Typically, Minnesotans are not doing much yardwork during March, except for clearing snow off the driveways and sidewalks. Statistically speaking, March is not the snowiest month in Minnesota, but somehow we've awarded it that title. (Actually, January tops the chart for the highest average snowfall, but not by much). March is when we start to see the outdoors start to wake up, little by little - a few more minutes of sunlight every day, trees are sending out new growth and birds are starting to be more active, too.

Before we head outside for a much needed revival, there are a few things you can do to brighten up your house and home.

Most houseplants tolerate low light, but the shortened hours of daylight takes it toll on plants as well as people. To counteract the lack of sunlight, you can take your plants with you on a trip to warmer climes, get some extra natural lights for you and the plants, or you can move the plants closer to a window, especially one with a southern exposure. As the light patterns are changing, you'll want to move the houseplants back to their protected spots so they don't get scorched and burnt by the stronger rays of the sun. Also take the opportunity to give the plants a shower - cleaning the dust off the foliage. This would be the time to evaluate the plants for repotting and making sure they have proper room in their containers and revitalize the soil.

Outdoors, your trees and larger shrubs are best pruned at this time of the year, before their buds open. Carefully remove any broken limbs and cleanly cut the branch to prevent further damage and infection. If you are working near overhead power lines, be sure to call your local utility company to assist with pruning safely. Without all the leaves, you'll be able to better see the overall structure of your trees and determine which branches are beginning to interfere with other branches, or causing the tree to lose a balanced growth habit.