Holiday plants will last longer if kept in cool temperatures (55°F - 65°F ).

Look over your houseplants- check for pests and repot plants that are pot-bound.

Examine stored tender bulbs and tubers (gladiolas, cannas, dahlias). Discard those that are soft and bruised. Avoid walking on frozen lawns, bare spots can result from damage to the leaf blades.

Mulch perennials after the ground freezes.

Wood ashes from the fireplace can be saved to add to the compost or garden beds as a good source of potash. It can help raise the soil pH. Monitor shrubs for deer damage- try using repellents and/or physical barriers to discourage browsing.

Heavy snow should be gently removed from evergreens. Trees that “bleed” (birch, dogwood, red and sugar maples) can be pruned now.

Check fruit trees for tent caterpillar egg masses- remove them from the branches by gently rubbing them off by hand.

Cat litter, sand, or fertilizer can be used as an alternative to salt on sidewalks near garden plantings.

Purchase seeds and seed starting supplies this month. If you save seeds from year to year, check for viability now. Place several seeds on a damp paper towel and keep in a plastic bag. Check them after the expected germination time has elapsed (usually stated on the seed packet). If less than 75% have sprouted you may want to purchase new seed. Consider purchasing a fluorescent light to hang over seedlings started indoors.

Late in the month start seeds of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, pansy, dusty miller, begonia, and snapdragon.

Winter is a good time to survey the landscape and plan new plantings. Be sure to include shrubs and trees for winter interest: evergreens, plants with berries, plants with colorful or unusual bark.

According to the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, a proper landscape can lower heating and cooling bills 20%. A 2-foot-thick hedge can reduce street noise by 5 decibels. Landscaping can increase your property value as much as 15 percent.

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