So, hopefully you weren't affected by that temperature blip on the radar screen last weekend. Now that March is in full swing, we can move forward with confidence, because there's so much to do with our lawns, landscapes and gardens. It's gardening's version of March Madness. Do I fertilize? What do I prune? What do I plant? What do I treat, and what do I treat it with?

It can get a bit crazy, but it shouldn't become debilitating or give you "analysis paralysis" - that point when you're so overwhelmed with information you choose to avoid it all. I don't have enough space in these weekly journal posts to cover everything in one week, so I'll hit some highlights.

You should know that just about every garden center or nursery I talk about on GardenLine is well stocked and ready, willing and able to get you the right products for what needs to be accomplished. So, here's a checklist of things you should be thinking about doing now.

• If you did your early green-up fertilization in early February, wait until at least the third or fourth week in March to do the slow-release part of the schedule.
• If you didn't do anything related to early green-up, you can do it now or wait to do the slow-release part. However, buy your slow-release fertilizers now, even if you aren't applying this weekend — this is a perfect time to stock up.
• If you didn't do your pre-emergent herbicide, remember that "it's never too late to do the right thing." But it's getting close to being too late, so don't put it off even one more day.
• If you didn't prune your roses on Valentine's Day, the window is still open. You should also think about starting a rose-feeding regimen since they are usually heavy feeders. Begin a fungicide regimen for hybrid teas and Floribunda roses, too.
• If, like me, you're convinced we will have no more freezes, it's time to prune back tropicals such as hibiscus, bougainvillea, Alamanda etc. Might as well give them their first feeding as well. Hibiscus foods are everywhere.

• If your azaleas have already bloomed, you can prune them. And don't forget that feeding azaleas right after their pruning season, is critical - and again six weeks later.
• If your azaleas didn't bloom well or look scraggly (such as most encore azaleas), they can and should be pruned quite a bit.
• Deep-root feeding of trees can be done now (and at almost any time of the year).
• Feed cool-season annuals such as petunias, dianthus, and pentas one last time to carry them to the point when you want to change to warmer season annuals.
• It's a good time to replace caked mulch around trees and flower beds.
• If you didn't get your vegetable garden started a couple of weeks ago, get busy.
• Bag the clippings from your first couple of grass mowings to avoid thatch buildup.
• If you have thatch, get some humates and break it down.
• Fruit tree pruning should be done in March. Start their feeding regimens as well.
• Be on the lookout for pillbug or sowbug infestations, especially around newly planted annuals. Sluggo Plus is the best thing to control those critters.
• Hold off on pruning flowering accent trees right now, especially since they are about to burst with blooms. But be prepared to feed them. Specifically, use azalea food on redbuds (RIGHT).

Speaking of redbuds, they are those magnificently blooming purplish-pink small trees that are being seen all over right now ... and the subject of many email questions I've received this week. When people first move to this area and see one for the first time, they immediately want one. But of course, they don't know what it is. So I get lots of emails with pictures attached wanting an identification.

They will have them for sale during my visit to Enchanted Forest 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday. They're on FM 2759, about four miles east of Crab River Road in Richmond. That's actually Booth, Texas, as a friend recently reminded me.

Enchanted Forest will also have a myriad of azalea foods for the redbuds ... something I've recommended for years. Even Nitro-Phos, the sponsors of my visit, makes one and will have it available. Redbuds are tough yet beautiful accent and understory trees, great for smaller spaces. Even if you get one in April after the bloom season is over, you will learn to appreciate versions like the Rising Sun (with the peachy-orange, heart-shaped leaves) that never grow taller than 12-15 feet.

The more standard varieties like Burgundy Hearts give you beautifully colored leaves (Aggies call it maroon) and can reach to just over 20 feet at maturity. There are also weeping varieties that never get bigger than 8-10 feet.

Almost all redbuds are somewhat disease resistant, and they like our Texas heat, But, the fact is that none of them can take getting hammered with all-day sun. They truly like to be protected from west-facing sun and do particularly well as accent trees where filtered light is the norm all day.

In the list above, you'll note that I suggested that we are probably only two or three weeks away from going full-throttle on my fertilization schedule. So, you might as well stock up on fertilizers this weekend. If you find a good deal, get enough for this feeding and the summer fertilization as well, because unopened bags of fertilizer are perfectly fine for over a year in the garage.

Not only will Enchanted Forest have Nitro-Phos Super Turf and Nitro-Phos Sweet Green this weekend, they still have some Nitro-Phos Imperial 15-5-10 for the bona fide early green-up called for in my fertilization schedule. And we'll be giving away bags of all of those products. Just find the "register to win" box while I'm there 11 a.m.-1 p.m. We will be drawing at least every 15 minutes, so as the Chicago political machine will tell you, get there early and vote often - er, uh, I mean register often. You don't have to be present to win, but make sure your cell phone number is on the entry ... we'll call you to come pick up your free bag of Sweet Green, Super Turf, Imperial, Barricade or azalea food.