I hope each of you found a few seconds to enjoy some garden beauty in the freak snow squalls last week. Mine came at a large north facing shrub border with blooming forsythias and magnolias, some conifers and red and yellow twigged dogwoods.

The snow covered the mulch throughout the bed while the greening grass surrounding it was melted bare. It was beautiful for a few fleeting minutes. Fortunately, I found myself there at the right moment.

Speaking of mulch, I am still depending on last year's cover. I eventually will get there, but I doubt that my plants will mind.

Mulch cools the soil and holds moisture. Those benefits are wonderful in the late spring and summer but are often a liability in the early spring. Often our early plantings struggle with cool soil temperatures and early mulching just exaggerates the situation.

I am also watching the few fruit trees in my garden. My guess is that they will bloom on the early side this year. I've seen earlier successful blooms, but generally bloom occurs about a week later.

If you are attempting to grow fruit in the mid-Atlantic area you will need to spray. Our summer humidity, frequent spring rains and a plethora of insects will destroy most, if not all, attempts without a little chemical intervention.

One of the best times to disrupt the insect and disease cycle is now. Spraying fruit trees before bloom is about half the battle for successful production. Consult a knowledgeable spray seller or talk to the Master Gardeners Hotline run by the Penn State Agricultural Extension service at 394-6851 for current information and recommendations.

I also continue to putter about my yard every chance I get. Three or four years ago I planted three hellebores almost under the shade of some azaleas near the front door on the east side of my house. They are often called Lenten Roses because of their bloom time.

The first year I was very impressed with the profusion of blooms on the two larger plants. The last several years they seemed to under-perform. When they were disappointing several weeks ago I whacked them to the ground removing all old leaves.

Within days a miracle occurred. They became a mass of new leaves and blooms. It may be a coincidence, but I doubt it. I think I learned something.

Most of my ornamental grasses are waiting to be cut back. It's time to hunt the chainsaw and get rid of the tops. Quite honestly, they were rather attractive until confronted with the winds of the last several weeks.

If you are thinking of planting ornamental grasses, wait until at least early May. The most ornamental ones need warm soil temperatures to grow, so wait till that happens.

In the vegetable garden the peas are in. I passed on the potatoes when I was told the smallest bag would plant a 50-foot row. By the time you read this the onions, spinach, lettuce and the first cabbage will be planted. I also found a small bundle of strawberry plants that I added to the far corner.

It is about time to dig holes and fill them with plants. I love having an excuse for dirty sandpaper hands.