GREEN SCENE Pause before you prune: February He who would perfect his work, must first sharpen his tools. Confucius, 551-479 BCE Having the right tools always comes first. Don't start pruning before taking a close look at your equipment. You probably rely on tools that have been inherited or accumulated over several years. It pays to make a fresh start. Focus on buying four basic types of pruning tools: hand pruners, loppers, hedge shears and saws. Hand pruners - The two types you will use most often: bypass and anvil pruners. Bypass pruners let you make clean, quick-healing cuts on healthy roses, shrubs and plants. Anvil pruners use a straight-edged blade, designed for trimming dry and woody growth. Hand pruners are meant to cut usually ½-inch to 1-inch diameter. If you want to cut larger branches, use a lopper. Loppers - Are "grown-up" pruners with longer handles to provide extra reach and leverage for trimming growth as large as 3 inches in diameter. A 26-inch bypass model is a good basic choice. Hedge shears - Are an essential tool for shaping and removing excess growth from bushes, shrubs and hedges. Use only on soft, young growth. Saws - A 13-inch curved blade, folding saw is my favorite to handle seasonal pruning rituals. Prune safely: Protect your eyes with goggles. Avoid potentially unstable surfaces or ladders. Do not prune near electrical wires or equipment. Keep your tools clean: Remove any accumulated sap on tool blades with kerosene or another solvent. Wipe down tools with an oily cloth before storing. An easy technique to sterilize your tools between cuts is to use bleach disinfectant wipes. Proper pruning techniques will keep your plants healthier, happier and extend their life cycle. A healthy plant can better resist diseases and stress damage. Before you charge out, though, read up online on when and what to prune. Tree peonies are one of my most favored plants. Their flowering time in May is so short it is as if they don't really want us to see them. They are truly spectacular, well worth their high cost and equivalent to a five-star entrée. Their flowers are 7-10 inches in diameter, with a wonderful variety of forms, from singles to doubles. Their silky, delicately scented petals and the array of colors and forms makes them, without question, the stars in the spring garden. A tree peony is a long-lived woody deciduous shrub, growing from 3 to 6 feet high. They should not be cut back. Contrary to a tree peony, a herbaceous peony is a hardy perennial with a height of 3-4 feet, blooming about two weeks later than tree peonies. You can create a "doppelgänger effect" by planting them near your tree peonies. An excellent nursery, specializing in tree peonies, is located in Thomaston, Conn., and a stroll through peony heaven in May is a heady experience (http://www.treepeony.com). Deer fencing should be high, weather resistant, polypropylene mesh grid. It has become the deer control method of choice for gardens or entire properties without changing the esthetics of the site. Hardiness zones have changed due to temperature changes observed over 15 years. Check out www.arborday.org for the new zone recommendations. March is the time to: • divide and transplant any perennials that were not taken care of in the fall. • repot and fertilize houseplants. • clean up your garden lightly and gently. Don't try to get your leaves all at once. • prune trees and shrubs for better health and beauty. There are no green thumbs or black thumbs. Gardening is a process of learning and discovery with no peak or end goal. Gardening has no glass ceiling and dreaming big is allowed. Remember, your garden is an exhibition space and every square foot is valuable. So, inject your imagination, style and panache to make your dream garden a reality. Gotti Kelley is past president of the Navesink Garden Club and serves on the board of the Garden Club of New Jersey