•    Give those rusty, cranky pruners a shot of WD-40.

•    Get the lawn mower tuned and blade sharpened early before the spring rush.

•    Hold your horses when it comes to planting tomatoes. Rule of thumb – wait until after Memorial Day to plant tomatoes when the soil finally warms up enough.

•    Prune fruit trees and roses around President’s Day in February. Prune before they leaf out.

•    Clean up the garden in February and visit your local garden center in March to get ideas for your gardens, flowerbeds and containers.

•    Wait to work in the garden until late March or early April when the soil is dry and crumbles in your hand. Don’t mash the clods!

•    Have fun killing slugs year round. Try products such as Worry Free, Sluggo or put beer in shallow dishes around the perimeter.

•    Improve the soil by adding compost or soil-enriching, aged manure.

•    Be creative with containers. Plant bulbs deep and after they bloom, put in some pansies followed by summer annuals. Checkout garden stores for container ideas.