This column was written Lucille Sanders, Coles County Master Gardener.

It has been a winter with hot and cold temperatures, complete with snow, ice and thunderstorms. Seeing bare ground, we are anxious to get into the garden. Please don't be too anxious and start planting too early. Remember last year's heavy frost in mid April. It is just too early to start planting but there are a lot of other things that can be done at this time.

Repair the damages of winter by pruning, raking and refreshing mulch to discourage winter fungus disease from spreading to the new growth. This will help prepare your garden for warmer temperatures. Garden safety must again be stressed. Don't overdo, start slow with just a short time in the garden. Use the right tool for the right job. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen – even it if doesn't seem to be that sunny. Call JULIE if you plan on digging any big holes or tilling in a new area. If you didn't empty last season's containers, do so now, washing the containers with a mild solution of bleach water, and rinsing well (and don't dump the bleach water on or in the garden area).

Check trellises and other garden structures for damage and repair. Reset wobbly bricks or pavers in your garden paths. Garden ornaments that were taken in for the winter can be cleaned and placed back in the garden. This year I plan to use a paver (one of those round, square or rectangular concrete slabs that can be purchased at any garden supply) under my larger ornaments that I prefer to bubble wrap and leave outdoors. This winter two ornaments started to lean backwards so I tried to straighten but the ground was frozen solid so they couldn't be pulled forward. Then came another thaw and I found both statues on their backs – thank goodness, not broken. I've since learned I should have set a paver in the ground and then set the statue on top of the paver. Going to try that this year.

Ornamental Grasses can be cut back now. I like to see the first show of green at the base before I cut them back, but if you haven't seen it yet, you will within the next week or so. To skip tedious raking, tie the tops of the plant together with twine, in sections if the plant is huge, before you cut, then cut the bundled sections back to within 4–6 inches of the ground. Don't cut into the new green growth. Depending on the size of the plant you can use hand pruners or hedge clippers. I've known people who have used chain saws because the plant is so large.

As the soil thaws, check perennials to see if frost has heaved them out of the ground. If you find any plants with their roots or crowns exposed, push them gently back into place with your foot by stepping on them and putting enough pressure on the area to push the plant back into the soft ground. Don't be upset if you don't see signs of life from some of your perennials, as some are just slow to sprout.

Bigleaf Hydrangeas such as 'Nikko Blue' should be pruned by removing a few of the oldest stems at ground level–they bloom on old stems so do not remove all the stems. However, 'Pee Gee', 'Annabelle', and other panide and smooth hydrangeas should be pruned back by half.

Daylily Rust Alert – clean up old daylily leaves before new growth begins. Good sanitation is one way to keep control on a fairly new villain that has hitchhiked into the Midwest gardens in the past couple years on plants shipped from Florida. Daylily Rust is a fungus disease that covers leaves with ugly lesions. Eventually the leaves will die. Thorough winter cleanup will also help control another daylily fungal disease, called leafstreak. The two diseases look similar but it's easy to tell the difference. When rubbed, the leaves of a plant infected with the rust will turn your fingers orange. As soon as you notice any infected leaves, remove and destroy the leaves. Always avoid overhead watering during the growing season. It isn't known yet how much damage the new rust disease will do to our region's daylilies. Some varieties, especially the old-fashioned varieties, seem to be almost immune but the popular 'Stella de Oro' (the yellow lily we see every where because it blooms more than once --Mattoon's First Mid Illinois Bank parking lot is filled with them), unfortunately, appears to be very susceptible.

Poppies - if you just have to plant something NOW, grab a packet of poppy seeds and head for the garden. With poppies, there's no such thing as too early. Once you have some poppies growing in your garden, they'll even replant themselves. No need for soil preparation, just scatter the seeds on the soil surface where you want them to grow, then pat the seed gently into the soil surface with your hand. Poppies thrive in full sun. They grow and bloom best in lean, dry soil with no fertilizer. Seedlings do not like to be moved. Remember most poppies will grow to be 2 or 3 feet tall and are generally considered to be reseeding annuals.

Early in April, dig and divide chrysanthemums. When you separate the vigorous young mum shoots, discard the old, woody centers.

Feed roses with a slow-release or organic fertilizer

Postpone pruning butterfly bush until you see new sprouts at the base, then cut the shrub back nearly to the ground.

Remove bagworms from evergreens before the eggs in the bags have a chance to hatch. This is a nasty job but necessary to save the plant.

Do you know that a sap leaking from cut daffodils will shorten the life of other flowers in a bouquet? So don't rush to add them to that lovely bouquet. Put them in a separate vase of water for a few hours before arranging with other flowers.

Mattoon Herb Fest

Remember the Annual Mattoon Herb Fest is the last Saturday in April – plan to purchase and add herbs and other new plants to your garden. Visit the Coles County Extension Master Gardeners' Booth at the Picket Fence.

If you have any horticulture questions, call the local U of I Extension office Wednesdays between 9 and 11 a.m. at 345-7034.

This column is based on information and materials available at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/