The list of garden chores for this weekend -- indeed, for the month of February -- might consist of just two words.

Clean.

Up.

Now is the time to begin raking the debris out of your beds, although the winds of March will certainly blow more junk back in. Dead leaves may eventually hide slugs and other insects.

Cut back the desicated perennial material, pick up the broken twigs and small branches left from winter storms, and begin the pruning process on shrubs, hellebores (being careful not to damage new growth) and roses.

Walk the gardens and the lawn and remove winter weeds -- henbit and chickweed -- which will use the warming weather to take hold and spread like mad. But stay off soggy parts of the yard to avoid compacting the soil.