Yup it’s time again for my monthly checklist.

I know what you’re thinking: Can’t this guy just kick back for a month and give us a break? No need to get too worried. January is a pretty laid back month for the garden. Here are some thoughts to ponder:

Visit a garden center this month. It always amazes me how fast the nursery fills up with plant material in January. Long before the average northwest gardener gets into gear, garden centers are receiving new stock. By the middle of January, we have potted more than a thousand new roses as well as hundreds of trees, berry plants and hardy vegetables such as rhubarb and asparagus, all of which can actually be planted in the garden this month. In our mild maritime climate, we plant nearly all year, as long as it is above freezing and the ground isn’t saturated.

Examine your garden for pests. This is a good time to wander through the garden looking for tent caterpillar egg cases. They look like small ½-inch gray globs of Styrofoam attached to the limbs. You can rub a few off with your fingers but if you see lots of them then you will need to apply a dormant spray. Copper and oil mixed together will do a good job of suffocating the eggs and controlling fungus problems without causing collateral damage to the rest of the garden.

Plan, plan, plan. This is when seed, bulb and plant catalogs come in the mail by the truckload. When you do visit a nursery, don’t hesitate to bring that “want list,” inspired by the catalogs, with you. We enjoy talking about new stuff just as much as you do. Also, this is a good time to review your journal so you don’t make the same mistakes again. Assuming you actually keep a journal, which is one of those resolutions that “real gardeners” never quite get to.

Do some indoor gardening. If your house still smells like Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham then consider bringing in a few house plants. They are the consummate living air freshener. Keep them as close to the windows as possible and don’t overfeed or overwater them until you see signs of new growth in the spring.

Get ready to prune. It’s that time of year to tackle the pruning chores. Consider attending our pruning class at 10 a.m. Jan. 9 at Sunnyside Nursery, 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., Marysville. We will offer this class again Jan. 23.

Finally, get excited. This coming season should be a dandy. The drought is over so we can repair any damage from the long hot summer and plant like a maniac. I don’t know about you, but my fingers are already starting to itch.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.