Have you shrubs or perennials that are borderline hardy? A New Hampshire gardener placed large rocks to the northwest of his tender heathers on a south-facing bank. In summer, the rocks add a pleasing design element to the garden.

In winter, they absorb the sun's heat in the day and retain some of that heat at night. They also protect the plants from chill northwest winds. Put bales of hay around tender plants to protect them in winter.

Strawberry plants need winter protection. Save weeding headaches next season by using weed-free winter mulch, such as pine needles. You can give the plants a dusting of mulch after the first few light frosts, but wait until the temperature drops to 20 degree F before applying it to a depth of three or four inches.

By this time, plants will have hardened off. Remove mulch in the spring, but keep it in the alleys between the plants to do double duty as weed-smotherer and as a handy covering for blossoms when a late frost threatens.

Fresh Sprouts - The Perfect Winter Crop
Gardeners, here's a crop that has no weeds or Insect pests, needs any soil, grows in any kind of weather, and is ready for harvest in two to five days. Grow your own sprouts in winter, for a continuing supply of high-vitamin greens. All you need to Invest is a minute or two a day for rinsing.

Use seeds that have not been chemically treated. Try a variety: mung beans, alfalfa, parsley, watercress, mustard, soybeans, lentils, peas, flax, and cereal grains such as wheat, oats, barley, or rye. (Never eat potato and tomato sprouts. Members of the nightshade family, they are poisonous.) As they sprout, seeds soar in nutritional value.

One-half cup of sprouted soybeans contains vitamin C equal to six glasses of orange Juice. Oat sprouts are high in vitamin E. B-complex vitamins soar as all sprouts grow.

To sprout seeds, you need a wide-mouthed jar. Cover it with cheesecloth and a rubber band, or buy plastic-screened sprouting covers that screw on wide-mouthed canning jars. You need two tablespoons of seeds to a quart jar.

• Wash seeds in water.

• Soak overnight in a warm, dark place - one part seeds to three parts warm water.

• In the morning, remove floating seeds. They're sterile. Pour off liquid and save it for soup.

• Rinse seeds in warm water and drain.

• Lay jar on its side in a warm closet. (You may want to put a towel or a pan under it to catch any drips.)

• Rinse three times a day until ready for eating. Keep in the refrigerator after that.

Alfalfa seeds take four to five days to maturity. Leave in indirect sunlight the last day to green up. Mung beans take five days. Wheat berries and lentils are best after three days, and hulled sunflower seeds are ready when barely sprouted, just one-day-old. Be sure to wash jars and screens thoroughly between batches with hot, soapy water, to prevent bacterial contamination.

How do you eat sprouts? Munch on raw sprouts at snack time, toss them in salads, mix with cottage cheese, add to sandwiches instead of lettuce, or sprinkle on soup. Stir-fry or steam them as a cooked vegetable, mix with rice, or add to scrambled eggs and omelets.

Keep winter doldrums at bay with this easiest of crops, and dream of spring, when seeds in dark earth will again sprout in your garden.