Gardening : Weekend Checklist for Dedicated Diggers and Planters

For dedicated gardeners, here are suggestions from the California Assn. of Nurserymen:

Clean up your garden, spray for insect pests and keep after the slugs and snails.

Plant just about anything right now; the warm soil and (we hope) coming winter rains will give it a good chance to get established for a spurt of spring growth and a better chance to survive next summer.

Nurseries will have a selection of evergreen shrubs to choose from at this time: camellias, hollies, pyracantha and pittosporum.

Cut back your shasta daisies after they stop blooming.

Sow seeds for winter-flowering sweet peas if you want their bloom by New Year’s Day.