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The late spring means that many tasks you'd have done in early March are still undone. Lawn care, in particular, is laughably impossible during snow. Lawns--must be mowed before they get too long. If you have already seeded or overseeded, the new grasses will sprout once the weather dries and warms a bit. (Check for the grass shoots, because if they haven't come up, you'll need to re-seed in April.) Sharpen mower blades. De-thatching and over-seeding can be done now once the soggy soil drains a bit. Dig out dandelions and other perennial weeds before over-seeding, or spot-treat the weeds with an herbicide, following directions exactly.
Lawn renovation now will result in a healthier, better-looking lawn through the summer. Fertilize in April with a 3-1-2 ratio mixture.
Colder days and cold soils give us longer windows of opportunity for transplanting. Deciduous plants, such as roses, transplant best when their leaves have not fully opened. Moving an established plant demands attention in early spring, when the leaves are still relatively dormant. Check the area for drainage before transplanting. After a wet winter, the soils throughout western Washington are soaked, even saturated. Don't dig or transplant during a rainstorm or when soils are completely soggy and squishy. Soil that's wet but not squishy is fine for transplanting.
Most gardeners are familiar with the simple test for determining whether soil is too wet to work, but just for drill we'll repeat it today. Scoop up a small handful of soil. Squeeze it tightly. Open the hand, and poke at the compressed soil with your other hand. Soil that's ready to work will fall apart into crumbles. Soil that's too wet to dig will stubbornly refuse to crumble, hanging on to its shape and resisting the poking. Do not dig a vegetable garden area or run a tiller in such wet soils. After a few days without rain, check again.
Choose and plant trees and shrubs from nurseries. Look at spring-blooming shrubs in containers to find your favorites.
Complete your garden spring clean-up. (We often do this in March, but you may be still at it in April!) Trim back the dead stems of old perennial growth. Raking and disposing of all old fallen leaves and fruit now will reduce reservoirs of disease organisms. Weed. Weed, and weed.
Winter weeds like little bittercress are going to seed now and spring weeds are popping up. Pull them while they are young to avoid months of troubles later. Weed seeds stay viable for years, so the old saying "One year's seeds, seven years' weeds," isn't far off.
Prune any diseased or damaged tree and shrub limbs; shape the plants. Thin over-crowded branches to improve air circulation, which will also help plants stay healthy by reducing fungal infections.
Trim and feed roses. Treat with a fungicide registered for use on roses directly after pruning, especially if you've had disease problems with blackspot or rust. The disease organisms can live over on the canes, even after affected foliage is gone. Supply fertilizer to roses when leaves begin to expand. Roses bloom on newly-produced wood and need good levels of nutrients to produce healthy and abundant flowers.
Cold weather also means you can still select and plant fruit trees. Also, plant blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries now. Blueberries can take damp, even boggy, areas if they have good sunlight. If your observations reveal that one spot or another in the garden stays wet all winter, this area will provide good conditions for blueberries. One cultivar that produces very well in western Washington is 'Colville.'
Spring's first day seldom brings snowflakes; think of how odd it is, then enjoy the warm days when they do arrive!
Hortsense: Managing plant problems with Integrated Pest Management
