Josephine Nuese, a well-known gardening author, has said most people think gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall.

“Gardening is the work of a lifetime – you never finish,” she has said. “Gardening begins in January with the dream.”

With that in mind, Ann Calder, a master gardener and horticultural chair of the Garden Club of Long Beach Island, offers various tips to keep green thumbs busy during the winter months.

“Walk your garden now and check for heaving plants, pests and pruning,” she said. “Plants are affected by freezing and thawing.