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January Keep your bird feeders filled. Check with your nurseries, some early fruit trees, shrubs, and herbs may be set out now depending on your location. Refresh the mulch. Order seeds. Check houseplants for spider mites.	February Time for azaleas and camellias in many areas. Time to water the garden if need be. Wildflowers begin to awaken. Make sure roses have at least six hours of direct sun. Wait to prune until March in the Middle and Upper South. Don't prune spring flowering shrubs, you'll cut off the future blossoms.	March Set out the bird houses for those early birds. Avoid insecticidal sprays on flowering fruit trees as you may accidentally kill honey bees pollinating the trees. May be time to repot some of your container plants. A new pot should be about two inches larger. Check your nurseries as to when the threat of frost passes in your area. Cabbage and its relatives - broccoli and cauliflower - should be set out so that they mature before the warm weather arrives.
April Spanish and ball moss do not damage trees, however a build up of ball moss may indicate that the tree is unhealthy for another reason. Remember safety around children and pets as well when operating garden equipment. Pick up your soil and squeeze. If it crumbles easily, it's dry enough to work with. When the lawn turns green, fertilize with a timed-release product. Watch out for pesky thrips.	May Stake the tall plants as they grow. Masses of daylilies can be beautiful. Choose colors that best fit your garden. New flower and plant selections are always being introduced. For new winners go to All-American Selection http://www.all-americanselections.org Tomatoes (after last frost) need six to eight hours of sunlight, and good drainage. When azaleas finish flowering, prune before midsummer, after that, and you may have prevented flowering for next year.	June Make sure fireants do not invade nests in your birdhouses. Please refer to our Links page for "fireants". Place your sundial in the garden on the summer soltis. Buy a ginger root at the grocery store. Plant like you would an iris in a partially shaded location. In October, dig up your own ginger root. Fertilize permanent lawn grasses. Watch out for slugs.
July Raise cutting height of your mower (to about two inches) to help grasses survive the heat. Continue to pick vegetables as they ripen so plants will not go into rest. When footprints remain in the grass, its time to water the area. Deadhead your myrtles for continuous bloom. Ladybugs eat aphids. You may want to purchase some for your garden.	August Container plants may be in stress, move them to areas that are partially shaded. Water often. Water your garden well only once or twice a week. If your water more often, your plant roots will grow mainly in the top inch of soil, making them more susceptible to drying. When planting fragrant plants, consider their blooming times to keep from being overwhelmed. Check with your nurseries for a fall garden planting of vegetables. Lightly trim fall-blooming perennials so that they stay more compact.	September Store bulbs in ventilated bags in your refrigerator or vegetable bin until you are ready to plant from mid October until year's end. Rake pine needles that begin falling and stockpile them. Place on beds after the leaves have fallen. Collect seeds from your flowers, particularly the old-fashioned types. Drift your chrysanthemums. Five to seven plants of one color make a statement. Give them at least a half day of sunlight. Its time to plant the fall season of vegetables.
October Never pour pesticides down the drain, onto the ground, or into a storm sewer. Store in a cool dry dark location. Be a good steward. This is prime time to start dividing perennials. Wait a few more weeks in the Middle and Lower South. After cleaning up your unplanted areas, sow a cover crop such as clover, or mulch to keep weeds down. Over-seed warm season grasses with annual or perennial rye grass for greenery during the winter. With cooler nights, roses will produce some of their best flowers. Give them some rose plant food and keep them well watered as needed.	November Migrating birds need lots of energy. Hang mixtures of suet for high energy feedings. Find an out-of-the-way corner of the garden, mix green and dry materials with a shovelful of soil, sprinkle with water weekly when there is no rain, and you'll have compost by spring, sooner if you turn the pile. Don't forget that ornamental kale and cabbage can provide a color display during the winter. This is a good time to plant onions and scallions. Don't skimp on pansies. They do not grow into big plants, so buy enough to make an impact.	December Many dormant plants require lower amounts of water. Add the falling leaves to your compost pile. Bulbs may be on sale. Make sure they are firm to the touch and that the bottoms are not moldy. It's time to trim perennials that have finished blooming. Watch out for tea scale.