Your spring cleaning checklist, part 1

This month it will take two weeks to dispense all my gardening wisdom for the month of April — there’s just too darn much to do to fit it into one column.

Here’s the first part:

Assess winter damage. I know, it was a mild winter but the freezes we had back in November and early December caused some damage, especially to plants that were in containers.

Don’t be surprised if you have some plants that don’t make it back. There’s no point in moping over it. Just consider it an opportunity to try something new.

Roses. Roses are cruising along nicely this spring. Everyone should have pruned their roses hard last month and now is the time to feed them. Apply 2 cups of an organic rose food, a handful of lime and an inch of new compost. Gardeners have a lot of options for controlling insects and disease and whether you choose natural or synthetic do something because if you wait until your rose looks like someone dumped a bag of powdered sugar on it you won’t be able to clean it up.

Visit a garden center and ask a certified professional horticulturist to sort it all out for you. They know what they are talking about and can help with all kinds of gardening questions.

Lawns. I am not sure what happened this winter but I have had countless customers tell me their lawns have turned to mud and look like the surface of the moon.

All I can say is that April is a great month to resurrect an ugly lawn. It could mean simply killing a few weeds and fertilizing to nuking whatever is left and starting over — which is what I am going to have to do. I have pontificated so much in the past about lawn care that again I would recommend coming into the nursery and speaking with a CPH.

Pruning. There is always something to prune in the garden, no matter what time of year it is. I already mentioned roses but hydrangeas can be cleaned up now to remove any dead wood and old flower blossoms. Red twig dogwoods should be cut back hard now and grapes and kiwis need serious pruning to keep them in check and control the amount of fruit they will set.

Same is true for wisteria, but be careful not to prune off the blooms. They are swelling now so it should be easy to see. Peaches also need heavy pruning every year to keep them in a vigorous state of growth.

More chores next week.

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

Miniature gardens

Check out the class “Good Things Come in Small Packages” 10 a.m. April 4 at Sunnyside Nursery and learn how to select plants for miniature gardens, both indoors and out. Learn how to plant dwarf conifers, small maples, perennials, sedums and more into containers for years of enjoyment. Trevor Cameron and Chris Hinricksen, both certified professional horticulturists, will teach the class. The class is free, but register by calling 425-334-2002 or emailing infor@sunnysidenursery.net.