For anyone who has paid attention to the weather over at least the last several years, it seems like our winter here in the Pacific Northwest often happens in the latter half of the season. Although we had a mild start to winter, recent weather has brought us some bitter cold, northeast wind, and snow–Pacific Northwest winter in its truest form. For those of us who love to garden, this time of year is filled with eager anticipation of the season to come, so here are a few things you can do while you wait for spring’s gardening weather to start in earnest.

First, weed your flowerbeds. Although it’s not the most glamorous task, it’s a great way to take advantage of some free solar-powered vitamin D on a sunny late winter day. The persistent rainy weather we’ve had this winter combined with mild temperatures mean that some cold-tolerant weeds have already started to take off, and chances are, they’ll only get worse as the season progresses if you don’t start pulling them soon. Of course, pulling weeds is easier when they’re not frozen solid into the ground, so plan accordingly!

Second, make sure your tools are in shape. Sharpen and oil your pruners, make sure your lawn mower is tuned up (or better yet, get it serviced before mowing season starts), and sand any rough wooden handles on your long-handled tools to prevent splinters. Simple, easy maintenance tasks now could save a major headache later.

Third, stock up on seeds. Last year, as the pandemic begin unfolding, gardeners new and old stocked up on vegetable seeds like never before, creating seed shortages nationwide. Although most seed suppliers have increased their supplies this year, demand continues to be high, so visit a local garden center early this year to browse seed racks and pick out the varieties you’ll want to plant in your garden later this spring.

Fourth, start pruning—as soon as the cold weather is over, that is. If you’re concerned about any freeze damage, wait until after the days of sub-freezing temperatures have passed. In general, late winter is a great time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs as their bare branches make it easy to see the shape and structure of your plants. One plant I’ll be pruning as soon as the weather warms a bit is my tree form dappled willow, those popular lollipop-shaped shrubs with speckled pink and white leaves. These willows can quickly overwhelm a space if not pruned, and they thrive with a hard pruning at least once a year to keep their shape and a manageable size.

Finally, spray your fruit trees, berries, and roses with dormant spray. Frankly, if you’re a hardcore gardener you may have already done this once or twice this winter, but for those of us not fortunate enough to have had a day off that coincided with dry weather—a rare occurrence this year!—it’s not too late to spray at least once yet before your plants wake up for spring. For insects, my go-to dormant spray is Bonide All Seasons Oil, an organic mineral oil spray that’s excellent at smothering insect eggs that have overwintered on the branches of your plants. For diseases, use Bonide Copper or Sulfur Spray to kill overwintered fungus spores. Choose a dry day with temperatures over 40 degrees for spraying and coat all branches evenly with enough spray to get them wet in order to properly kill both insects and disease spores.

Chances are, this icebox weather won’t last long, and once the weather warms, we’ll be looking early spring square in the eye. Enjoy these last days of winter and together let’s look forward to a great season to come!