It’s getting to be that time of year again; the time when seed catalogs become dog-eared as gardeners work on plans.

Carousels of seed packets are cropping up in supermarkets and big box retailers, home improvement stores and local hardware stores. The Emmaus Public Library also offers seeds in its own “seed catalog” of packets kept in, you guessed it, the former card catalog. Library patrons who live in Upper Milford Township are among those lucky enough to be able to “check out” packs of seeds to grow and enjoy vegetables and flowers at home.

As with most things, it’s important to have a good foundation to start and for gardening, as my dad the enthusiastic gardener taught, the foundation in gardening is soil.

If you expect your soil could use a boost, keep in mind the mulch available at the Upper Milford Township building, 5671 Chestnut St., as spring gets closer.

If visiting for the first time in some time, take note of improvements including a fence around the yard waste center and the addition of a public works crew member on site during hours of operation which are, through March 31, 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Summer hours start April 1 and continue through Nov. 30 when the yard waste center will be open noon to 4 p.m. Mondays; 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 a.m. to noon Fridays; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The yard waste center will be closed Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The new hours and other improvements were developed through suggestions and other concerns expressed by township residents.

Before calendars turn to spring, however, winter weather continues to keep us on the alert and that watchfulness likely includes potholes for motorists as road salt, ice and plowing take their toll.

The Lower Milford Township Public Works Department offers residents a helpful online guide to reporting potholes in the township. The guide also includes a list of roads in the township maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Visit the web page on the Lower Milford Township site for details.

If your pursuits are more historical than botanical in nature, check into programs offered through the historical societies in the respective townships.

For example, on Feb. 24, those attending the monthly meeting of the Upper Milford Historical Society will learn about local rail travel in the presentation “The Days of the Perkiomen Railroad.” Monthly meetings begin 7 p.m. in the Upper Milford Township building.

The Lower Milford Historical Society offers vintage photographs and other features for the local history buff on its Facebook page. The township’s historical commission next meets 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, according to the township calendar.

The Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors next meet 7 p.m. Feb. 3 and 17 in the township building, 5671 Chestnut St.

The Lower Milford Township Board of Supervisors next meet 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 in the township building, 7606 Chestnut Hill Church Road.