Think there’s nothing to do in the garden this month? You might have snow on the ground (or on the way), but there are many things you can do to prepare for Spring and get your garden into shape this month.

• Feed the Birds. All the birds who usually find their homes ‘up north’ are here visiting me in Texas right now. My little ones love to fill up the bird feeder and this is a great activity to let them help with.
• Add a layer of compost to your beds, especially if you have bulbs planted and waiting for warmer weather.
• Now is a perfect time for dormant spraying your roses and fruit trees, especially in the southern United States where it isn’t quite as cold.
• Deciduous trees and shrubs can be pruned this month.
• Now is the perfect time to take inventory of all your gardening equipment and make sure it is in good condition for Spring.
• Plan out your Spring garden. Better Homes & Gardens has a fun interactive tool you can use to plot out your garden while you wait for things to warm up.

Because there are several climate zones in North America, this list is not exhaustive and applies mainly to the midwest. Please leave your winter gardening tips in the comments!

Hyacinth, Paper white Narcissus, and Lily of the valley bulbs can all be forced to bloom inside in a bowl of water or in a pot. Next week I’ll show you how.