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January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December Make a New Year's resolution to keep your garden tools in top shape for the coming year. Keep a galvanized bucket filled with sand and moistened with old motor oil as a great tool cleaner. The gritty sand scrubs away dirt, while the oil keeps your tools from rusting. Your garden should be a beautiful place all year long, but if it's not what you expected this Winter, make a note to add Oakleaf Hydrangea, River Birch or Contorted Filbert later this Spring. Their exfoliating bark and interesting branching patterns make them year-round favorites. Although you may be tempted to clean the leaves out of your garden on occasional warm January days, don't! Leaf litter, fallen twigs and pine needles help insulate the soil from colder temperatures still to come. You'll have plenty of time for Spring cleaning in March. Check pansies and perennials for frost heaving. If roots are showing above ground level, don't push them back in. Cover them with soil or compost. Add extra mulch to perennial plantings and new shrubs. The South's worst cold comes in January. Boughs from discarded holiday trees are great frost protection for tender shrubs.
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