Today is February 1st and we’re officially one month away from Meteorological Spring! While many of us will continue to experience the wintry weather for a while, there are a few ways you can prepare for spring in February.

Now that we’ve been in winter for more than a month, many are dreaming of warmer days, more sunlight, blooming flowers and fresh spring air. On those not so cold days, there are many ways to prepare your yard and home for spring as early as... NOW!

Yes, cleaning. While this may not be something you look forward to, you will thank yourself by the time the warm, sunny days come around. You can clean up around the garden, shed and garage to tidy up anything left from last season or that may have been damaged during the winter. It could also be useful to organize and inventory your landscaping and gardening supplies too.

Clean, sharpen and repair your gardening tools during the month of February. Not only will you be prepared to break them out as soon as you can get into the thawed dirt, but you will also know what may need extra care or even replacement well before you officially head out to the garden.

Get them ordered if you’re starting from scratch for your garden! If you have the space and equipment indoors, you can even start your seeds in February that way they are strong and ready to plant outdoors by the time the warmer days arrive. You can check the USGS zone map to know when the best time to plant is.

Gardening experts suggest collecting your plant labels, preserving supplies as well as outerwear as early as possible. Make sure you have enough cans, lids, work boots with no holes and plenty of protective gloves.

Take care of your spring cleaning now! Donate items you haven’t touched in a while. Deep clean those nooks and crannies and, on those warmer February days, open the windows to let in the fresh air and don’t forget to change your furnace filter! We’ve likely had the heat on for awhile now and the air can feel stuffy. The smell of fresh, almost spring, air can also lighten those winter blues.

Cheer up! There are only a few weeks to go until Meteorological Spring.