After a season of record snowfalls and lengthy cold spells in many parts of the country, homeowners are finding their houses and landscapes unusually battered. Blizzards, wind and errant snowplows have conspired to make this spring one of long recovery, leading to an early sales uptick for the yard and home-repair industry.

"Many people will see the worst lawn this spring and summer in the history of their lives," says Jackson Madnick, founder of Wayland, Mass.- based Pearl's Premium Inc., which packages and sells its own grass-seed blend. Looking at ornamental-plant damage over the past 15 years, this winter ranks in the "top five," says Doug Erickson, an arborist with Bedford Hills, N.Y.-based landscape service SavATree.

Resuscitate the Lawn
Before regular spring fertilizing and thatch removal, watch out for snow mold, a fungal disease appearing in circular patches of pink, gray or white hues. It takes hold after extended periods of snow cover, sometimes on grass left unmowed or buried under leaves before winter set in.

"The first thing I'd do is rake up any matted leaves and any patches of grass that have a bleached-out look and are stuck together," says Ashton Ritchie, lawn and horticultural expert and spokesman for Scotts Miracle-Gro Inc. "You want to break that up to expose the crown of the grass plant to sunlight." The first mow, he adds, shouldn't be a "scalp" job but rather set the mower no more than one notch lower than regular mowing height. Turf suffering the double whammy of last summer's drought followed by heavy snow may require the laying of new grass seed on top of existing grass—known as over-seeding, says Mr. Madnick of Pearl's Premium.

"Many lawns may be weakened and susceptible to bugs, mold and other problems."
At Andrew Gadaleta's home in Elkins Park, Pa., 1,500 square feet of lawn were wiped out by drainage from melting snow. He's using Snow Joe LLC's "Tiller Joe" electric garden tiller to rework topsoil with compost and reseed the area. Sales of the company's tillers are up 33% so far this year.

A Shrub Pick-Me-Up
Calls for help with bent, broken or misshapen plants are already pouring in to Arlington, Mass., landscape designer Laura Kuhn. "The snow came so early and there was so much that people couldn't make it out to shake the snow off the plant and are calling me guiltily," she says. Frequent plowing wrecked shrubs and grass near driveways too.
First step: triage. Ms. Kuhn recommends pruning broken limbs flush to the branch's collar as soon as possible. If limbs are cracked or twisted, they might be salvaged using small hardware such as a carriage bolt to draw them back together, says Mr. Erickson of SavATree.

For shrubs like boxwoods misshapen from the weight of ice and snow, he advises temporarily tying plants together with twine or rope made from jute fiber, or propping them up for the season with the crotch of another fallen branch. Those victim to what gardeners call girdling, when winter-starved animals chew off a ring of bark where the plant peeks above the snow, may require replacement.
Be patient with plants like rhododendrons with brown leaves, Ms. Kuhn says. "Don't start hacking. Wait to see if buds will break in a few weeks."

Piling several inches of compost, topsoil, mulch or straw around plants can help stabilize their soil from melting runoff, says Susan Murphy, a landscape designer in Weston, Wisc.
Think about next winter now. Record where snow gets piled from shoveling and reevaluate if plants are in the right spot.

Tools to Help Heal the Garden's Scars
1. Structured Solutions Leaf Loader, $29.95: Four-foot-wide funnel for channelling raked leaves into bags.
2. Neuton Lithium Pole Pruner,$179: Cuts up to 6" diameter limbs left torn or dangling overhead by storms. Interlocking rustproof fiberglass sections reach up to 14'. Its 18V lithium ion battery can be swapped with other tools.
3. Cub Cadet Chipper Shredder Vacuum, $499: Gasoline-powered machine works like a vacuum to chip and shred wood and other lawn debris.
4. True Temper True American steel-tine rake, $10: Steel-tine rakes are recommended by grass pros for gentle cleanup of lawn debris.
5. Black & Decker battery chain saw, $203: Easy-to-start chain saw for cutting limbs up to 7" or 8". Runs off 20V lithium-ion battery.
6. Troy-Bilt Electric Cultivator, $199.99: Used to prepare garden beds, this tool also works for lawn repair—smoothing out snow-plow damage or prepping bare spots for new seed.

• The first step is to evaluate your present situation for using a mini electric tiller. Electric mini tillers can easily be switched on with the simple press of a button, and they are essentially quiet and clean. The most essential thing on what to look for in a mini tiller is whether you want it to work through an electric cord or through battery operation. If you decide on buying a tiller which uses a power cord, you must choose a cord lengthy enough to reach your garden and yard area. In some cases, you will be obliged to purchase an extension cord in order to move around your garden.

• Next, evaluate all the advantages of using a gas powered mini tiller. Gas tillers have an invariably greater power compared to electric tillers; however, these types of tillers are louder and are not clean running. They are somewhat similar to gas-operated lawn mowers. These gas-operated tillers are of two different types. They can either be a 2-cycle tiller or a 4-cycle tiller. A 2-cycle tiller necessitates that you combine a proportional amount of gas and oil. The 4-cycle tiller only needs gas and is typically a bit easier to operate. It also runs at a lower RPM than the 2-cycle tiller.

• Considered as one of the most important things on what to look for in a mini tiller is the tiller’s wheels. Make sure that the wheels of the tiller are durable enough for free movement. You will find it easier to move around when you try to purchase a tiller with bigger wheels.

• Also check if the tiller is basically designed with a lift handle. This will allow you to carry and transport your tiller more easily.

• Lastly, try to consider the necessity in getting a drag stake. The drag stake will be the primary equipment that will dig down into the soil and will provide you a greater control as you move your tiller around your garden area. However, if you are into a light busting, a drag stake is unnecessary.
A mini tiller can be a great asset to any gardener. They are easy to maneuver and easy to store because of their small size. Mini tillers are perfect for small yards and for working around shrubs and plants.

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Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Looking for some free gardening advice? Has your well-intentioned 'green thumb' resulted in your garden looking a little brown? USDA has a cadre of volunteers who provide free gardening tips and have a wealth of science-based research to answer your questions. Trained by USDA's Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners provide information in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. To find a local Master Gardeners, visit

www.extension.org/pages/Extension_Master_Gardener

"Master Gardeners are a valuable resource for people who want to get some tips on gardening and growing their own food from a real expert," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Growing fruits and vegetables in your own garden not only promotes a healthier lifestyle, but helps communities develop a safe, nutritious and sustainable source of food."

Master Gardeners can help Americans of all abilities to plant, grow and harvest a garden, similar to USDA's 'People's Garden.' Earlier this year, Vilsack launched the 'People's Garden' on USDA property in order to help illustrate the many ways USDA works to provide a sustainable, safe and nutritious food supply as well as protect and preserve the landscape where that food is produced.

The Master Gardener program, which began in 1972 in Washington, is another important example of how people can contribute to promoting healthier food and communities. Since its inception, the program has grown to 94,865 volunteers across the country who give horticulture information to the public through a variety of locally-based programs. Volunteers receive 40 to 80 hours of instruction and, in return, give an equal number of volunteer hours during the next year. As the federal partner in the Cooperative Extension Service, USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) provides funding and national leadership to the program.

"Extension Master Gardener volunteers are more than just members of local garden clubs," said Bill Hoffman, national program leader and Master Gardener contact at CSREES. "They bring to bear the science base of the land-grant university system in service to their communities, through the training and certification they receive as well as the research-based answers they provide."

During 2008, this network of Master Gardeners provided more than 5 million hours of volunteer work in their communities - valued at $101.4 million. Nearly 80 percent of these 5 million hours take place in metropolitan areas. Additionally, in 2008, more than 16,000 new Master Gardeners joined the program for the first time, infusing the program with new life.

Although each community has its own unique projects, all Master Gardeners present workshops, answer gardening hotlines, work with youth, plant demonstration gardens and teach gardening throughout the country:

In Washington, DC: As director of the Washington Youth Garden at USDA's National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., Kaifa Anderson-Hall, who is a Master Gardener herself, spent hours as a child learning about the relationship between food, health and nutrition at the Washington Youth Garden. Never in her wildest imagination did she see herself on staff with the arboretum years later, passing along the same knowledge and skills to today's youth. Today, Anderson-Hall relies on volunteers, many of them Master Gardeners, to help. Anderson-Hall said there are 15 Master Gardener volunteers who each provide two to three hours of service per week.

"The garden wouldn't be where it is today with out our Master Gardeners," Anderson-Hall said. "There is no way our staff of three could accomplish all we do and be productive. It's incredible - the number of hours the volunteers provide."

Anderson-Hall said the volunteers are extremely committed to the garden - the oldest volunteer, who is 72, has continued to volunteer even as she recovers from back surgery. Master Gardener volunteers maintain the garden, including weeding, planting and redesigns. They also provide hands-on interaction with the students. In Washington, D.C., the Master Gardener program is run through the University of the District of Columbia Cooperative Extension Service.

Master Gardener volunteers help support a wide range of programs in the District of Columbia. Family programs teach organic gardening and cooking, including presentations from nutritionists and chefs, so that families can benefit from the food they grow. A Sprout program works to connect youth to their environment. Seed to Supper is a summer camp where students grow their own food and take it home to their families. The Master Gardeners who volunteer with the camp donate any excess food to the DC Central Kitchen, where the chefs provide a cooking demonstration to camp participants. In 2008, the camp donated 250 pounds of produce to the local food kitchen.

In California: Master Gardeners in California are using their knowledge and training to help combat wildfires. Through the University of California system, Master Gardeners provide resources for homeowners who want to 'fire-proof' their homes by using less flammable plants, removing combustible materials and properly spacing trees.

In Maryland: The Grow It, Eat It program by Master Gardeners in Maryland help people improve their health and save money by growing fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, using sustainable agricultural practices.