What a frustrating time of year for a gardener! Will this winter weather ever come to an end? How can one possibly plant their sugar snap peas on St. Patrick's Day when the garden is blanketed in snow? I am trying to pacify myself by starting various vegetable seeds at home, but it is not really working. Nothing can replace the sensation of ones hands working the warm moist soil and the sun's rays beaming down on your back.

While we are all waiting around for spring to arrive, here is a list of things that you can do now:

• Prune fruit trees before buds swell and open
• Spray trees and shrubs with dormant oil sprays to protect them from various detrimental insects. These sprays will smother any eggs or scale that have wintered over on your plants
• Sow tender annual and vegetable seeds indoors

• Plant out peas and onion sets if weather permits
• Hold off on removing any winter mulches until the weather improves. You can gradually remove the very thick layers and allow the plants to slowly acclimate
• Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials that gave the garden winter interest
• Toward the end of the month, prune summer and fall flowering shrubs to encourage new vigorous growth

In a few more weeks the gardening season will be in full swing. Next month marks the beginning of the growing season for me. Cool weather crops can then be safely planted outdoors. Spring bulbs will emerge and the perennial borders will come to life. Winter will finally come to an end!