Garden Detective

Whew! I'm back. It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but I have good news to report: I didn't miss my spring garden show, after all. I came home to a beautifully blooming garden:

Above and Beyond, a proprietary collection from Color Blends, both inside and outside the fence in the front yard.

I really love this combination. Couldn't take enough pictures.

Pansies

Rhododendron

Azalea on the brink

Dafodil Hawera

They might be weeds, but they are pretty, aren't they?

Hosta

Pear blossoms

Budding Scotch broom, which has seen better days. It's hitting the compost pile after one final performance.

Last year's parsley is taking off.

Viburnum

Upload your photos to the Virtual Garden Club.

This just in:

The Clark Botanic Garden's 3rd Annual EcoFest will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an exploration of the gardens in Albertson, tips and lessons on improving the environment and close-up views of the area’s most interesting wildlife.

The event will feature plants to take home, turtle racing, live music and children's activities.

For more information about EcoFest. visit www.northhempstead.com.

I won't be blogging for about a week -- heading to Florida for some much needed R&R. My timing couldn't be worse, though: After spending a ridiculous amount of blood, sweat and tears -- not to mention money -- last fall planting 750 bulbs, I think I might be in danger of missing my newly planted spring garden's peak.

While I'm sure I won't miss the whole show, I'll miss the pleasure of rushing home every day and walking around the garden, looking for subtle changes, as I've been doing for a few weeks now. In any event, I've instructed my friend and neighbor to take photos in case I miss anything.

Please keep sending your questions and comments -- I'll read them when I get back.

Happy Passover! Happy spring! Happy weeding! HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Since I'm going to be spending too much to re-do my entire backyard this spring, I figured I'd invest in an electric leaf lower to save on landscaper cleanup and maintenance costs this year. But when I started Googling around, I faced some tough choices. Prices ranged from ridiculously cheap (how good can it be?) to prohibitively expensive.

After days and days of online research, I decided to order the Toro Ultra 12 Amp Electric Blower/Vacuum #51599, a Consumer Reports Best Buy. I found it on Amazon.com for just $69.97, a real surprise, given the rave user reviews I read.

I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when the package arrived. I love power tools, especially ones that do what they promise to do, and I had very high hopes for this one.

Assembly was a breeze, and as the product description indicated, switching from blowing mode to vacuum mode required no muscle power and took only seconds. So far, so good. I headed outside to my debris-filled garden. Where do all those leaves come from? Didn't I clean them up in the fall? I never know why I bother.

That's a picture of one of my Nepeta 'Walker's Low' catmints, its branches polluted with sticks and leaves and pine needles.

After blasting for just a few seconds with my new Toro, the plant looked like it had been to the salon. You can even see some new growth starting.

After that I put the camera down -- I needed to concentrate. I cleared the driveway in less than 5 minutes and then -- this is the best part -- switched over to vacuum mode and sucked everything up into the included canvas bag, which attaches to the device and has an adjustable shoulder strap. The vacuum mulches everything it sucks up, so the bag can hold an incredible amount. When I finished, I dumped the contents of the bag right into my compost tumbler.

I think I 'm in love.

I get a lot of questions about how to prune roses. There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer that will fit into a print column, unfortunately. But the beauty of the internet is that it allows me to ramble on for as long as I want.

I'm no rose expert, but my friend Stephen Scanniello, an internationally renowned rosarian, former curator of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cranford Rose Garden, author of "A Year of Roses" and "Roses of America," and president of the Heritage Rose Foundation, stopped by today to offer expert tips for pruning roses. It comes in handy to know people in high places, doesn't it?

That's a picture of one of Stephen's gardens at the top of this page. If you'd like yours to look similar -- heck, even if you'd just like your one lone rose bush to survive, you'd better heed his advice.

With the forsythia in full bloom, it’s time to prune your roses. A daunting task that make the bravest of rosarians quiver in fear, pruning is simple if you keep a single thought in mind while oiling up your pruners: Among the worst things you can do for a rose is to not prune it.

Pruning revitalizes the plant, encourages new growth each season, and creates an attractive-shaped bush for the garden. Spring pruning helps prevent the spread of diseases and discourages undesirable insects. Consider pruning as “health care” for roses.

It’s absolutely essential that the cuts are clean, and to do this you must have the right type of pruners or secateurs. Use only secateurs that cut like a pair of scissors. Any other type, such as the anvil pruners common among florists, will not cut a rosebush properly. Anvil pruners will damage the plants, often crushing the stems as they cut. A crushed cane will allow more chances for water to get into the wound, beginning the deterioration of the rose cane.

Here are Stephen's rules for pruning as well as a detailed analysis of the various rose classes suitable for gardens in the northeast.

Basic Pruning Rules for All Roses

• Hold a cane (the rose stem) in your gloved hand. First notice its
texture and color. Not all roses have green canes – some have
purple, red, or even a combination of colors. Cane color should be
fairly consistent within a plant. Those canes with unusual
discoloration or severe looking blotches should be removed. If the
cane has a shriveled, prune-like appearance instead of a smooth
finish, or if the wood snaps easily when bent, the cane is dead.
Besides being unattractive, dead wood is an open door to insects
and disease. Remove it.

• Take out weak, spindly canes and any crossing branches from the
center of the plant. (This should become second nature to you
when you start pruning.) These create clutter, hindering the
circulation of air through the bush, and provide a perfect breeding
place for unwelcome pests or diseases.

• The remaining canes should be shortened.

• Each cut should be made above a bud eye (growing point). Bud
eyes are located along the length of every cane. They are in a spiral
arrangement as you go down the cane. Bud eyes should show a
slight swelling or even a distinct red color at pruning time. They
eventually develop into new branches that will terminate with a
flower. The further down the cane (away from the tip) the bud eye
is located, the stronger and larger the new bloom will be.

• Select a plump bud eye and make the cut about one-fourth of an
inch above. Cut at an angle with the bud toward the top of the
slant. Bud eyes point in the direction that new growth will occur,
and those closest to the cut will become the main growing points,
so it’s important to prune to a bud pointing away from the center
of the shrub.

The final outcome of your pruning exercise – how tall, short, or wide the
final pruned plant should be – depends greatly on your garden, how you intend
to use the plant. Also, the mood you were in when you started might have
something to do with the huge pile of compost you’ve just created! Are your
still afraid to prune? Wait until you are having a bad day. Then go to the garden
and take out your frustrations on your roses! I always feel better after a long
pruning session with ‘Dr. W. Van Fleet’.

Pruning Details for Rose Classes best suited for Northeast Gardens

Once-Blooming Roses (roses that only bloom in spring or early summer)

The most severe pruning for these roses is done after blooming

Species

Habit

There’s a wide range of growth habits among species roses.

• Tall arching shrubs
• Long-caned climbers
• Compact upright shapes
• There are a few that have a tendency to grow out of bounds through root
suckering and self-seeding.
• After bloom, remove a few older canes to make room for new growth; do
not remove too much or you may lose your hip display.
• In winter, after the hips have rotted or have been eaten by birds, thin out
one-third of the oldest wood to give the shrub a clean look.
• Prune/remove suckers when they become invasive

Gallica

• sprawling shrubs
• freely suckering growth habits
• some could make interesting ground cover plants.
• majority are medium height shrubs, though there are some capable of being
trained as climbers and a few that are of a dwarf habit
• After bloom, remove old wood to make room for new growth.
• Do not prune too much of hip producers during the season to preserve
the hip display for autumn and winter.
• During winter, shorten all canes to various lengths to eliminate crossing
and rubbing; trim back all side shoots to three or four bud eyes.

Damask

• sprawling shrubs
• some with tall, long arching branches that tend to fall over from the weight of the
large roses.
• several varieties could be coaxed to climb with a little bit of persuasion
• After bloom, remove old wood to make room for new growth.
• Do not prune too much of hip producers during the season to preserve
the hip display for autumn and winter.
• During winter, shorten all canes to various lengths to eliminate crossing
and rubbing; trim back all side shoots to three or four bud eyes.

Alba

• Mix of tall and medium sized, sprawling shrubs
• Some varieties have lax canes, can be trained onto pillars
• After bloom, remove old wood to make room for new growth.
• Do not prune too much of hip producers during the season to preserve
the hip display for autumn and winter.
• During winter, shorten all canes to various lengths to eliminate crossing
and rubbing; trim back all side shoots to three or four bud eyes.

Centifolia

• The plants are upright medium sized shrubs
• weight of the fragrant roses cause many varieties to sprawl.
• After bloom, remove old wood to make room for new growth.
• Do not prune too much of hip producers during the season to preserve
the hip display for autumn and winter.
• During winter, shorten all canes to various lengths to eliminate crossing
and rubbing; trim back all side shoots to three or four bud eyes.

Moss

• some varieties are quite tall
• short growing varieties
• others sprawl from the weight of the roses
• After bloom, remove old wood to make room for new growth.
• Some old blooms may need to be shaken off or trimmed.
• Do not prune too much of hip producers during the season to preserve
the hip display for autumn and winter.
• During winter, shorten all canes to various lengths to eliminate crossing
and rubbing; trim back all side shoots to three or four bud eyes.

Hybrid China, Hybrid Bourbon, Hybrid Noisette
(Fantin Latour, Blairii #2, Variegata di Bologna, Madame Plantier)

• Vigorous shrub roses with long canes
• suitable for for training onto fences, or wrapping around pillars.
• As freestanding shrubs will create a mound.
• After blooming, remove some old wood to make room for new growth,
but best to do most of the pruning in the autumn
• Some old blooms may need to be shaken off or trimmed.
• Do not prune too much of hip producers during the season to preserve
the hip display for autumn and winter.
• In autumn, shorten all canes to various lengths to eliminate crossing and
rubbing; trim back all side shoots to three or four bud eyes.
• Re-train to pillars or structures during winter.

Ramblers (Dorothy Perkins, Excelsa, Veilchenblau)

• Many long, very pliable canes annually from the base of the plant as well as from
points along the older canes.
• If trained to structures, will grow very tall and wide
• As free standing shrubs will create a huge mound
• After bloom, remove old wood (canes that bore blooms) unless the rose
is a hip producer. Then save the old blooming wood for a hip display.
• In late winter, remove deadwood and clutter along with faded hips.
• Re-train to structures after pruning or during winter

Large-Flowered Climbing Roses (Dr. Van Fleet, Silver Moon, American Pillar)

• Long canes, some more pliable than others
• Trained to a sturdy structure, some varieties easily cover fifteen to twenty feet.
• If left as a freestanding shrub, they have a mounding habit of six to eight feet
high.
• Non-hip producing – after blooming, remove enough old wood to make
room for new
• Hip producers – leave as much old wood as possible; prune old wood in
winter
• Re-train to structure
• Shorten all shoots that bore flowers to two or three bud eyes

Ever-Blooming Roses (Roses that bloom from late spring to frost)
These roses benefit from a severe pruning in spring, and again in late summer.

Species
Rugosa and rugosa hybrids
• Upright, slightly spreading habit of medium height, with a tendency to sucker
freely.
• Remove old wood and crossing branches; trim to desired height in spring.
• If you are growing these roses for hips, do not prune after blooming;
instead thin out during winter after the hips have rotted or fallen
Rosa moschata
• Tall growing shrub, at times an arching shrub that could be espaliered or trained
to a fence.
• As a freestanding shrub, this is more upright than mounding
• Remove crossing branches.
• Remove some old wood to create room for new growth.
• Trim to desired height.

Bourbon
• Climbing, arching, and compact habits.
• Prune to shape, removing twiggy growth, crossing branches, and dead
wood.
• Remove old wood during the season to make room for new growth.
• Knock off faded blooms during the season
• During the season shorten blooming shoots to strong bud eyes

Portland (damask perpetual)
• Shrubby, upright
• There are a few varieties with a vigorous spreading habit
• Shorten all twiggy growth; remove clutter and dead wood.
• Cut tips of all canes
• Deadhead during the season to promote re-bloom by shortening blooming
shoots to strong bud eyes.

Hybrid Perpetual
• Medium upright to very tall with a lanky habit.
• Some of these could be trained as climbing plants for pillars or fences.
• Shorten all lateral growths to three or four bud eyes, trim a few inches off
all long canes, remove dead wood and twiggy growth, and remove clutter.
• During the growing season, deadhead faded blooms, remove old growth
to make room for new, and trim to fit design.
• During the season, between blooming cycles, shorten all shoots that bore
flowers to two or three bud eyes
Hybrid Tea
• Upright plants; rather stiff in habit
• Range from short to very tall shrubs
• Remove dead, one-third of old wood, and shorten remaining canes by half.
• Do not leave thin canes
• During the growing season, deadhead faded blooms and remove old wood
to make room for new growth.
• When deadheading, shorten all blooming wood to at least five leaflets

Floribunda
• Upright; often wider than tall
• Range from very short to very tall
• Remove winter damage, remove one-third of old wood, and shorten
remaining canes to random lengths.
• Twiggy canes are acceptable if they are free of clutter
• During the growing season, deadhead faded blooms and remove old wood
to make room for new growth.

Grandiflora
• Upright; wide and tall shrubs
• Remove winter damage, remove one third of old wood, and shorten
remaining canes to random lengths.
• During the season, deadhead faded blooms and remove old wood to make
room for new growth.

Polyantha
Short upright shrubs; There are climbing sports of these roses as well.
• Remove winter damage, remove one third of old wood, and shorten
remaining canes by half.
• Most canes will be thin, remove clutter
• During the season, deadhead faded blooms and remove old wood to make
room for new growth.

Shrub Roses (Meidiland, Flower Carpet, Carefree series, English Roses, hybrid musk, Knockout series)

• Shrubs of all sizes
• Upright and spreading habit
• Warm climates: strip in January; start pruning in February
• During winter or at the end of the dormancy period, remove damage and
deadwood, remove one third of old wood, and shorten remaining canes to
random lengths.
• During the season, deadhead faded blooms and remove old wood to make
room for new growth.

Miniature
• Most average from six inches to eighteen inches in height
• Upright
• There are climbing forms as well
• Shorten to desired height
• Remove clutter and deadwood
• All canes are thin
• Climbing varieties should be pruned in the same manner as large-flowered
climbers

Large-Flowered Climber
• Long canes, some more pliable than others
• Trained to a sturdy structure, some varieties easily cover fifteen to twenty feet.
• If left as a freestanding shrub, they have a mounding habit of six to eight feet
high.
• Shorten all branches that are shorter than arm’s length to three or four
bud eyes, trim tips of all long branches, remove clutter and dead wood,
and remove one-third of old wood to make room for new growth.
• During growing season, deadhead all faded blooms and shorten all canes
in the same manner as spring pruning, remove old wood to make room for
new growth, and remove clutter.

For more from Stephen Scanniello, visit heritagerosefoundation.org.

What better way to start the growing season than by walking around Old Wesbury Gardens? The acreage there will inspire you, and if you visit May3-6, you can take advantage of the annual Spring Plant Sale and Gardening Weekend.

Annuals and perennials will be available for sale, and the Garden's horticulturalists and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County master gardeners will be on hand to offer guidance in selecting the right plants for your garden.

Workshops, demonstrations and soil testing will be available throughout the weekend. Call 516-333-0048 for a schedule or visit oldwestburygardens.org.

71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury. Admission is $10, $8 for seniors, $5 for children 7-12 and free for for members and children under age 6.

One thing about gardeners is that we always notice what's blooming in whose garden and when. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving past a friend's house and came to a near screeching halt when I saw a beautiful multi-colored collection of tulips surrounding her mailbox. Her husband was outside tinkering in the garden, so naturally I lost my composure, rolled down the window and shouted incredulously, 'how the heck did you get your tulips to bloom this early?"

"I just planted them," he laughed, pointing to other potted tulips awaiting planting.

I guess things aren't always what they seem. I can only hope all those weeds outside my door are imaginary.

Today I was tipped off by fellow Long Island garden blogger, Melanie from Melanie's Old Country Garden,, about the monthly May Dreams Gardens Garden Bloom Day, where links to garden bloggers' posts about what's blooming in their gardens are listed on the 15th of each month.

So here are some photos of what's blooming in my garden today.

A fading daffodil.

The first rhododendron blossom.

Tulip!

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' starting to peek out.

Sambucus 'black beauty' is beginning to leaf out. I have 3 of these, and they didn't do very well last year, so I'm surprised they're showing signs of life, frankly.

Allium Globemasters are making appearances under my Knockout roses. Soon, they'll be poking through the as-yet roseless branches above.

Grape hyacinth.

Pachysandra

And of course, lots of these...

and, alas, these...

I'll post more in two weeks when the 750 bulbs I planted last fall hit their peak. I'm sure I'll have some crabgrass to show you by then, too.

What's blooming in your garden? Show us your pictures.

In the shadow of an ever-growing marketing blitz for "green" everything, an article in today's issue of Advertising Age asks the eyebrow-raising question, "Is Earth Day the new Christmas?"

It might be, with overzealous retailers cashing in and overshadowing the actual reason for the holiday. Do we really need to be wearing slogan t-shirts, or should we be busy composting?

With everyone jumping on the bandwagon, I'm becoming suspicious of a mob mentality. How many people actually are walking the walk? I'm sure there are some like actor Ed Begley, Jr., whose new book "Living Like Ed" is a great read. I picked it up last week at Barnes & Noble, where it was one of at least 30 or 40 titles on the "Green Table." But have all the authors of those other books been recycling and doing without creature-comfort conveniences since the 1970s, as Begley has -- or are they merely cashing in on the newest pet rock?

Commercialism managed to put a damper on punk rock in the early 1970s, leaving its original, hard-core fans disillusioned, and it continues to do so today every time an underground band, movie or movement goes mainstream. But, as concerned citizens of the planet, should we be a jealous lot?

Don't we need everyone on board in order to make a difference and clean things up? Absolutely. I just wonder whether the GO GREEN mantra will get played out and be remembered in 20 years as a crazy time when everyone went berserk and some shrewd entrepreneurs made a ton of money. Or will it penetrate deeper? Because, frankly, it's a shame about Christmas.

Squirrels like to use the area under lawns as their personal cupboards. They collect acorns and other food in the fall and dig up lawns to bury their stash. Come winter, they dig again to feast at the buffet.

If squirrels are digging up your lawn, you probably have an abundant food source nearby, like oak trees or open bird feeders. Repellents such as Get Away Squirrel and Raccoon Repellent, which contains capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers, have been shown to keep squirrels from digging in landscaped areas.

To repair the damage, fill each hole with sterile topsoil and tamp down with your foot to level the area with the rest of the lawn. Water the area lightly and sprinkle with grass seed. Then scrape the area gently with a fork. Water each spot daily, taking care to avoid washing away the seed. And don't mow until the new grass is 3 inches high.

Ewww, moss. That's a problem I don't like hearing about. Moss takes advantage of poor soil cover in neglected lawns, or where it finds conditions favorable in moist, shady spots. Low soil fertility, acidic pH, poor drainage, compacted soil and too-short mowing also can contribute to the problem.

Your first course of action should be to have your soil tested. Call your local agricultural extension office (On Long Island, call the Cornell Cooperative Extension: 516-228-0426 in Nassau; 631-727-7850 in Suffolk) for information on how to collect a sample and when and where to bring it. They will recommend a course of action for improving the soil, if necessary.

Don't bother spending money on any of the moss-eradication products on the market. While they are effective, their solution is temporary. Without improving conditions, the moss will surely return.

First, rake out the moss. Next, you'll have to make the area inhospitable to prevent its return. Adjust the pH if your soil test indicates you should. If the soil is compacted, core aeration will help. If it's too shady, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons of removing tree limbs or entire trees. If it's damp, consider installing drainage.

The good news is that, although you might find it unsightly, the moss is not aggressively competitive and is generally harmless to your plants.

University of Houston photo

The ASPCA issued a warning today about Brunfelsia, which you might recognize by one of its common names, "morning, noon and night plant" or "yesterday, today and tomorrow plant." Brunfelsia is a favorite in sun to partial-shade gardens in the south, and sports fragrant pansy-like flowers that start out purple then change to lavender within a day or two before fading to white a day or two after that (hence, the common names.) The warm-climate plant is suited for zones 9-11, but can be kept as a houseplant indoors or grown as an annual in cooler zones.

Problem is, according to a study by Dr. Safdar Khan, veterinary toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the plant might kill your dog -- or a neighborhood dog that happens to wander by. Not only is the plant poisonous to dogs, but for some reason dogs are strongly attracted to it. A double whammy. Even eating a couple of seeds could prove disastrous.

Fourty-two dogs were treated by the APC from 2001 to 2006 after falling ill from ingesting parts of the plant. Three died. Symptoms included stiff limbs, excessive drooling and life-threatening seizures.

“Brunfelsia toxicity can progress very rapidly to a potentially lethal situation, so it’s critical that pet parents seek immediate veterinary care,” says Dr. Khan. “If pets consume any part of the plant, they can become ill within hours and develop gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as tremors, seizures and muscle rigidity that makes the animal appear to be in a ‘sawhorse’ stance.”

• More on poisonous plants

This video has absolutely nothing to do with this post. I just thought I'd provide some entertainment for your listening enjoyment while you read. (Slide the bar to the 1:10:00 point to bypass the intro.)

There are 5 simple rules to keep in mind when planning a garden, whether it's a bed, border, garden room or landscaped area.

1. Repetition. Repeat hardscape materials throughout the garden and repeat foliage or flower color and texture throughout the space.

2. Balance. You can achieve balance two ways, but first you have to figure out what sort of garden you want. Do you like a formal look? Then you'll want things arranged symmetrically. Prefer things informal? Shoot for an assymetrical arrangement. Either way, you need balance. Imagine a line running through the center of your garden. Now fold it in half. Oh -- and erase the garden and replace it with a mirror. If both sides are identical, that's a formal symmetrical arrangement. If they're a bit askew, like in my mirror, then you're an asymmetrical type.

Yesterday, I wrote about planting in groups of 3s or 5s. That looks best regardless of your style. Using just one of a plant makes it a specimen. If you use two, then things are symmetrical, and that makes you a formal person. When grouping in 3s, plants look best when arranged in the shape of an equilateral triangle. If you want to use 4 of something, don't just line them up. Plant 3 on one side and 1 on the other. Or, divide the space into quadrants and plant one in each quad. When you have 5 of the same plant, put 4 on one side and another opposite them. This creates balance, even though it's not symmetrical.

3. Contrast and harmony. Consider that plant textures and colors should be different enough to provide contrast but you still need them to blend with eachother. Using just one each of many plants will create a big jumble that will look chaotic and messy.

4. Movement. Hopefully in #2, above, you figured out whether you were a formal type or an informal type. Use that new self-awareness to determine how you'll create movement in your garden. Soft, curved lines are used in informal gardens; straight geometrical lines are found in formal gardens. Either way, your gardening style determines how people walk through the property. It's a power trip. In my yard, you have to walk around curvy beds. I don't care if you're a formal person. It's my house, and that's the way I like it. When I visit you, I'll walk straight if you want me to, but over here we do it curvy.

5. Unity. Think about all the components of your property. There's a house, plants, maybe a deck or a patio, a walkway, some trees. If you're mindful of creating unity, all those individual parts will come together. Consider using plants with colors that coordinate with your house. And don't stop at color. It's important to match style, as well. A cottage garden would seem out of place in front of a so-called McMansion, while a formal garden might seem odd behind a bungalow.

In the end, though, you should use these principles to express your individuality. What to plant? Plant what you like. Just be sure it's suited to the climate and soil and sun exposure. After that, it's all you.

I've heard of "Green Tambourine," in fact I'm humming it now. But Green Gasoline?

Apparently, it isn't the oxymoron it seems to be. According to this week's issue of Chemistry & Sustainability, Energy & Materials, a University of Massachusetts-Amhurst professor and 2 graduate students have discovered a way to convert plant cellulose into gasoline components. The new fuel is reportedly exactly the same as the gasoline we're using today, but it's made from switchgrass and poplar trees instead of oil.

With Earth Day quickly approaching, why not plant some poplar trees? You can order some free from the Arbor Day foundation. Who knows, you might be able to ride them to work some day.

Too proud to inspire pity, I'm including a photo of my kickass crocuses instead of the current state of my backyard. I'll post those when I can hide behind the 'after' shots.

Well, it's finally time to pay the piper. Regular visitors here know about the cesspool installation that wreaked havoc on my backyard last summer. Not that it was Shangri La before being reduced to a mud pit. Not by a long shot.

This will be our third summer in this house. I left scores of perennials behind in my old garden. I didn't realize how long it would take to get the new gardens going. The first summer was spent unpacking and settling in. The second summer -- last summer -- we concentrated on the front yard, which still has a way to go. The backyard was plain, but livable. And then disaster struck. Six thousand unanticipated dollars later, we have a new cesspool and well, a cesspool of a backyard. Just mud, erratic patches of grass and and lots of weeds.

I've been researching plants and planning and sketching 3 garden room areas for the backyard for a few weeks now. The backyard beds are marked with garden hoses and jump ropes, and I'm just about ready to order plants, trees and shrubs.

So far, there are 56 items on the list. With a project of this magnitude, I'm going to have to hire in some help to install them all. Most of the plants will be available within a month. Fortunately, that should coincide very conveniently with the arrival of my tax refund.

Though I could consider myself terribly unfortunate for having to spend all this money and time building up the gardens from scratch instead of letting them evolve gradually, I've always been a glass-full kind of person. Plus, starting with a blank canvas is easier than trying to work around what you have. It just takes knowledge and imagination.

The knowledge part is easy, but when it comes to imagination, well, I usually buy what the mannequin is wearing. I'm no stranger to moving plants around several times over the course of a single season until I'm happy. Along the way, the plant often suffers from my indecision, but almost always it's no worse for wear the following year. That's why I spent weeks (and almost an entire pad of graph paper) trying to get it right this time.

A successful landscape comprises greenscape and hardscape components. Greenscape refers to plant material, while hardscape is anything constructed of wood, stone, bricks, cement, etc. The latter includes walkways, patios, decks, statues, ponds and that sort of thing. It's always best to plan and install the hardscape first, then consider how the greenscape will work around it.

I'll only need 2 hardscaping items. A small stone patio area in the center of what will henceforth be referred to as John's Grass Garden, and a large rock in one of the other beds.

John loves ornamental grasses. He finds watching them sway in the breeze very relaxing. I could take them or leave them. They have their places, to be sure, but in my garden at least, less is usually more. I have three surrounding a huge spruce tree in the front and I'd be happy stopping there. John would fill the property with them. So, in the interest of compromise I designed John's Grass Garden in the shadiest spot of the backyard, sandwiched between the deck and the garage. He'll be able to relax on a hammock surrounded by tall grasses and clumping (not invasive) bamboos, oblivious to the existence of anything beyond its borders.

The Curvy Island Bed (I just named it this very minute for your sake) was designed to provide some privacy from the street. Otherwise passersby would continue to have an unobstructed view straight past the driveway through to the back fence at the end of the yard. It also will divide the space into two separate areas, or rooms. I'm filling it up with blue spruce, black-eyed Susans, Echinacea, barberry, Joe Pye weed, blue fescue, white phlox, Ilex, salvia and the aforementioned rock.

When we enter the backyard from the driveway, we'll be forced to walk around the Curvy Island Bed, past the rock, in order to see the back fence and the rest of the property. And that's one of the goals of creating garden rooms. Let the picture unfold gradually. You shouldn't be able to see the whole thing at once. Create surprises around every corner.

You don't need to live on an estate to do this. I have a very small L-shaped backyard. The whole property is only .14 acres, including the front and the land under the house. (Notice the decimal point.) If I can create rooms in this small space, so can you.

Along the back fence, I'm installing a half-moon border with Lelyand cypresses and Cotinus smokebush in the rear, Spirea, catmint, blue spruce 'globosa', Sedums and Dianthus in front. It will serve as a colorful backdrop to a small sitting area. (Note to self: Draw a bench into the plans; it's another hardscape item.)

Here are some logistics to consider when planning your garden room:

• Garden beds should be at least 3-4 feet deep to allow for adequate layering of plants. My Curvy Island Bed will be 9 feet deep at its widest point.

• Include plants with 4 seasons of interest. The bed would look awfully barren over the winter if it's filled with only herbaceous perennials. I've included spruce, smokebush, cypress, Ilex and the by-now-famous rock. Also, I file grasses under winter interest, as they turn strawlike and add a pretty dimension to the off-season landscape.

• The tallest residents in a garden bed should be in the center, visible from all sides. This is called layering. Just like in school on picture day, when the tall kids got to stand in the back and I had to sit in a chair in front. I'm not bitter.

While we're on topic, let me define beds and borders. Beds can be seen from all sides. You can walk around a bed. Borders are placed up against something like a fence or a house and can be viewed only from the front (OK, maybe the sides, too, but they aren't focal points.)

• Consider the mature size of plants and space accordingly. I'm an impatient gardener who hates looking at (and inevitably weeding) bare mulch spots, so I'm not going to cast stones (or the ubiquitous rock) at anyone. But if planned properly, allowing room for growth, those bare spots could be occupied by annuals until they fill in. Do as I say, people, not as I do.

• Plant perennials and shrubs in odd numbers. Groupings of 3 or 5 work best.

If I'm not too busy, I'll post a primer on the principles of garden design tomorrow. Otherwise, Thursday at the latest, I promise.

SHHHHHH -- listen closely -- the weed whisperer speaks.

Have you noticed all the forsythia blooming this week? Sure, they're ushering in spring, but more importantly, they're trying to tell you something. Keep a close eye on them -- as soon as those flowers fade, it'll be time to apply pre-emergent crabgrass control to kill seeds before they germinate in your lawn. You'll have until the lilacs start blooming to do so. Wait any longer, and you'll be on your hands and knees pulling weeds.

The science of nature providing clues such as this one is called phenology. It's so much fun to be a sleuth, er, detective, in the garden.

Keep an eye on this category for more clues as the season gets underway. You may never need a calendar again.

About a year ago, while at a supermarket -- can't remember which -- I read a thought-provoking sign that was posted at the check-out counter. In essence, it said the store was using only plastic bags.

On the surface, that seemed to be very environmentally unfriendly. But the sign went on to explain a rationale that hadn't occurred to me until then, asserting that the energy and exhaust fumes expelled to transport the same number of paper bags outweighed the fact that plastic wasn't biodegradable. Paper bags take up more space and require more trucks for transport, so the store believed it was lessening its carbon footprint by using plastic.

It got me thinking, so I looked into it a bit further. According to the Society of Plastics Industry, it requires 400 percent more energy to manufacture a paper bag than a plastic one. And while paper bags are compostable and biodegradable, they also cost the world trees, potentially increasing greenhouse gasses. (I say 'potentially' because if the trees used are from paper farms and were planted only for the purpose of being cut down, then those wouldn't factor in here.)

I suppose we could end the discussion by simply purchasing those canvas grocery bags that are showing up in supermarkets everywhere. But what sort of impact does their production have on the environment?

I'm just saying there are no easy answers. And you know what they say about the road to hell and good intentions. I was talking about this last night with my husband John, who had probably the best suggestion of all. Why not ask for plastic and bring your used plastic bags each time you visit the grocery store? If you use them 5 or 6 times, or until they start to fall apart, you've really done a good thing, haven't you? You can also use them to line your small wastebaskets, instead of purchasing plastic trash bags.

There's another environmental dilemma I've been struggling with, too. We use quite a bit of paper plates in my house. I'm not going to defend it, because I know all about landfills and deforestation and any other argument you could throw my way. But I also know a thing or two about the need for convenience and necessary evils. But are paper plates really evil? I don't know. Doesn't the energy used to run the dishwasher and the chemicals from the dishwashing detergent that eventually enter the water table count for anything? That might be even worse.

Which do you consider more eco-friendly? (Hit BACK to return to this page from polls)

Tis the season, and I've been getting a lot of emails asking if and why mulch is necessary. In a nutshell, mulch keeps the soil moist and its temperature even, suppresses weeds and keeps things looking nice and tidy. It helps keep soil from eroding and reduces soil compaction around delicate roots.

But what is mulch? It's simply a generic term that applies to any ground covering that serves the above purposes. It can be made of a solid fabric or plastic sheet, shredded bark, leaves (except oak), wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings, pebbles, even recycled tires. Of all the organic and inorganic types of mulch available, the most common applied in spring is shredded bark.

But you shouldn't just toss it about willy-nilly -- now there's a word I don't use often enough -- and there's a method to the mulching.

First, wait until the soil warms up. I saw landscapers applying the stuff to my neighbors' gardens as early as St. Patrick's Day. If applied too soon, it will be counterproductive, keeping the coolness in the soil instead of the warmth.

Secondly, too much of a good thing can cause problems. Keep mulch to no more than 3 inches deep. If applied too thickly, it will attract rodents and become a breeding ground for fungus. Large, uncovered piles of mulch left sitting around too long will decompose anaerobically and become toxic to plants once applied. Plan deliveries accordingly.

You've probably passed a common suburban travesty dozens of times this week alone. And you might not even have been aware of it. Trees are dying slow deaths because of a common practice we'll refer to as "volcano mulching." Sure, it might look cool to have a 2-foot-high mound of mulch surrounding your trees, but if you can't see the natural flair that extends from the bottom of the trunk to the soil line, that means the tree is, in effect, suffocating.

The buried portion of the trunk eventually will decay, and the rotting will make the tree susceptible to disease. Certain trees will even send girdling roots into the mulch, restricting the trunk and eventually strangling the tree. It makes me crazy to see people doing this.

Applying mulch 2 to 3 inches deep over the roots in a circle around the trunk - but not touching it - will protect the tree from lawn mower injuries. More than that is harmful.

Shredded bark mulch should be applied in late fall and mid-spring. Wood chips usually need to be replaced every three years, while inorganic mulches last much longer. Pine needles can be used around ericaceous (acid-loving) plants such as blueberries and rhododendrons. They also make a nice winter mulch, as do discarded Christmas tree branches.

Sheet mulches can be rolled out under pebble walkways or mulched areas to suppress weed growth. Dark plastic or landscaping fabric (geotextile mulch) can be applied to vegetable gardens before seedlings are planted. Simply cut an X into the mulch and gently insert the root end of the plant. If the plastic isn't pre-scored or porous, poke holes in it to allow water to reach roots.

Well, I spent the better part of last weekend weeding, raking, edging and pruning. Here's a shot of my front yard this morning.