Wait until after the danger of frost has passed to set out frost-tender plants. Historic frost dates: In Zone 8 the last frost date is March 15, in Zone 9 it is Feb. 15, but watch the weather forecast for your area.

Tasks

• Clean up drying grasses within 30 feet of structures for fire prevention. This also encourages spring growth.
• Deeply water fruit and nut trees. Ideally, mature fruit trees should be irrigated to a depth of three feet.
• Blast aphids from plants with a spray of water or insecticidal soap.

Pruning

• Pinch back perennials and fast-growing annuals to encourage dense growth and more blooms. 
• Thin vegetable seedlings by pinching or clipping, rather than pulling them out of the soil, which will damage neighboring plants.
• Prune deciduous magnolia, dogwood, forsythia, lilac, azalea, spiraea, camellia and flowering quince after bloom.

Fertilizing

• Roses, citrus, container plants and berries with slow-release fertilizer.
• Acid-loving plants such as camellias and azaleas after bloom.

Planting

• Plant annuals and perennials while it is still cool so they can establish a good root system before the weather becomes really hot.
• Annuals: Floss flower (Ageratum), bachelor's button (Centaurea), bee balm (Monarda).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: gladiolus.
• Fruits and vegetables: transplant cucumbers and peppers.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: Cedar (cedrus), desert willow (Chilopsis), rose of Sharon (Hibiscus), trumpet vine (Clytostoma).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: calendula, Leucanthemum paludosum, larkspur (Consolida), delphinium.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: iris.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: almond, redbud, dogwood (Cornus), hawthorn (Crataegus), heather (Erica), grevillea.
• Fruits and vegetables: artichoke, lemon, lime, mandarin orange, peas.

Things to ponder

• Mosquitos can breed in even very small quantities of standing water. Don't give them a home in your garden!
• Develop a drought plan for your garden in case water restrictions are implemented.