On Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, I provided flowers for a special gathering. I chose a simple spring bouquet. In preparation for what Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania might predict, I also cut a small branch of blue spruce.

The early morning newsbreaker was that ol’ Phil was predicting an early spring. The Oregon Zoo starred its own four-legged weather forecaster, with the introduction of Filbert the Beaver aka “Stumptown Fil,” who also predicted an early spring. Just in case Phil and Fil had predicted six more weeks of winter, I was prepared to add the spruce branch to the bouquet as a physical reminder that spring may be forthcoming, but we live in Central Oregon and spring is a long way off.

There are a myriad of garden -related lists to write and chores to do between now and planting time. If you are tempted by the early shipment of budding garden shrubs delivered to garden centers, resist the purchase unless you have an appropriate holding area for them until planting time. That time is more related to a consistent daily temperature than to a calendar date.

Ordering seeds online is fast and easy. If you wait much longer for those special varieties that may not be found locally, you may be disappointed. Select annual and vegetable seeds with a 65-70 day maturity. Add 14 days to the maturity date listed on the packet to compensate for the fluctuating temperature from day to the night temperatures.

Start checking landscape shrubs for branches to force indoors. I have a small planting of forsythia shrubs that I selectively prune for forcing. The deer have been nibbling here and there, so hopefully they left some budding branches for me.

Pruning the forsythia reminds me that it is time to sharpen pruners and shovels, plus any other tool that makes your garden project easier. I keep a small spray bottle of alcohol and some paper towels in my garden bag for cleaning the blades after pruning.

My low-grow sumac hedge has been neglected for several years. It will need pruning. The undergrowth also needs a radical clean up. I have turned my head too long. To make the job easier, I am treating myself to a shrub rake.

A shrub rake is an easier solution to cleaning out a packed perennial border rather than trying to hand pull the debris. The rake has an 8-inch head that makes it easier to get between plants. The head is plastic, and the handle is lightweight aluminum, which makes it easy to carry around.

While I am shopping for a shrub rake I am going to purchase a plastic windowbox to attach to my wheelbarrow handles. If the windowbox drainage holes don’t match up with the handles, I’ll drill new holes and secure the box with screws. It will be a great way to carry hand tools, phone, water bottle, and seed packets to the garden instead of everything in the bottom of the wheelbarrow mixing in with soil and plants. And I will add another pair of garden gloves to keep in the box.

Planning your garden plantings now assures it will be well thought out for crop rotations this year and for the future. Don’t just visualize it. Draw out a rough draft of what goes where

—that way you can avoid any mishaps or misshapes.

Worn out at the end of a long day of planting I remembered a packet of carrot seeds I wanted to plant and went back to the garden shed to get them. The area left was a raised bed that had not been planted for several years. It had previously been cleared of weeds so with a turn of the soil I had the bed planted with carrots.

Along came the time for a first pulling and taste of a fresh carrot. The first six I pulled were a shock. They were shockingly misshapen. What had happened? When I had harvested half the bed and all exhibited the same pathetic, misshapen growth the light bulb went on.

Thirty years ago when our address was still in the country we were having a lot of trouble with gophers, moles, voles and whatever else felt that we were invaders. We built that particular bed with concrete blocks and lined the inside with hardware cloth as a barrier. For years it was used for above ground production -type crops.

When the developing carrots hit the hardware cloth they didn’t know which way to grow, so each chose their own path. Believe me, it wasn’t straight. I could probably be labeled as the lady who grows crooked carrots. I’ll admit the harvest was bountiful — but have you ever tried to peel a very crooked carrot?