of spring when put in a vase with water in a bright location.

9: Walk around your garden on a mild day. Look for perennials that have heaved out from frost and gently push them back in. Look for signs of sun scald on new trees. Combined with frost this may cause bark to split. Shading the plant before damage occurs is the only solution.

8: Attract birds to your garden with a well-stocked feeder.  If you don’t have a feeder we stock many types and each comes with a free pound of birdseed.

7: Force some bulbs. If you haven’t already planted your own, visit our greenhouse for a taste of spring. We have a great selection of Tulips, Daffodils and others ready to be put in a sunny window and brought to bloom. Bulbs will take from one to four weeks to flower.

6: Prune some shrubs, without leaves it’s easier to see what to cut out. Shrubs that flower on previous seasons growth such as Flowering Almond, should not be pruned now unless they are overgrown. In that case a mild winters day is the perfect opportunity to clean up the plant, even though you’ll sacrifice some of the bloom. Prune out branches with scale, if it is localized, because this will make dormant spray applications more effective later on.

5: Visit gardening web-sites, such as www.millionplants.com. These are a great source for new plant information as well as general gardening tips. Let’s face it, there’s only so much room in every garden so it pays to be armed with a list of plants you want before you show up at the garden centre in spring.

4: Prevent damage to evergreens like Junipers, Yews and Boxwoods, from heavy snow load. Bundle them up with twine or burlap to prevent branches from breaking off.

3: Grow something from seed. Annuals and perennials are easy to start indoors from seed. Place the seeds in a tray with good potting soils and keep moist. If you don’t have a garden grow some herbs in a small window box. Then you’ll have fresh Basil, Oregano and Rosemary whenever you need some.

2: Mist your houseplants. The winter months are dry and many foliage plants benefit from an occasional misting. But water them on the light side. They require less in winter so it’s best to allow the soil to dry somewhat before adding more water. This also helps reduce fungus gnats which breed in moist soil.

1: Visit a garden show for an early taste of spring. Canada Blooms is held in March at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.