Q. Why does my lawn have a gray, white look about it? What can I do?

A. It is called snow mold. This fungal disease occurs when lawn conditions are suitable. We had a snow cover that lasted quite a long time this winter and then we had rain and cold weather. These are perfect conditions for snow mold.

Your lawn will probably recover nicely all by itself. In the meantime, finish raking any leaves you didn't get off it last fall, and rake those whitish areas too, removing some of the dead material. This will open the area to sun and air and will help new grass grow.

Q. Can you give me some ideas for a romance-theme garden?

A. We will give you some ideas and then you can add to them.

Dicentra "Burning Hearts" bleeding heart because it does not go dormant during the summer and the foliage is silvery blue.

If you have some shade, include "Heart and Soul" astilbe. It has beautiful feathery pink blooms and gets about 30 inches high.

The perfect gladiola, with beautiful ruffled white blooms is called "Darling" (for your darling!).

Also for shade, "Fanciful Sweetheart Mix" impatiens.

Many more ideas are waiting to be discovered in your seed catalogs.

Q. My houseplants look bad. Their leaves are yellowing and they appear spindly. What can I do?

A. They are probably suffering from spring fever. They have been in the house all winter, and probably have not had enough light. Move them to a sunnier spot or place them next to a fluorescent lamp to give them a little more light.

And why not give them a little spring cleaning as well?

Take them one by one to the kitchen sink and prune off the yellowing leaves. Then give them a bath by either dusting their leaves or spraying them with a light shower of water. Prune off any broken branches or ones that are not healthy looking.

They do not need as much moisture during the winter and early spring months. It is usually best to let the top of the soil dry out a bit between waterings. They will need more water once sunlight is brighter and they begin to grow and repair themselves. Be sure they have adequate water but go easy on the fertilizing until later in the spring.

When choosing houseplants, purchase those that have the darkest green leaves. These are plants that grow naturally on the jungle floor where the light is low. Such plants usually do better in our dark winter homes.

Q. I forgot and left my basket of leftover garden seeds in my potting shed, and it is very cold out there. Did I ruin the seeds?

A. Probably not, but you can do some viability tests before you plant. Simply scatter 10 seeds on a damp paper towel. Cover well and store in a warm area and see how many of the seeds germinate. This will give you and idea of the percentage of good seeds.

Seeds stored in that cold potting shed will probably fare better than if you had left them on the kitchen counter. They like cooler temperatures, 40 degrees F and below, and for long-term storage you can even put them in the freezer.

The key for success is they must be very dry, and that has to happen at harvest time. If you are saving your own seeds, you must lay those seeds you harvested out to dry before storing. Keep them in a glass jar, which is much better than storing them in a plastic bag.

You might be talking about leftover seeds in packets that you purchased; do the same germination test for these as well. They are probably fine unless they have picked up moisture or were not cured or stored well. Good luck!

* Washington State University Extension Master Gardener Program is an organization of trained volunteers dedicated to horticulture and community service. Questions about gardening, landscaping or the program may be directed toward the Master Gardener Clinic by calling 509-574-1600 or visiting the WSU Extension office at 104 N. First St. in Yakima. New volunteers are welcome.