Getting a jumpstart on the garden

Early in March we spent an afternoon soaking up the sun and strolling in the stunning Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. It was quite busy, even for a weekend. Part of the draw was the butterfly house ... and the added crowd attractor was the annual plant sale.

A plant sale? In March? Oh, to be a Zone 9 gardener. Our temperatures here in Zone 3 are finally creeping into the 50s, and the aching to see green and the urge to get our hands dirty in the garden are palpable.

Despite the cold hard fact that establishing a garden in earnest is weeks away, there are so many things we can do to welcome...