Although it might be chilly and - fingers crossed! - wet outside, there is plenty for a gardener in our area to do outside and even inside. Here are our top suggestions for this season:

1) Take a class! This is a great time to take a class and hone your sustainable landscaping skills. On our Events page, we have a list of workshops that are offered either online or in-person.

2) Give your irrigation a break and turn off your sprinklers. We are now in the time of year when you can turn off your sprinklers. Keep checking on your plants and give them supplemental water if needed. When the weather warms up and the days get longer, remember to turn them back on (but check them first to make sure they are in good working order).

3) Garden Maintenance. Now is a great time to take care of some garden maintenance chores, such as pruning back certain trees, bushes and shrubs. But one thing you can do that’s very easy is leave in place any leaves that have fallen, which will act as a natural mulch - plus beneficial insects will appreciate it.

4) Remove any standing water from our recent rains to make sure mosquitoes don’t become a problem this year. Santa Clara County’s Vector Control has some great information about how to keep mosquitoes away.