gardening

When I purchased this odd, 1940s bungalow in Palm Springs, Calif., it was painted a stark white and sat amid a barren field of rocks and a few citrus trees. The entry looked like a glorified trailer. But as I began to work on the garden, the whole place changed. Today, just seven years later, it is a veritable oasis. The impact of coming through the front gate is profound.

Pueblo Indian pots start at $1,000 and can rise to six figures, according to "Antiques Roadshow" experts. I know I can never afford the real thing, but I can get the same look free or nearly free with gourds -- and the proof sits all over my budget-decorated home.

Old-fashioned remedies such as grits, soap or wood ashes won't kill fire ants, but hot water and a shovel will, suggest experts at the Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

Raise your hand or nod quietly if the following scenario applies to you: "My tomatoes are big and green on the vine, but they just don't seem to be getting ripe. They just sit there! What's happened?"

You don't really know lantana until you've seen it in a hot, frost-free climate. It's a colorful monster, growing increasingly vivid in the dead heat of summer. Temperatures over 110 degrees send it into overdrive, producing even more color when all else withers.

The one thing I like most about gardening is its challenges. It can put the best horticulturists and other experts on a level playing field with even the newbies sometimes. Reflecting on years of challenges, Thomas Jefferson, a passionate gardener, said, "But though an old man, I am but a young gardener."

Philip Dark knew exactly what he wanted: a gardenia that could stand up to winter's cold with blooms that pack a punch.
After 10 years of combining breeds that had his ideal qualities, he's finally got it. He has created the Crown Jewel gardenia, a highly fragrant, white dwarf that blooms twice a year, survives cold winters and flowers prolifically.

"Let's not pick that scab," my mother used to say when I would rehash some former conflict. But as a gardener, it's OK to get picky. So get out your clippers, sharpen your fingernails or devote a stout pair of scissors to the task. Whether you grow flowers or a kitchen garden, this is the season to pinch and pick and pluck to your heart's content.

I'm often asked: From where or whom did I acquire my love of gardening?

Amid the rolling, grape-crazy hills of California's wine country rests a golden oasis.
Row after row of daylilies gleam in the sun. They form unexpected stripes of yellows, oranges, reds and purples in eye-popping contrast to the emerald-green vineyards.