Warmer weather means time to prep your garden for spring
Cleaning up leftover debris, pruning plants or bushes, cutting the grass and spreading new mulch a good start
It's finally starting to feel like spring in Waterloo region, which means your garden may be ready to get a facelift after a long and cold winter.
First things first, it's important to clear your garden and lawn of remaining leaves or debris before getting to work.
"If the ground is dry enough to rake, you should really rake up [the debris]. That's a good start," Perry Grobe, owner of Grobe's Nursery told CBC K-W.
Pruning certain plants or bushes, cutting the grass and spreading new mulch on garden beds, if it's dry enough to do so, should also be on your to do list.
Grobe said homeowners also should keep in mind that the ground needs to be dry before working the soil or before adding any organic components to your soil or lawn, particularly for people with vegetable gardens.
"Some folks may leave compost on the garden for the winter, and again its a question of moisture," he said.
"You have to let it dry a little before you can turn it under."
Still too cold for some planting
It may still be a little too cold out to start planting certain flowers and vegetables, Grobe said.
Peter Kimbell, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said though the temperature is gradually warming up, it's still cooler than normal.
"We're in a bit of a cool phase right now," Kimbell told CBC K-W.
"We still have a risk of frost for a while because the normal minimum temperature is plus one."
If you do want to start planting however, Grobe said the only flowers that could withstand the cold and frost this time of year are pansies.
"Most of them are grown cold, so you can certainly plant them now," he said.
Some vegetables can also benefit from colder temperatures, such as lettuce, radishes, spinach or peas.