It is hard to believe that the first day of spring is less than 3 weeks away!

I think that many of us are getting excited and can't wait to get going in the garden.

There are a few things that we can do now, including starting some of the seeds that require a longer growing season, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, geraniums, impatiens, petunia, perennials, etc,.

This is a good time of year to go through the seed racks and look over the different seeds and varieties.

The seed racks are well stocked right now, so you don't need to worry about a seed variety being sold out, or out of stock, which can happen later on in the season.

Tuberous begonias are available at the garden centre and can be started now. If you saved your tuberous begonias from last year, they can be taken out of storage and planted any time now. This is also true, for dahlias, callas, and canna tubers. They can be planted over the next couple of weeks.

For strong, stocky plants place the planted tubers in a cooler, well lit area of the home when they begin to grow. This will prevent the plants from becoming spindly. Fertilize the plants with a plant starter fertilizer such as 10-52-10 which will encourage a strong root system. When planting tubers, use a good quality indoor potting soil.

It is always a good idea to go through all your gardening things to see what needs to be repaired, or replaced. Clean everything, before using it for this year. The last thing you want to do is carry over any of last year’s problems to this year’s crops.

If you are starting your own seeds or tubers, in last year’s containers, spend the extra time to clean the containers with a mild solution of bleach and water. The same thing is true for gardening tools. Spades, shovels, rakes, trowels etc should all be cleaned with a mild bleach solution. Pruning equipment, and edgers can be cleaned and sharpened now, so that they are ready to go when the time is right.

Don't forget to fill the bird feeders regularly. I've noticed at home, that we have lots of different birds eating from the various bird feeders we have stationed in the yard. The birds rely on the feeders, especially now, with the cold temperatures and accumulation of snow on the ground limiting their food sources. Black oiled sunflower seeds and suet seem to be the food of choice. It is never too late to start feeding the birds. There is a good selection of bird feeders and seed available at the garden centres. Feeding the birds and watching them in the yard is another way of adding colour and song to the landscape!

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden centres in Prince George

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road