Looking for a unique, personal and affordable gift this holiday season? Consider something from your garden.

Take a walk through your landscape and evaluate your plants for their year round beauty and habitat for the birds. The second week in February is “National Homes for the Birds” week and a great time to look for ways to provide food, shelter and water for our feathered friends.

Add a little extra color, motion and interest to your landscape by attracting birds and butterflies to the garden. Make sure your yard provides all the essentials - food, water, shelter and a place to raise young. And be sure to avoid the use of pesticides that can harm the wildlife you are trying to attract.

Don’t let a tight budget stop you from starting seeds indoors. Get creative and involve the whole family in the process.

You decided to save money or perhaps try something new and ordered bare root plants from a catalog or through the internet. Now you are wondering what to do with them once they arrive.

Celebrate Arbor Day by planting new trees or caring for your established ones in your landscape and community.

Make everyday Earth Day and commit to managing your landscape and gardens in tune with nature.

Celebrate Mother’s Day and National Public Gardens Day with a visit to your favorite public garden or arboretum.

Don’t throw away that worn and leaky kid’s swimming pool. Instead, put it to work in your garden.

The grass is up and growing and the roar of lawn mowers can be heard throughout the neighborhood. Minimize the negative impact of your gas mower on the environment with a few easy tricks.

Piles of plastic pots fill the sheds and garages of gardeners across the country. Don’t throw these in the trash. Rather look for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle plant pots.

UGH! Oh gross! Both commonly heard right after an earwig is spotted.

Start this year’s garden pest control with a stroll through the landscape.

Add more planting space to your landscape by converting a portion of your lawn to a flower or vegetable garden.

Don’t let outdated garden catalogs and magazines go to waste. Give them a second life by creating a colorful collage.

Don’t let the holiday rush and winter weather ruin your holiday party. Take a few minutes to walk through your garden and gather a few items to create a holiday centerpiece.

Don’t forget the trees, even old established ones, when extended dry periods and droughts move in.

Enjoy the beauty and fragrance of roses without all the work. Many of us have switched to hardier more pest resistant shrub roses for just this reason. But now, thanks to the Earth-Kind rose designation, growing roses will be easier for all.

You can have a beautiful landscape and be kind to the environment by adopting an Earth-Kind landscape philosophy.

Gather the family in the kitchen, prepare a meal, and sit down to celebrate Eat Better and Eat Together.

The hot dry air in our homes during winter is tough on us and our houseplants, but it’s great for insects. You may need to lend a hand this winter to keep your plants looking good.

Check plants regularly for signs of insects. You may want to break out the hand lens or recruit a younger gardener with better eyesight.

Ants, lady beetles and a clear sticky substance on your leaves are good indications that aphids have moved into your garden for a meal.

Leafless crabapple trees are a common sight in summers following a cool wet spring. Start now to eliminate the problem next season.

Spring is the time to prevent crabgrass problems in the lawn. .

The best defense against this and other lawn weeds is proper care. Grow your grass tall. Keeping it 3 to 3 ½ inches tall encourages deep roots that are more drought-tolerant and better able to fend off pests and outcompete the weeds.

Proper watering and fertilization will further reduce weed problems. Even one fertilization a year, can greatly improve your lawn’s health and reduce weed problems.

No, it wasn’t the ornery neighborhood kids that clipped your new transplants off at the base. It was likely the result of the sneaky cutworm.

UGH! Oh gross! Commonly heard right after an earwig is spotted.

Every garden season is filled with beautiful or tasty surprises and a few challenges. You can prevent or reduce challenges and damage caused by insect pests and still be kind to the environment.

A healthy lawn is your best defense against weeds. So if you want to reduce the problem - long term- you need to learn a bit more about the weeds.

If your indoor plants have cottony masses on the leaves and stems, it is time to break out the rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

Don’t let mosquitoes prevent you from enjoying your garden this summer. A fan and a bit of outdoor housekeeping will help you manage these pests.

So it seems your perennial garden is filled with more weeds than flowers. Now is a great time to reclaim your garden by getting the weeds under control.

Don’t panic when you find your zinnias, lilac, bee balm or phlox leaves are covered with a white powdery substance. This fungal disease, known as powdery mildew, is often a yearly problem on a variety of plants.

Get the most flavor and nutritional value from your garden-fresh vegetables with proper harvesting, storage and preparation.

Yellowing, speckled leaves and small spider webs are sure signs spider mites have taken up residence in your plants.

Hot dry weather is hard on you and your plants, but great for many pests. So check your garden often for signs of problems.

Does this sound familiar? You brush your hand over your plants and a cloud of white fly-like insects disperse in the air. It is not a good thing.

If each year you find yourself trying to squeeze more plants into less space, it may just be time to expand one or more of your planting beds.

Plants are the easiest way to bring birds into your landscape, but you may want to increase the number and diversity of winged visitors by supplementing with a few feeders.

Recycle your old newspapers into biodegradable pots for starting seeds this year. It is a money-saving activity the whole family will enjoy.

June 12th is National Get Outdoors Day. So gather the family and head out to the garden.

Being kind to the environment does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can save you time and money.

Invite the birds into your landscape for added color, motion, and interest while creating a focal point in one of your gardens. Plant a green roof birdfeeder.

It’s that time of year when your mailbox or inbox is filled with garden catalogs. Take advantage of the beautiful pictures and great ideas to help plan additions and changes to this year’s garden.

Help small children handle the anticipation and adults deal with the stress of the holidays while creating a few homegrown gifts.

Reduce your grocery bill this summer by growing a few of your favorite vegetables. And the good news, you don’t need much space to produce enough fresh vegetables for you and your family to enjoy.

Get the whole family involved in growing your own healthful holiday treat. And, believe it or not, it can be quick, easy, nutritional and fun.

Enjoy your garden’s beauty year round. Harvest and dry a few flowers to use in flower arrangements, craft project or as gifts for friends and family.

Have you noticed those beautiful white butterflies flitting across your garden? Lovely to look at, but what they leave behind is a problem for gardeners.

The beautiful evergreen foliage and bright red berries make holly a popular plant in holiday arrangements and our winter landscape.

Looking for a last minute gift for mom? Don’t worry there is plenty of time to create the perfect gift she will enjoy all season long.

Whether you garden with your own children or those of family and friends consider making a portion of your landscape kid friendly.

Put your creativity to work and get your favorite youngster excited about gardening.

Give your garbage disposal and wallet a rest. Convert kitchen scraps into a nutritious soil additive for your garden while raising bait for your next fishing trip. All you need is a container with drainage holes, shredded paper, red worms and of course kitchen scraps.

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite gardener? Don’t worry, you still have time and lots of choices.

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite gardener? You can get creative and stay within your budget.

Get outdoors and enjoy the colors, smells and sounds of fall. And be sure to collect a few colorful leaves along the way.

So you decided to brighten the winter landscape with a few lights.

Take advantage of weekends, holidays and school vacations to get the children in your life involved with vegetable gardening.

Save money, recycle, and give a gift that adds beauty to the recipient’s life for seasons to come.

If you steal a kiss under the mistletoe this season, you might like to know a bit more about its history.

Join the National Gardening Association and celebrate the joys and benefits of gardening this month – National Garden Month.

Make a difference one row of vegetables at a time.

Plant a gift for dad this Father’s Day and give a gift he can enjoy all season.

Celebrate the Fourth of July with a little red, white and blue in the garden.

One of the biggest plant investments you make for your landscape is your trees. Help insure their longevity by planting them right.

Start with a call to 811 at least three days before digging in. This free service will mark the location of all underground wires. This one call can save you money and even your life.

Keep your plants looking good and be kind to the environment despite the risk of disease problems.

Get the family involved and look for fun, quick and easy ideas for decorating your Thanksgiving or fall dinner table.

Don’t throw away or recycle those fast food containers just yet. Reuse them when gardening indoors and out.

Don’t throw away that leaky garden hose. Repair or find another use for this garden accessory before adding it to the landfill.

Whether you’ve gone organic or use traditional fertilizers and pest management products you need to store them properly for safety’s sake and their longevity.

Save money and be kind to your garden and the environment by capturing rainwater and putting it to work in your landscape.

Your geraniums are at their peak bloom and you heard somewhere you could store them overwinter – but how?

You’ve enjoyed their blooms all summer and now you would like to preserve your hibiscus, mandevilla, bougainvillea, or other tropical plant for next season.

Increase seed starting success and fun with the sealed lid method my friend and horticulturist Bob Polomski learned from his father.

Save money and be kind to your garden and the environment by capturing rainwater and putting it to work in your landscape.

The holidays are here and for many that means, it’s time to head out to the Christmas tree lot. Selection is the first step to insuring a beautiful tree throughout the holiday season

Spring is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. And that often means cleaning out the garage, shed or basement. Don’t toss those outdated, unwanted garden chemicals in the trash. They can contaminate our environment, including our drinking water.

All your hard work is paying off with an abundant harvest. Then, one day you notice your squash plants are wilted and near death.

Break out the broom and sweep your way to cleaner drinking water.

Improve your family’s health and support your local park by celebrating Take a Walk in the Park Day.

Enjoy the beauty and a bit of the history of the Indian corn used in your fall decorations.

Mulch your garden beds with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or other organic matter. It conserves moisture while suppressing weeds and improving the soil.

Plant a tree and improve your mood, save money and improve the environment.

Use water wisely in your landscape to save you time, improve plant health and reduce your water bill.

Save time, energy, and conserve water while caring for your new trees.

It starts with one little plant. Next thing you know your garden is overrun with them. Some start from seeds that have been dormant in the soil for years while others move in on the wind, in soil additives or with garden transplants.

No matter the time of the season, weeds seem to grow and thrive. Keeping them under control will give you a healthier, more productive and attractive garden.

Add a bit of greenery to your front steps, window box or patio with a winter container.

Save yourself time, money and frustration by properly storing your mower for winter.