Today, I feel like spring is really putting the rush on us ... we wait so long for its arrival and then suddenly find ourselves trying to keep up. I have a few things on the "to do" list for you: Get spring pruning done soon! Cutting off the growth that has to be removed before it breaks bud puts the plant’s energy into producing the new growth we want to see. A specific tip on pruning clematis vines: If the variety is the purple Jackman, it can be cut down to the ground; however, the newer colors and varieties are only pruned back to where there is new growth showing. These newer varieties do not have the vigor of Jackman and seldom grow to more than six feet tall even after being established eight to 10 years. Cutting these varieties to the ground will not kill them, but you will be waiting that much longer to get any appreciable height to them. I am as passionate as anyone about that FIRST ripe tomato … I set up my "wall ‘o waters" last week. This circular device has vertical cells that you partially fill with water; the weight of the water closes the top so it looks like a teepee. During the day, the sun warms the water and heats the ground inside. The water retains the heat at night so you can plant frost sensitive plants like tomatoes about four weeks earlier. As the plants grow, the cells are filled to the top with water so the top opens up, allowing the plant to grow while still retaining the heat factor … believe me, it works! We have the "wall ‘o waters" available here at the greenhouse, and they can be reused year after year. If you have spots in your lawn that need to be repaired or areas to seed, get at that as soon as possible. Spring seeding always means competing with the weed seed, so you know what you’re up against. I’ve had calls about when to put down pre-emergent herbicide for control of crabgrass. That application needs to be done when the lilacs begin to bloom. If you apply it too early and we get a substantial rain, the product leeches below the surface and its effectiveness is really diminished. Put it on too late, and you have really missed the bus! I don’t have a hot line on the weather and have to guess just like the rest of you, but I have planted my spinach … next week, I’ll go for peas, radishes, and the cole crops like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. If you are or are not a gardener, I sincerely hope you are enjoying the drama and beauty of spring. And just as spring brings new life to our world, Easter is the promise of new life for those who believe. Happy Easter!