Garden Tip 40:  

LET’S PLAY “PICK UP STICKS”

One of my constant garden projects this past winter was picking up sticks. Many weeks had windy days with gusts that would continually do some deadwood cleaning in the oaks. It is surprising now to see how many of those twigs and sticks ended up in shrubs and smaller trees below.

This is a good time to clean out winter debris that has collected in the understory plantings before new growth and foliage appear. Evergreens also have a tendency to collect leaves over the winter so a quick brushing with a leaf rake will clean things up here. Be careful walking and working in garden beds in March for many plants are waking up and new growth tips will be breaking through the soil surface.