Summer Dreaming

Whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, the fact remains that we are in the middle of a frigid, snowy Cleveland winter and green leaves, vibrant flowers and roaring lawnmowers are but distant memories. Happily, there is a way to escape this not-so-wonderful winter weather: Start planning your summer garden.

"The biggest piece of advice I could give is to plan ahead," says Wayne Impulliti of Impulliti Landscaping in Chagrin Falls. The first step is to make a wish list of what you want your garden to look like. From there, "a good designer can figure out how to make it work," he says.

For those who wish to go it alone, the Cleveland Botanical Garden offers several classes worth considering.

• On Feb. 4 from 2 to 3 p.m., guest lecturer and author Daniel Hinkley, who owns Heronswood Nursery, a garden catalog based in Washington state, will discuss "Shade Gardens — Elements of the Woodland Through the Season."
• On Feb. 20, an all-day symposium presented by Horticulture Magazine will focus on "Crafting the Mixed Border: Designing and Maintaining a Season-Long Masterpiece."
• On Feb. 28 from 7 to 9 p.m., the Cleveland Botanical Garden will offer "Annual and Vegetable Seed Starting" for those who want to try their hand at seedlings.

For more information on these and other classes, call the Cleveland Botanical Garden at (216) 721-1600.