Prune shrubs and trees. There are two reasons February and March are great pruning months: 1. You can see the branches, since there are no leaves, and 2. The plants have not woken up yet, so the sap is not flowing and damage is much less likely. Birch is one of the earliest trees to start flowing, so get to it early.

Redtwig dogwoods are easy to maintain; just snip out one-third of the oldest twigs near ground level to rejuvenate the shrub and ensure more young twigs next winter. The oldest twigs are the thickest and don't have as vibrant a color.

Don't prune Spiraea species, which bloom on last year's growth — wait until early summer. In fact, most shrubs that bloom in spring should be trimmed after the bloom.

A general rule is to trim branches on younger trees so that the bottom one-third of the trunk is just trunk, no branches. This helps growth go up the tree toward the top, where it's most needed. Use a sharp pruning saw for larger twigs and branches, and a bypass pruner for small twigs and shoots.

This photo is of some neat coat hooks, but I put it here to show you where not to cut the branch. See that gray arc at the base of the coat hook on the trunk? That's called the branch collar — that's where you should cut. Saw the branch off at the same angle that the collar is on the trunk, having the top of the cut meet at the top of the branch collar.

What else should you trim on a young tree?

1. Make sure the tree has one central leader branch — if it has two, cut off the one that isn't straight up and down, looks weaker or is coming off the side of the trunk.
2. Remove any crossing branches that are rubbing each other. Rubbing branches peel off protective bark and can lead to disease.
3. If you're pruning crabapples, go easy. The more you prune these trees, the more ugly water sprouts you'll get (those thin branches that go straight up in the air). My advice is to not make more than a few cuts each year.

Read more on winter tree care

Speaking of birds, feeders can add nice architectural flair to a garden. If you don't have one, think about where it might look nice — should it hang or be on a pole? It's best not to have more than two feeders on a small suburban lot.

Maybe the groundhog saw its shadow; maybe it didn't. Either way, the snow and ice will melt — think of this event like a rainbow, a promise of hope and renewal.

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