As spring approaches, first responders want to remind people to be aware of severe weather changes. Powerful spring storms can unleash some of nature’s most destructive forces including tornado’s and floods.

• If a tornado warning is issued for your area go to the basement or lowest level of your home and take shelter in an inner hallway or small inner room without windows, such as a closet or bathroom.
• In mobile homes and other portable structures, evacuate the structure even if it is equipped with tie-downs. Take shelter in a building with a strong foundation. If such a building isn’t available, take cover in a ditch or low-lying area a safe distance from the mobile home. Lie face down and cover your head and neck with your hands.
• If you are in your car or truck seek shelter immediately. Do not continue to drive and do not try to outrun a tornado. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can easily lift a vehicle into the air. Get out of the vehicle and take shelter in a nearby building or lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle.

No matter where you live always be aware of floods. Small creeks or streams and even low lying ground can flood.

• Be aware, not all floods are the same. Some develop slowly over an extended period of time while others can happen in a matter of minutes without any visible signs of rain.
• Watch for signs of heavy clouds or rain. Avoid flood prone areas such as drainage channels or canyons if these conditions exist.
• At any sign of flash flooding move to higher ground immediately. Do not wait for instruction to move.
• Do not enter moving water. Six inches of moving water can cause a person to fall.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. Six inches of water can cause a loss of control of most cars. A foot of water can cause most vehicles to float. Two feet of moving water can carry away most cars, including sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks.

It’s that time of year. Gone are the gray skies and cold days. If you haven’t already started to redo your garden beds, don’t worry it’s not too late! Many beginning gardeners want to get the most bang for their buck. If this is the case, perennials are a great option because you won’t have to replant them every year.

However, if you are after constant color, master gardeners suggest you consider planting a mix of annuals and perennials. The perennials can be the backbone of the garden, and you can fill in around them, especially the first couple of years as the perennials get established with annuals.

Many perennials do have a long season of bloom or repeat cycles of bloom. Some to consider for your sunny garden are red valerian (Centranthus ruber), Jolly Bee geranium (Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’), reblooming daylilies (Hemerocallis ‘Miss Mary Mary’, ‘Stella de’ Oro’, and ‘Happy Returns’), false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Coronation Gold yarrow (Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), sedum (Sedum ‘Matrona’ or ‘Brilliant’), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), and catmint (Nepeta Yfaassenii).

Also, experts recommend mixing in a few crocus, daffodil, and tulip bulbs for spring interest. After the bulbs fade, the perennials will take over and provide color. Also, include foliage plants that look good all year long without flowering. Artemisia absinthium ‘Lambrook Silver’ is one. Your garden will look amazing!

The cold of winter can be absolutely brutal to a house. That’s why fall house projects are an important way to prepare for the upcoming season. First things first, make sure your furnace is in good working order. If not, hire a professional to either fix or replace it immediately. You don’t want to risk not having heat in the dead of winter.

Next up, focus on your windows. If you have cracked glass or drafty doors and windows, you will be losing money on your heating expenses in the cold weather. One of your fall house projects should be having a home repair expert inspect your doors and windows to make sure they won’t be letting in drafts.

It’s also a good idea to install weather stripping or replace broken glass panels if need be. Fall is also a great time to have someone examine the roof for loose shingles or loose flashing around chimneys; that will help you avoid some nasty surprises when it rains.

Gutters are a small part of your house than can cause you big problems. If your gutters are clogged or broken, they can allow water to damage the roof, create ice dams, leak into the attic, and even pool around the base of your house, causing water damage in your basement. Hire a licensed contractor to not only empty the gutters of leaves and inspect them to detect potential signs of trouble. Be sure to make gutters one of your top fall house projects.

Make sure you don’t forget to shut off the outside water and drain the pipes, so you don’t have to worry about water freezing and bursting the pipes over the winter. If that happens, it’s going to cost you big to get everything replaced.