As much as I look forward to spring, there is some comfort in knowing that all I have to do during the winter is dream and plan. Now I have to get back into action and I never know where to start first. There are many things that need doing in the garden, before the plants get too large. One task that often gets pushed back is dividing. I always mean to get to it early, but once I see a plant growing, I hate to disturb it.

Unfortunately letting it grow another season isn't always good for the plant. Once your plants are showing signs that they need division they are already struggling for survival. So how do you know when to divide perennial plants? Certainly the dead center of the ornamental grass in the photos is a give away. Here are some more tips on when to divide perennials and how to divide them.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

It's the first full day of spring - finally. I start my spring house cleaning in January so (hopefully) I'll be done before the weather warms up in spring. The dust bunnies will wait, but spring pruning will not. It takes so long for the weather to warm and once it does, everything needs to be done at once. But, I'm not going to complain about having too many things to do outside. Here's the list of things I came up with for spring cleaning my gardens.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

It's that time of year again, when I start to get questions from homeowners about how to remove moss. I can understand not wanting moss on the roof or the side of the house, but it makes a nice, low-maintenance lawn alternative and you can't beat it for adding character to rocks and stone walls.

I won't pretend to be an expert on the different types of moss. That's something I'm saving for my retirement. But I can encourage you to have an open mind about moss and cultivate the moss you have. And for those of you who just can't share my enthusiasm for moss, David Beaulieu has some ideas for getting rid of it.

• Growing Moss
• Moss as a Lawn Alternative (and how to get rid of it.)

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Now that your seeds have sprouted and are actually starting to look like plants, what do you do?Indoor seedlings can be very temperamental.  They need lots of light, or they'll grow wispy and weak.  Move them as close to your light source as possible and leave artificial plant lights on for at least 12 hours a day.

They'll need more and more water, as their roots fill out the small cell packs and pots.  You may need to move them up to a larger size pot, before you can move them outdoors.  That's the most frustrating time for me, because the larger pots take up a lot more space.  But doing this makes the plants stronger and better able to acclimate, when you do move them out.

And finally, there's the question of when do you start feeding your seedlings.  If  you used a potting soil that already has fertilizer in it, you shouldn't need to add more. But if you used a traditional soil less mix without fertilizer, you'll need to keep watch for when your seedlings develop their first true leaves, like the tomato seedling here. That's when you need to know how much to feed them and with what?

Photo: © Marie Iannotti