My flowering quince, ‘Double Take Scarlet’, blooms well and is thornless, but four years in my garden and it has gotten out of hand. Taking a look at where its stems emerge from the ground told me why. Sucker growth has emerged from its roots, and I was easily able to remove each stem with clippers. I made a mental note to check for this issue each winter, so that I can prune these and improve the plant’s bloom.

So if you’ve been thinking of settling in for a pre-season nap, think again. It’s time to prune trees and shrubs! Dress up in some gardening-worthy togs and pick up your favorite cutting implement. Look for suckers and watersprouts, signs of insects or disease, and potential problems down the line. In other words, it’s the best time of year to see what your trees and shrubs might be hiding.

Recommended tools of the pruning trade

• Felco: Because of my limited hand strength, I use Felco 12’s, which have a rotating handle that makes clipping stems easier.
• Fiskars: The Fiskars Extendable Tree Prunerhas allowed me to prune branches I would otherwise need a ladder to reach.
• Silky: These top-rated saws are favored by professionals, but there is no reason homeowners can’t use them. I have the Silky Zubat 270and am amazed each time it cuts through branches like a hot knife through butter.