The first thing to do is check the watering and drainage systems because if faulty they can cause serious problems.

In many places, the winter that is coming to a close has been the hardest one in years, with intense and sustained sub-zero temperatures. So many species will have suffered serious damage or died. Before stripping a plant away make sure it is in fact dead. If there is any doubt, give it a chance to sprout, at least until early summer.

The hardest task will probably be pulling weeds. It is important to do this before they produce seeds. The method you use - mechanical or chemical - depends on the case at hand. If your perennial species are not marked as such, take care not to eliminate them by mistake.

If the lawn has taken a beating, if will be necessary to loosen the topsoil before applying fertilizer. The best to use this time of year is chemical, and it is also a good idea to add peat to lighten the soil. If puddles are a problem a mix of peat and river sand will improve things dramatically.

The soil of plant and flowerbeds will need digging, and an addition of substrate to improve the texture and increase the level of nutrients. The kind of substrate depends on the nature of the soil and the characteristics of the plants that are going to grow there:

�If need be there is still time to prune bushes and climbing plants, taking special care with species that bloom in spring so as not to snip the buds that are about to blossom.

It is also a key moment to detect and deal with pests and diseases in their early stages, before they do harm that is difficult to correct. Keeping a close watch is critical, especially in the case of species that were affected in earlier years.

Finally, this is also a good time to plant and transplant, so you can even to do a small remodeling of your garden, be it indoor or outdoor.
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