At some point, you’ve driven by or visited a house that just grabbed your attention the moment you saw it. I’m not talking about the look of the house itself per se. I’m referring to the overall good feeling or karma you experienced as you took in the view. You can give “curb appeal” credit for that.

Curb Appeal is just what the name implies. The appeal of a house and landscape as you view it from the street or curb. It has nothing to do with the size or grandeur of the house. Instead, it relates to the sense of balance and harmony of the landscaping with the house; call it the ying and yang. It’s often a personal experience, sometimes difficult to put into words. Many times what gives a house curb appeal are the collective subtleties throughout the landscape. But here are some specifics to help you zero in on making your own landscape more curb appealing.

Scale
When plants and trees are of an appropriate size to the house, they are “in scale”. They are neither too large nor small. They fit with the overall structure. Trees and shrubs don’t overpower the house, yet at the same time, you don’t have to strain to notice them.

Balance
I refer to balance in a landscape as visual weight. You don’t have to have a mirror, symmetrical image of the right side plantings with the left, although in a formal landscape this is often the case. For most homes, an informal landscape is more appropriate and inviting from the street. Yet, symmetry can still be achieved in an informal way by placing trees and shrubs or even flowers so that generally what’s on one side mimics the other, through size, form, layers, texture and color.

Curves
As you face the house, what’s more inviting, a dead straight walkway leading from the house out to the road or sidewalk, or one that has a gentle serpentine curve? For most homes, the latter is more inviting. The same goes for bed lines. In a formal landscape, straight lines are the norm rather than the exception. But curb-appealing homes most often are characterized by soft eye pleasing curved walks and beds. They seem to say, stroll on up here, have a seat and stay a while; you’re welcome here. Conversely, (to me anyway), straight lines say, hurry up, get your business done and move on. Now I realize that seems a bit harsh, and it is an over generalization but it makes my point.

Odd Numbers
When planting beds, especially when using shrubs or trees, think in terms of odd numbered quantities.  From a design standpoint, our eye tends to be more comfortable with odd numbers of plants such as 1,3,5…9,etc. In most home landscapes, a more informal, asymmetrical look and feel is appropriate.  Odd numbered plantings help to accomplish this. The exception would be a formal landscape design when you are deliberately trying to achieve symmetry in which case, even numbers and mirror images work best.

Color
One of the easiest ways to help create curb appeal is by choosing plant colors that compliment the house, without being distracting. In fact, in a house with curb appeal, the landscape plants blend together seamlessly with the house color scheme. Don’t place much weight on flower color. That is fleeting. Instead choose plants for their foliage color, and remember to consider their fall display.

Layers
On the theme of casual balance, layers mimic nature and nature is the best case of curb appeal on a grand scale. Layers abound, from groundcovers up to the tallest trees, up to seven layers total. Don’t feel like you must include every layer in your curb appealing landscape but its not hard to do and the variety will make such a positive difference.

Variety
Speaking of variety, landscapes that are pleasing to the eye do so by mixing it up. Having said that, you can easily overdo it. Just like with loud colors, too many plant types can be confusing and distracting to the eye. A few groupings of different plants, trees and shrubs, provide enough change without overdoing it.

If you’re ready to add some personality and charm to your front yard start by asking yourself, what’s not working in the current landscape? Then apply the concepts above and you’re on your way to having your own curb appealing landscape.

Living in the real world version of Mayberry (seriously, Andy Griffith grew up here in Mount Airy, NC so Mayberry is modeled after us), Barney Fife is an icon I see nearly every day. If you’ve ever watched the show, and who hasn’t, you likely know of his one trusty bullet, dutifully resting in his upper shirt pocket. It’s always at the ready should a time come (God forbid) that he’d ever have to load it into the chamber. If I were Barney, I’m not sure I’d take great comfort in having just one bullet, or in my case, one tool, to take care of whatever challenge is before me.

For me, narrowing down the tool choices to just one would be nearly impossible.  I have gardening tools I’ve never used, tools I’ve never seen, and tools I’ve seen that I don’t even know what they’re for. I certainly don’t need them all, but I can’t get by with just one either. I have my favorites and I know what I like.  In the spirit of a Barney’s six-shooter, let’s load it up six of my favorite tools for in and around the garden.

1.    Pruners, but not just any pruners. I rarely head out into the garden with my Fiskars PowerGear Bypass pruners. I was a fan of these long before my relationship with Fiskars. But now that I’ve had the opportunity to demonstrate them to other more skeptical consumers, seeing is believing and I believe we’ve converted many a gardener over to the PowerGear design. For the money, there’s no better pruner on the market. Better yet, it, along with other Fiskars models are the only ones certified by The Arthritis Foundation for the prestigious Ease-of-use Commendation. I already loved them. But the older I get, the more attached I become.

2.    If I’m heading out to the garden with only one tool in my hand (and pruners on the hip), it’s my favorite weeding tool, the CobraHead. Many weeds have deep taproots and without the right tool to extract them all, the weed will quickly grow back.  That’s no longer a problem with the CobraHead. It’s like a steel fingernail.  I actually derive great pleasure in popping tough weeds out after plunging the CobraHead into the soil and under the weed and roots.

3.    When it comes to watering, I found a nozzle a few years ago that I can’t live without. It’s called the Dual-flo nozzle and here’s why I like it so much. First, it blasts out a high-pressure stream of water, more powerful then those cheap, flimsy models. But the beauty is in how with one simple turn of a lever on the handle, the flow is diverted to a gentle trickle; perfect for watering a thirsty container of filling a soapy bucket.

4.    For working the soil, a lot of people would turn to their trusty tiller, if they had one. Not me. My favorite tool for turning the soil, and I use it often, is my old-fashioned garden fork. With tines wider than a pitchfork, it’s broad enough to actually turn the soil. And with the thickness of the steel tines, nothing can stop it. Unfortunately, my antique hardwood handle broke a few years ago. But I was able to replace it with an even better version made by Fiskars.

5.    I’m not sure gardening gloves count as tools, but every gardener has a pair or two and I’m no exception. But, there’s really only one pair of gloves for me that I wear on all but the toughest jobs: Atlas Gloves. They fit like a surgeons glove but have all the feel you’ll ever need. And they’re so comfortable I almost forget I have them on. For a price around six bucks, buy several pairs. They’re well worth it and last surprisingly long.

6.    I’m a big composter and fan of mulch. I use both all the time. Not long ago, I found a tool that I love that lives in my compost pile but when I need to spread mulch or scoop up either, I use the Unifork, by Union Jack. Unlike heavy metal forks that can rust, and stainless steel that can be expensive, the Unifork is lightweight and made of very strong plastic so it can be left outside (right by your compost pile) with never a concern of rusting or frostbitten hands from grabbing a cold metal handle. The sides of the Unifork are slightly raised and it works much like a scoop or shovel and the rounded tips provide a better way to scoop mulch or compost from the surface without getting the prongs stuck in the ground.

Simple tools that provide great results are always a favorite of mine. Over the years, I think I’ve settled into a few tools I’ll never be without…but I’m always looking. So now that you know about some of my favorites, what’s in your tool arsenal that you can’t live without?

Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. We can still have beautiful outdoor spaces while being more responsible in our choices of how we make them so. But where do we start? Indeed there are many ways to be greener, but here are five things you can do right now to be more eco-friendly, starting in your own backyard.

1.) Put the right plant in the right place.
In my role as host of Garden Smart on PBS, I have the opportunity to travel around the country touring spectacular gardens. The first question I ask the gardener at each location is, “What’s the one thing you do to keep your plants looking so good all year long?” I always get the same response, “Put the right plant in the right place.”

When plants (including lawns) are growing in their ideal environment, they thrive. And when plants thrive, they are naturally more resistant to pests and diseases. That means fewer chemicals going onto the plants and into the soil.  Conversely, when plants are improperly placed, they become stressed and prone to attack from those same adversaries. We unknowingly respond to these visible signs of trouble by pouring on the fertilizer and chemicals and making our garden even less eco-friendly than before. Growing the right plant in the right place dramatically reduces the amount of chemicals needed to keep plants looking their best.

2.) Use rain barrels.
Many parts of the country are facing a serious water shortage, resulting in restrictions and all out bans on outdoor irrigation. Harvesting and retaining rainwater for later use is like money in the bank. Rain barrels are one of the easiest ways to capture water from gutters and downspouts. Just a tenth of an inch of rain on a 1,000 square foot roof area can fill a 60-gallon barrel.

Keeping plants alive during drought conditions is good for the environment too since living root systems help reduce soil erosion and runoff of potentially harmful chemicals. You can purchase rain barrels today at many mass retail and garden centers or make your own.

3.) Make compost
There is simply no better amendment for your lawn or garden than compost. It is loaded with organic nutrients and it has something no manmade fertilizer can offer; beneficial fungi and bacteria; microorganisms that work wonders to improve the overall health and structure of ordinary garden soil. Compost helps retain moisture in sandy soil and improves drainage in heavy or compact soil. It’s also known to suppress numerous soil born plant diseases and buffer soil pH. The bottom line is, healthier soil leads to healthier plants that don’t require extra chemicals to thrive. An added bonus is that making your own compost reduces waste that could otherwise end up in the landfill.

4.) Get a soil test
A soil test, available from your county extension service or private labs is an easy and inexpensive way to find out about the nutrient quality of your soil. The report will indicate nutrient deficiencies and suggested applications to improve levels. But it will often reveal that nutrient levels are already sufficient, saving you and the environment from adding unnecessary fertilizers. Look for labs that offer organic nutrient options. Find your county extension service at www.csrees.usda.gov/extension.

5.) Use Mulch
Mulch is an important tool in so many ways. It keeps soil temperatures cooler in summer and warmer in winter, retains vital moisture in the ground, suppresses weed growth and prevents many soil-borne diseases from splashing onto leaf surfaces. As mulch breaks down, it adds back valuable organic matter. A three-inch layer around your plants and trees will help reduce the need for water and chemicals.

Just be sure when purchasing mulch that it is free of potentially harmful contaminants such as arsenic from treated wood. The Mulch and Soil Council has a certification seal to identify bagged products that are free of unacceptable materials. To learn more: www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org.

It all adds up.  These five simple yet significant actions are a great place to start. But don’t stop there! Some will do much, others very little, but if we all do something, we’ll be well on our way to creating a more eco-friendly environment, not only in our own tiny plot, but also for the one we all share and cultivate together.  
JL

I’m often asked, from where or whom did I acquire my love of gardening? Unlike many who can attribute it to a family member, often a grandparent, I have no such knowledge of any family member leading me down the path to gardening obsession. In fact, the only thing I remember about a family member as it relates to gardening was the time my grandmother about took me over her knee for picking off her lovely red, marble-sized fruit that happened to be the most ornamental feature of the Christmas palms that lined her driveway. As an eight-year-old, I couldn’t see the big deal. Now though, I’m surprised she didn’t follow through on a well-deserved spanking.

Although I wouldn’t consider my parents gardeners, my dad tended to the recurring weekend chores of mowing, weeding and trimming. I’m not sure I was enamored with any of those responsibilities but as a young boy simply wanting to spend time with his dad, I was happy to take on any task relating to yard work.

But as I’ve often reflected back on this recurring question, it always comes back to one incident that stands out as that “ah ha” moment. About the same age as when my grandmother almost tattooed my bottom, I was in my backyard on Saturday doing what many young boys do at that age: break branches and make forts. However, one of those broken branches I realized after the fact was from a special shrub my dad had recently purchased and was quite protective of. Having realized the mistake I had just made and not wanting to get caught, I immediately stuck the branch back into the soil, so as to make it appear as though it was alive and well.

About a month later, I wondered what became of that broken branch, so cleverly concealed by my efforts to simply stick it back in the ground. As I secretly ventured out to check on its fate, I gave the branch a tug. Much to my surprise, it resisted my pull. In the short time it had been left in the ground, it formed roots that sustained its life. More importantly, it was that moment that changed my life forever.

I was immediately intrigued. How could a stick turn into a new plant with roots? I had to know more. I began growing lots of plants from cuttings. Living in south Florida at the time certainly provided the ideal growing conditions for an outdoor laboratory such as mine. Within weeks, I had countless cuttings potted up in everything from cups to buckets. I began growing flowers from seeds and propagating stag horn ferns so prolifically that I created a profitable backyard nursery.

Along the way, I grew roses, grafted fruit trees, and sold plants at neighborhood yard sales. When I wasn’t growing something, I spent my free time roaming the back acres of a tropical tree nursery a mere block from my house. It was a magical experience to a young boy enamored with anything that grew. And all of this took place before I played my first little league game at the age of 10.

Although my time in little league was short-lived, my love of gardening and nature was not. In fact, it was just getting started. Almost 40 years later, my passion for all things green is stronger than ever. And the more I know, the greater my desire to learn the things I don’t. Who knew a few roots growing from a broken branch as a young boy would change my life forever? So I guess you could say I did get my love of gardening from my parents, just not in the traditional sense.

Q: We have an established maple tree in our backyard whose roots are showing on the surface. I would love to plant under the tree (shrubs, perennials, etc.)and wonder what the best way to do this without damaging the tree would be. If we add topsoil, will the roots just come to the surface again and would it weaken the tree? I saw a raised bed where there was a ring of stone wall about a foot from the trunk of the tree,(keeping the dirt from touching the trunk),with another stone wall on the outside forming the raised bed- sort of like a donut around the trunk. But this was done around a small ornamental tree. Thank you for your time and any suggestions.
Connie

Q: We have just discovered some beautiful Dogwood trees on our property. We would like to transplant them. We live in Maine, any suggestions for a successful relocation of the trees?
Kristin

Worms, birds and bees, these are a few of my favorite things. As a gardener and nature lover, I can’t imagine life without these three creatures. Each plays such an important role in creating healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. Without them, life wouldn’t be the same or possibly even exist. It sounds like a bold statement I know, but take the bee for example. It is single-handedly responsible for one third of the food we eat, including coffee and chocolate. Bees are directly responsible for the pollination of the plants that make them. What would I do without my bees?

Yet honeybees are in grave danger. A yet unexplained phenomenon known as “Colony Collapse Disorder” is decimating honeybee colonies around much of the world. The source of the problem has yet to be determined but it is strongly suspected that pesticides play a significant role.

On a related note, our beloved backyard birds are a welcomed addition to our gardens and landscapes. Their brightly colored plumage and melodic songs are the perfect complement to the plants and flowers we enjoy so much in our gardens. But in addition to the pure pleasure they provide to us personally, birds too play a vital role in maintaining biodiverse habitats. Many of our native plants are propagated each year thanks to seed-eating birds that randomly disperse them through ecosystems across the world. Birds are also a wonderful natural pest control since they eat millions of pest insects each year from our gardens and lawns. Unfortunately, according to the National Audubon Society, about seven million of our feathered friends die annually across America from eating insects poisoned by pesticides.

And then there is the lowly worm. Not so lowly really if you consider all that they do. They provide some of the most essential benefits to what happens below the surface of any garden or lawn. Known as “nature’s plow”, earthworms create a network of tunnels and pockets underground that allow air and water to circulate and roots to grow. Moreover, their castings (manure) are five times higher in nitrogen, seven times higher in phosphorus, and ten times higher in potassium than ordinary garden soil. A single acre of healthy earth may contain over a half million worms. But that number can fall rapidly when salt-based, synthetic fertilizers are added to the soil. Worms are very sensitive to adverse changes in soil chemical or physical makeup and will relocate to more hospitable environments.

All this to say that we gardeners and weekend warriors hold the key to protecting some of the most important guests we can ever have visit our gardens and landscapes. In order to provide the most inviting and sustainable environment for these vital creatures, understanding what attracts, repels and harms them will have a great deal to do, not only with the health and vitality of our own little corner of the world, but collectively, with the health of the planet as well.

If you really want to get those gardening questions answered, ask a Master Gardener. We’ve all heard the reference before and many of us have utilized this valuable free service. But just what is a Master Gardener, and how does one achieve such a designation?

Master Gardeners are volunteers. Above all, they have one thing in common. They’re passionate about gardening and horticulture and want to share their time and knowledge with others. It might surprise you to know that most of them are not professional gardeners or horticulturists. In fact, many come into the program as novices. Others have been gardening all their life.

In the United States, Master Gardener organizations are active in 48 of them and in four provinces in Canada. Yet surprisingly there is no overall governing body or authority so the requirements vary. Each state or province’s university system is responsible for managing and administering its own program. Yet overall the guidelines are set up to provide a win-win for the volunteers and university system. In exchange for an extensive and comprehensive training program by University Staff and expert volunteers, Master Gardener candidates agree to give back between 25 - 50 hours of volunteer time each year. For many programs, a majority of those hours are spent manning the phones at their respective County Extension office to answer the plethora of calls that comes in on a variety of questions related to gardening.

Once volunteer candidates have completed their training (which includes subjects such as integrated pest management, arboriculture, vegetable gardening, pest and disease control and identification, wildlife management and more), passed a few exams and logged the requisite volunteer hours, they earn their official title as Master Gardener. To maintain ‘active’ status in subsequent years, Master Gardeners must continue to volunteer a required number of hours.

In addition to the invaluable resource they provide, the monetary value Master Gardeners return to the University system is staggering. When you add up the total time given back by volunteers, millions of dollars are saved by not having to hire staff to perform the same duties. Across the United States and Canada, Master Gardener volunteers perform a wide variety of services from answering questions, to installing and maintaining public and community gardens, hosting plant doctor clinics and putting on community outreach programs and so much more.

One would think, with all the volunteer time required to give back to the program, extension offices would take every qualified applicant. But sadly that’s not always the case. Due to limited resources for training, classroom space, and subsequent support, getting into the program can be a long and disappointing process. It was for me. Even though I had formal training in horticulture and a lifetime of experience, due to space limitations, I wasn’t even interviewed for my county program until I had applied for three consecutive years! But from the moment I was accepted, it has been one of the greatest associations that I’ve ever been involved with. To have the opportunity to learn from top experts, meet new friends, bond with kindred spirits and give back to the community through a subject you are passionate about, is as good as it gets. I encourage anyone who has a desire to learn more about the program to contact your local county extension service. And for everyone else, if you want a trusted friend to give you a knowledgeable answer to your question, ask a Master Gardener! You can find the number for the office closest to you by visiting this web site: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.

A lot of people ask me if I’m strictly an organic gardener. Well, I guess in the strictest sense, I’d have to say no to that. I occasionally have to resort to using glyphosate (better known as Roundup) to knock out stands of poison ivy. Since I’m highly allergic to it, I can’t get near the stuff without breaking out. And sometimes, I’ll even use a little Miracle-gro in my containers when they need a quick shot of soluble fertilizer.

On the other hand, my use of man-made, synthetic chemicals are few and far between. Given the choice I prefer to use fertilizer and pest controls that are organic or natural first. Why do I say this? Because generally, they are kinder to the earth as they are manufactured (if even applicable) and once they are applied to our lawns and gardens.

Synthetic fertilizers are designed to be water-soluble. Contact with water releases the chemical and what isn’t absorbed by the plant (which is most of it), continues to move off target, either as storm water runoff, or through the soil into underground aquifers. Either way, these chemicals can wreak havoc in watersheds, promoting the growth of algae and depriving other amphibious creatures life-giving oxygen and disrupting delicate ecosystems. Organic or natural fertilizers on the other hand must be broken down in the environment first before they are in a form that can be taken up by plant roots. Accordingly, they are slower acting and tend to bind or stay where they’re put, at least much longer than soluble products. And organic / natural products are not manufactured with salts which can really throw off soil pH and disturb the living soil food web.

The very premise of organic gardening is to establish a healthy eco-system, above and below ground. Doing anything to disturb that is counter-productive to organic gardening. So what about tilling? It doesn’t even involve chemicals and would certainly be considered a natural or organic form of cultivation. But it greatly disturbs the soil structure and contrary to popular belief, should be avoided if your goal is to build healthy soil.

Pesticides are the biggest problem in my mind and the major reason why I’m a strong advocate of natural over synthetic choices when it comes to control. But even here, many natural methods are non-selective—my biggest beef with synthetic chemicals. Which is why I don’t spray at all if possible. Instead, I let nature take its course. It does much better than me at dealing with the pests in my garden. Of all the bugs, only about three percent are even considered pests (the ones that actually damage your plants). So why then would you spray any non-selective chemical on your garden when 97 percent are either beneficial or at worst, neutral? You shouldn’t!

But I do like knowing that organic controls are far more susceptible to breaking down quickly in the environment when exposed to sunlight. And I certainly appreciate the biological controls such as B.t and Milky spore that are very pest specific and harmless to other creatures in the garden.

The bottom line though to organic and non-organic, synthetic controls is the fact that no matter what you are using, it should be applied with great restraint, discretion and with the wisdom of knowing how, when and where to apply it. If you have to resort to any chemical, keeping it on target is a major factor in minimizing the environmental impact.

I have three rules to almost guarantee the success of any garden or landscape. First, put the right plant in the right place. Next, feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants. And finally, use mulch. It sounds simple and it is. But all too often we try and take shortcuts by not taking the time to learn about a plant’s ideal cultural requirements before we plunk it in the ground just anywhere. Or we try to solve every visible problem by throwing a chemical at it, especially fertilizer. And all too often, we skip the most important step (after watering) once the plant is in the ground, and that’s the addition of mulch.

For the purpose of this writing, let’s assume you’ve done your homework and know the ideal placement in your landscape for whatever plant you happen to be dealing with at the moment. And then you actually follow up and place it there. Now it’s time to make sure the place where this plant will live has the optimal conditions within the soil in which to thrive. How do you do that? From whatever conditions you start, add organic matter to the soil sufficient to cover the entire planting area.

What is organic matter you ask? Think of shredded leaves, ground bark, aged manure and compost and you get the idea. Although these examples are not a complete list, the more organic matter you can incorporate into the soil to a depth of six inches or greater, the better any soil will be. Accordingly plants will be happier too. But of all the organic matter I mentioned, I believe compost is the single most important ingredient we can include. It adds life and fertility to the soil, improves drainage while allowing the soil to retain sufficient moisture and it creates good soil structure, a critical element in allowing nutrients and water to be absorbed, and roots to spread.

The good news is you can make it at home for free with ingredients you already have around the house and yard. The bad news is, we can rarely make as much at home as we want.  Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to improve your soil. A little goes a long way. Once you inoculate an area with the beneficial microbes from compost, you’re well on your way to a healthier, more productive garden.

There are a few essential elements necessary for compost to occur.  They are: water, air, heat, carbon (brown matter, like dead leaves and twigs), and nitrogen (green matter, like grass clippings and vegetable and salad scraps).

To start a compost pile, you don’t need anything fancy.  A simple accumulation of green waste (10-25%) and brown waste (75-90%) will get you going.  Every week or so, try to mix up the pile so you add oxygen to help speed up the decomposition process.  Add a sprinkling of water, enough to give the pile the moistness of a damp sponge, and you will be well on your way to making compost.  Depending on the variables, you should be able to have usable compost in about four months to one year.

You can add many items to your compost pile or bin.  Almost anything from the yard or garden can be used but try to avoid adding limbs that are thicker than a pencil.  They’ll take longer to break down.  Also, avoid adding diseased plants.  The disease pathogens may not be killed in the composting process, and you can end up adding diseases into your soil.  I also choose not to include weeds if they are at or near the flowering state.  Weed seeds can persist for a very long time, and may survive the composting process.

When adding products from within the house, the biggest items to avoid are meat, fish, bones and dairy products.  They can attract outdoor pests.

Your compost will be ready to use when its dark brown, earthy-smelling and crumbly.  The end-result is undoubtedly the best soil food and conditioner available – it’s recycling at it’s best!