I am giving my talk, ‘Get Ready! The Spring Garden” Tuesday in Franklin , MA. It may or may not be canceled due to weather. Surprisingly , it may snow here.

Usually in said talk, I briefly discuss to-do lists by month. March ‘s chore list seems a little comical given the 8 feet of snow that are still on the ground, accompanied by below freezing temperatures and bitter wind chill. We are still shoveling driveways and raking the roof .

Let’s see what we can/can not do.

1.Prune late season blooming shrubs….um, can’t find them. I know they are out there but exactly where is a big white mystery.

2.Prune  trees other than birch, maple and walnut. Well, although I can actually see these, getting to them requires heroic effort and given the ever present wind I will take a pass on pruning- induced frostbite thank you very much.

3. Re-pot houseplants……except the pots and soil are in the potting shed  which  no man or beast has seen the door to in months.

4. Cut Ornamental grasses left standing for  the winter back     see # 1

5. Top dress  and or reseed lawn  which disappeared in December and may  not be seen until May or after

7. Start early veggies that will be transplanted outdoors and sow seeds of direct sowers like peas when ground is workable.   Let’s just sub  “in May ” for ” when ground is workable” ,shall we?

8. Clean birdhouses of last year’s nest…see #2

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. So here is my  updated To-Do list for  those of us in the  New Great White North

1. Go to library . Check out many picture filled books of gardens and greenery to stave off insanity from cabin fever ( STAY AWAY from seed catalogs and nursery websites, you know you don’t have any more room in the garden and buying 6 new and unusual conifer bushes will not make the garden magically re-appear from under the snow larger than it was in Dec)

2. Make coffee or hot cocoa

3. Sit and watch snow melt

4. Go to Boston Flower Show ( March 12-15) and  roll in some dirt on one of the exhibits  even though it will get you escorted to the door and possibly arrested

5.RUN to hardware store now for shop vac/sump pump  before the rush

6.Begin pumping snowmelt from cellar

7.Make stiff drink

8.Sit and watch mud dry

9. On Memorial Day   you may commence original March To-do list