Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Finish up quick. Deciduous magnolias, daffodils and some camellias are already in full bloom--a harbinger that spring isn’t so far off. If you want to take advantage of any bare root bargains at nurseries--in roses, fruit trees, grapes or berries--do so quickly. They really should be in the ground before they leaf out (bare root plants that don’t resprout soon may be dead). It’s OK if bare root roses are already leafed out a little, but if the new growth is unnaturally elongated or pale in color, snap the sprouts off--new, compact growth will replace it. This may sound radical, but it works, thanks to secondary, backup buds.

* Repot water lilies. So-called “hardy” water lilies--the kind that grow from spreading tubers--must be repotted annually in our climate, and this is the month to do so. Put them in wide, shallow tubs so they have room to spread. Tubers can elongate a foot or more in a season.

Tropical lilies don’t spread, so they only need repotting every few years, when their tubers grow too tall.

Lots of other aquatic plants, such as water iris and reeds, need repotting and division because they grow so big so quickly. Drainage holes are not required for any aquatics, and ordinary clay garden dirt is the best potting medium.

* Don’t fix frost damage. Although frosts seem unlikely during this balmy winter, if plants should get nipped, do not try to tidy them up quite yet. Even blackened leaves help protect plants from further frost. Don’t cut off damage until new growth begins in late March, and you can see what is alive and what is not. Then cut off the dead leaves and twigs.