 the winter gardener by lyn hayes forsyth county master gardener townloafer magazine january 2007 january is a tough month for gardening in georgia the weather is unpredictable and sunny days seem far and few between on the occasional days that the sun is out for the gardener there is still plenty that can be done to help prepare for spring and to protect your garden from winter damage outdoor gardening replace mulch where needed cold and frost damage can be a big problem in georgia protecting your plants and shrubs with one to two inches of mulch can help minimize damage to your garden common mulch pine straw pine bark shredded fall leaves wood chips shredded cypress bark prune trees and shrubs not all trees and shrubs should be pruned this early in the year here rsquo s a list of common trees and shrubs in our area that can be pruned while dormant during the winter and early spring bradford pear pyrus calleryana butterfly bush buddleia davidii crape myrtle lagerstroemia indica flowering dogwood cornus florida flowering plum prunus blireana honeysuckle lonicera fragrantissiam hydrangea hydrangea paniculata lsquo grandiflora rsquo redbud cercis canadensis wisteria wistera species  indoor gardening check houseplants for pests  dry air from central heating shorter days lower levels of light and improper care can leave houseplants looking ragged and susceptible to pests and disease organize your garden tools spring will be here before you know it this is a great time to organize your garden tools local garden centers and super stores have all sorts of nifty organizers for lawn and garden tools resources georgia gardener rsquo s guide erica glasener walter reeves wwwaboutcom  gardening marie iannotti wwwamericanprofilecom  winter houseplant care pamela kock the university of georgia college of agricultural and environmental sciences 