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.

Give a tree a hug and celebrate Arbor Day on the last Friday in April.

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

Turn your attention indoors and give those tender annuals overwintering a bit of TLC.

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.

Break out your favorite vegetable dip and grab a handful or two of carrots and celebrate National Carrot Day on February 3rd. And add these tasty and nutritional vegetables to your garden plan this season.

Don’t discard those left over seeds from last season. When properly stored, many seeds can last for years, saving you money when you plan and plant this year’s garden.

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.

Decrease wasted time and increase your gardening efficiency by keeping your tools and gloves handy whenever gardening.

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Don’t let outdated garden catalogs and magazines go to waste.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.

Get a jump on the growing season and save money by creating a growing chart.

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.

Tired of trying to read faded plastic labels or having them turn brittle and break into pieces? Try creating something new and longer lasting.

Don’t let past problems starting plants from seeds prevent you from partaking in this fun and budget-wise garden activity. A clean start and proper care can be the difference between success and failure.

Carrots, lettuce, begonia and other small seeds can be difficult to plant at the proper spacing. Reduce wasting seeds and time spent thinning seedlings.

Overcrowded, poor flowering and floppy perennials can be invigorated with a shovel and a bit of your time and energy.

Believe it or not – there is still time to repair those bare spots in the lawn and thicken up your grass.

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.

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.

Give egg shells and empty egg cartons a second life in your garden. Use them for starting plants from seeds.

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.

Get more produce and enjoyment from your garden by extending your growing season. Use cold frames, cloches, and floating row covers to protect young seedlings and transplants or your harvest from chilly temperatures and frosts.

Falling leaves make a great mulch in the woods, but can spell death for groundcovers and the lawn. Make clean up easy for you and good for the environment.

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.

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

A tangle of carrots, ill-formed beets, and non-existent radish roots mean it’s time to add thinning to your gardening list.

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.

Picture this - Your guest reaches over and plucks a sprig of mint from a planter to add to their iced tea or Mojito. Nothing beats the fresh-from-the-garden flavor or fun of ingredients right from your own garden.

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.

All you need is a container with drainage holes, well-drained potting mix and red lettuce seeds. Fill the container with the potting mix. Sprinkle the lettuce seed over the soil surface, Lightly cover with potting mix and gently water. Loosely cover with plastic to keep the soil moist and reduce the need to water.

Don’t throw those peach pits, avocado and grapefruits seeds into the compost pile. Have a little family fun and try growing these into a memory.

Make homegrown onions part of your diet. Their flavor is guaranteed to add zest to your meals and their health benefits include lowering the risk of many cancers.

Give them a chill and stop the tears. Cooling your onions and cutting into the root end last reduces the tear inducing impact of the onions sulfuric compounds. And consider improving the flavor and fun by growing your own onions from seed.

I have a quiz for you - What is white, red or yellow, can be eaten fresh, fried or even raw and is one of the most important staples of the human diet. If you guessed potato, you are right.

Give garden transplants a helping hand as they move from the warm humid greenhouse or inside your home to the harsh outdoors.

Fall is here and that means its time to harvest and select the perfect pumpkin for your garden or Halloween display.

Sunflowers are a favorite for kids of all ages. Not only are they fun to grow, they’re also great to eat – that is - if you can beat the birds and squirrels to the seeds.

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.

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.

Have a bit of fun and stretch your gardening muscles with kitchen scrap 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.

If sparse, bare spots or lots of weeds describe your lawn, it is time for a little lawn revival.

Create a new plant from your favorite heirloom vine or shrub with layering. Try using this method with raspberries, climbing roses, forsythia, and jasmine.

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

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.

Get a jump on the growing season by using a cold frame. Build your own and be kind to the environment and your budget by using reclaimed wood and old window sashes or storm doors.

Invest a bit of time now to prevent thousands of weeds and save yourself hours weeding next year.

Memorial Day is a traditional planting weekend for many of us. Whether you are just getting started, changing out your seasonal displays or finishing up, consider adding sunflowers to your landscape.

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

As you thumb through catalogues or peruse online seed sources your wish list may be growing. Check your seed inventory before placing your final order.

Whether you are sharing a piece of a favorite plant, a bit of family history, or a shared memory, pass-along plants have long been a part of the gardening tradition.

Start new plants from your favorite heirloom grape, rose, trumpet creeper or other vine.

Are you like me and always squeeze in that extra tomato plant, another row of beans or that one left over pepper plant? It seemed like a good idea at the time. But now you have more produce than you need.

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

Rake your way to a healthy lawn. As the snow recedes from the lawn break out the leaf rake and fluff up the grass. This helps reduce the risk of pink and gray snow mold developing and damaging your lawn. These fungal diseases are most common when heavy snow falls or ice covers non-frozen turf or after late winter snow storms. The damage is usually seen where snow lingers late in the season. Symptoms appear as circular areas of matted brown grass. You may even see a gray or pink cobweb-like growth over these areas. A light raking dries the grass, making it less susceptible to these diseases.

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

Don’t drag that Christmas tree to the curb. Give it a second life in your landscape.

Cut trees make great windbreaks in the landscape. Strategically place discarded Christmas trees on the windward side of rhododendron, boxwood and other broadleaf evergreens to reduce problems with winter burn.

Put coffee grounds and filters to work improving your garden’s beauty and productivity.

Removing faded flowers can promote repeat bloom and more compact, healthier growth.

Fall is a great time to renovate thin or poor quality lawns.

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

Tight budgets or just a sense of wonder may have you looking for annuals that readily reseed in the garden.

Carving pumpkins is a fun Halloween tradition. But don’t let those pumpkin seeds go to waste; try roasting them into a healthy snack for you and your family to enjoy.

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.

As you pack away the garden hose, tools and other supplies don’t forget about the left over seeds. Proper storage can extend their life - and that means you need to buy fewer seeds next season.

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

Be a part of history and save money when planting next year’s garden. Collect and save the seeds from your favorite heirloom tomatoes this fall.

Be a part of history and save money when planting next year’s garden. Collect and save the seeds from your favorite heirloom tomatoes this fall.

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.

The last Saturday of January is National Seed swap day. So gather your gardening friends, seeds and catalogs and throw a garden party.

Whether you are trying to start plants from seeds, get your African violets to bloom, or keeping your indoor plants alive, a bit of extra light can help.

We walk on it, play sports on it and expect it to look great all year long – our lawns.

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

Do you have trouble properly spacing the small seeds of carrots, radishes or lettuce? It's easy to end up with half the package in one short row. This is a waste of seed and time spent thinning.

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.

Expand your indoor and outdoor garden by taking cuttings from your favorite plants.

Keep your green thumbs busy starting new plants from kitchen scraps.

Extend the gardening fun and save money by starting your plants from seed.

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.

It’s never too early to start preparing for winter. Start taking cuttings from annuals and herbs you want to overwinter indoors. Your garden plants are healthier and will root faster now than they will later in the season.

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

Some of your impatiens, geraniums and other annuals overwintering indoors may be looking a bit unkempt. Break out the pruners and get busy with a little grooming.

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.

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.