To some of us, the pansy/viola is a happy, smiling face reminding us of a gardener friend from long ago. The first sign of that special flower brings a smile to our face and warmth to our heart. After all, this flower is known as the 'pixie' of the plant world. How perfect is that to have in your winter/spring gardens!

Sunset Western Garden Book tells us that botanically speaking, members of the genus Viola, which includes the pansy, viola and violets, are perennials. We just happen to treat them as annuals. The varieties that we grow are happiest in cool weather and have become known as one of our best winter bedding plants. Planting them now ensures wonderful color in your spring gardens.

There are many different cultivars of pansies and violas offering a wide range of colors and flower sizes: colors from white, yellow, apricot, violet, blue-purples, dusty rose and combinations of all of these colors! The flower sizes range from 1-4 inches.

Pansies like sun to light shade. If you plant them in deep shade, they will grow, but not reward you with as many flowers. Plant them toward the front of your flower beds along with your shrubs and other flowering bedding plants such as Iceland poppies, alyssum, lobelia, nemesia and all. You may not want to put them too close to the edge if your planter is next to your grass (scary weed whackers may chop off their heads!). But these plants love to trail and would be beautiful in raised beds, planters and window boxes!

Sometimes our pansies don't get a chance to grow up. Don't be too hard on yourself. This is not happening because you have a brown thumb. At times that six-pack coming from the grower has baby plants containing a fungal disease called Rhizoctonia which causes "damping off." In other words, the lower stem near the soil line with become constricted and dark brown. Usually, your little seedling pansy will die. That fungus thrives in wet soil. Knowing that this can be a problem, here are a few planting and care tips:

Plant the little root ball slightly high, or above soil level. This will keep the roots drier, especially after watering.

Water, but be careful to not to overwater.

Amend the soil with planting mix when planting to increase good drainage around the roots.

If you had a problem in one area of your garden with the fungus, switch and grow the pansies in another area for a year or so.

Once your pansies are getting established and blooming with smiling faces, don't forget to deadhead. Removing the finished blooms will increase the number of blooms and bloom time.

And here is the number one rule: start your morning with a stroll into your garden to gaze on all of these smiling faces. Oh sure, you can take your cup of coffee or tea along with you, too.

Spring is the time to fertilize your permanent plantings. Most ornamental trees, bushes, lawns and ground covers will respond well to fertilizer right now. In good years, abundant spring rains green up the hillsides and bring out wildflowers, gardeners don't have to water as much, and salts are leached out of our soils. On the other hand, heavy rains also wash soluble nutrients, especially nitrogen, down to lower levels--sometimes out of reach of roots. In that case, fertilize the basic landscape with a complete granulated fertilizer high in nitrogen. If you have a straggly ground cover that's never quite covered the ground, a sprinkling of granulated fertilizer as soon as the weather warms will do wonders. Water it in thoroughly or apply it when the weatherman says that it's going to rain.

This doesn't mean you should simply fertilize everything in sight. Many plants fall into the broad category of specialty plants because they require special handling. Some specialty plants, including cacti, succulents, and native plants, have little or no need for fertilizer. Others, like azaleas, ferns, roses, fruit trees, and vegetables have unique requirements. Ask one of our knowledgeable garden center experts about the best amendments for your own garden's individual needs.

There are other exceptions, too. Old overgrown gardens in rich soil sometimes become virtual jungles, feeding on their own refuse. To fertilize a garden when there's no sign of nitrogen deficiency--like stunted growth, yellow leaves, or disease--may simply contribute to more growth. Growth requires constant pruning, and once invasive plants have become established, you will wish you had never planted them at all. Feeding them would make their growth even more unrestrained.

Plant new permanent specimens. Spring is one of only two optimal planting times each year, when gardeners plant almost anything grown in the permanent landscape, such as trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. The other is autumn. Planting in fall is traditionally considered to be just a bit better than planting in spring, but after a year or two you'll never know the difference. Now through early summer is the time to look your garden over: objectively look at its strengths and weaknesses; replace troublemakers you don't like; and add permanent specimens where needed. Choose drought-tolerant plants over heavy water users if you can, and be sure to group plants according to their needs for water, sun shade, and soil type. Before purchasing any plant, research its requirements and growth habits.

We would be happy to help you select the best plants, amendments, and fertilizers for your specific landscape. You'll be on your way to building a better garden this year!

William Cowper once wrote the now famous words, "Variety is the spice of life." This couldn't be truer in the garden. Nothing spices up a garden like plants with variegated foliage. Use too many and they'll make you dizzy. But placed in the background or strategically planted in the midst of the garden, variegated foliage can bring out the best in all of your plants.

Variegated plants come in a myriad of shapes and shades. From bold to subtle, there's something for every gardener's personal tastes. Nothing steals the show like a variegated tree. It can be the centerpiece to build your entire garden around.

Many variegated plants make excellent hedges. Instead of hiding in the background, they provide a great starting point to planning a garden. Consider variegated English boxwood, silverberry, euonymus, variegated English holly, variegated kohuhu, variegated mock orange, dappled willow or weigela. Many of these plants also look wonderful when planted individually to bring out a corner or become a focal point on a mound or garden island.

If a hedge is not your cup of tea but you still want to hide some of your fence line, a variegated bower vine or variegated potato vine will do an excellent job. For bursts of color and interest throughout your garden, consider variegated varieties of abelias, daylilies, licorice plants, phlox, mock orange, sage, stonecrop, weigela, New Zealand flax and ornamental grasses.

If your garden has shaded areas, don't worry. There are many great selections for areas with less sunlight. Many popular variegated plants prefer shade or partial shade.

No matter what your garden setting is, variegated plants not only look great but also add interest. We have a large selection of plants with unique foliage and variegated colors. Stop by soon and see the beauty of these plants in person. You wont be able to resist them!

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Named the 2005 Herb of the Year, oregano, light green in color with an aromatic odor, blooms with purple blossoms from July through October. A member of the mint family, this species is a hardy perennial in warmer climates, is easily grown from either seeds or cuttings, and may be divided. (If you are growing from seeds, sow them in rows 18” apart, early in the season; cover lightly with soil, and thin the young plants to 12” apart.)

Oregano is not only a useful and usual addition to any herb garden, it also makes a wonderfully easy-to-grow houseplant! While it is still small, place it in a sunny window in well-drained soil and watch it grow! Not a fussy plant, oregano does fine in average soil, and will tolerate dry soil conditions. In fact, a native of the Mediterranean region, it is perfectly capable of withstanding droughts.

The leaves of the tarragon herb are glossy, narrow, and spear-shaped with smooth edges, and are used, along with the stems, in cooking. Its flavor is sweet with a hint of anise, and while a potent herb, often used in making flavored vinegars and oils, scrambled eggs with fresh tarragon are “a bit of heaven.” The predominant flavor in béarnaise sauce, tarragon also complements fish, soup and grilled meats. This gardener wouldn’t think of preparing lemon chicken sauté without including fresh chopped tarragon!

French tarragon (as opposed to Russian tarragon, which is far more mild and bitter in taste) is a sterile plant, therefore cannot be grown from seeds. When you are creating your herb garden this spring, this is one plant that will need to be purchased. To ensure fresh tarragon all year round, chop the leaves, place them in small plastic freezer bags, and press to remove excess air before sealing and freezing.

This marvelous herb (which originated in the Far East, was brought to Europe a mere five hundred years ago, and embraced by Canadian and Native American Indian tribes as well as by French chefs), will prove to be an aromatic augmentation to your herb garden.

If you have ever eaten a savory lamb chop, a rosemary-enhanced spaghetti sauce, or grilled seafood on skewers made of the leaf-stripped stems of the rosemary plant, you already understand why it was named the Herb of the Year in 2000, and why nearly every kitchen, no matter how sophisticated or how simplistic, has, at the least, a bottle of rosemary leaves as part of its arsenal. It is one of the easiest plants to grow, in just about any USDA zone, as long as in the colder regions it is brought indoors to winter, given strong southern light, well-draining alkaline soil, and not too much water. If grown outdoors, this amazing herb may be planted in a raised bed, or in containers and pots which will make the move inside easier. We lucky gardeners in the south enjoy rosemary as a perennial that provides us with fresh taste year-round.

One of our favorite songs features in its title one of our favorite herbs. With its subtle, dry aroma and slightly minty flavor, thyme is a common seasoning used in cooking poultry and stuffing, fish sauces, and chowders and soups. It complements lamb and veal, is equally delicious in egg dishes, and enhances tomato-based sauces.

Thyme is one of the easiest herbs to grow; it prefers lean conditions, with plenty of sun, as you would expect from a native of the Mediterranean region. With over a hundred known varieties and classifications of thyme (such as upright, creeping, shrub-like, English or French thyme, garden or wild), the ways you can incorporate it into your garden are only as limited as your imagination. Often used as a ground cover, it’s also great as an edger; trailing varieties bring aroma and texture to container gardens. This hardy evergreen is a perennial in USDA zones 5 to 9+, but gardeners in colder regions can winter them inside and enjoy fresh herbs all year round.

Is it cilantro or is it coriander?

Well, actually it’s both. Cilantro refers to the leaves of the plant, and coriander references the seeds. This gentle little herb with lacy, fern-like leaves is a social creature, requiring other plants growing around it to aid in holding it up on its spindly stems that can reach 2+ feet in height; excellent companion plants are caraway, anise and dill. An annual, this native of Asia and the Mediterranean regions prefers full to partial sun. In ideal conditions, cilantro (leaves) will last about 8 to 10 weeks before flowering. To ensure such conditions (this herb is not a friend of weeds), mulch to keep the roots cool and weed-free. Once the herb flowers, producing a delicate white to lavender display, seeds will form; harvest them immediately upon the leaves and flowers having turned brown, but prior to the seeds dispersing. To do this, cut the entire plant and hang it to dry upside down in paper bags. Occasionally shake the bags to thresh the seeds, but be certain that they have fully dried; coriander seeds can be bitter if only partially dry. Once you have harvested the dried seeds, roast them in a frying pan over low to medium heat, frequently shaking the pan. Cool, then crush with a mortar and pestle just before use; this will release the flavor, and the trademark lemon-scented odor. The wise herb gardener will retain some of the seeds prior to drying for replanting every few weeks to guarantee a continuous supply.

The citrusy tang of cilantro has become a popular addition to Mexican cuisine, while Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian cuisines use both cilantro and coriander. Thai curries incorporate the chopped leaves of cilantro, while Indian curry powders owe their aromatic quality to ground coriander.

Whether you call it cilantro or coriander, the distinctive characteristics of this tiny miracle herb make it a must-have for any herb garden.

Strawberries are an excellent crop for home gardeners. Like most fruits and vegetables, they taste much better if homegrown and picked when just ripe.

You can plant strawberries three ways: in the ground, in strawberry pots, or in hanging baskets. Plant certain varieties now and you can be enjoying your fresh strawberries into autumn.

Strawberry Types:

• June-bearing strawberries produce a large, concentrated crop in late spring. You'll get more berries per season from June-bearing strawberries, but the entire crop will ripen over a short period.
• Ever-bearing strawberries produce one crop in spring and another in fall.
• Day-neutral plants are capable of producing fruit throughout most of the growing season.

We recommend planting more than one type, so you'll get a better spread in your harvest.

Growing Strawberries:
Strawberries need full sun to produce the best crop - give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sunlight will give you more, and better quality, berries.

Strawberries do best in a sandy loam with high humus content. They don't like either drought or wet feet (they will suffer root-rot in poorly-draining soil).

Water when the top inch of soil dries out - this may be daily in hot weather.

Planting Depth:
Try to plant strawberries on a cloudy day or during the late afternoon. Set the strawberry plant in the soil so that the soil is just covering the tops of the roots. Do not cover the crown. After a month or so, the plants will begin producing runners and new plants. Feed monthly with a good organic liquid fertilizer.

In a Strawberry Pot or Basket:
We recommend using the larger pots and baskets, as the smaller ones dry out too quickly. Use an organic potting mix that provides nutrients, or fortify the potting mix with slow-release fertilizer.

In the Ground:
Strawberries don't like either drought or wet feet. We recommend amending with if your site doesn't drain well (or drains too quickly).

Beds should be placed beyond the root zone of large trees so the tree won't compete with the strawberries for nutrients and water. Choose a location that will be easy to water during dry spells.

The site selected should be free from weeds, grubs and soil-borne diseases. Strawberries are susceptible to verticillium wilt, and should not be planted where tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes have grown in the past three years, since these vegetables often carry the disease. If you don't have a 'clean' area to plant them, we recommend using strawberry pots or baskets.

Plant strawberries in the spring, as soon as the ground is workable. Don't work the soil if it's soggy. Wait a few days until it dries.

Answer:

Double digging is an old garden technique of amending the soil in a flower or vegetable garden that is still as effective today as it was back in medieval Europe.

But be forewarned, double digging is a lot of work. In fact, just thinking about it makes us break out in a sweat. The term comes from "double the depth" of a normal spade or shovel blade--hence double-digging. You will also be adding one third of the depth of your spade or shovel in soil amendment to the entire garden you are digging in.

To get started, dig out the topsoil to the depth of your spade or shovel in a trench one spade wide along one end of your bed and set aside in a wheelbarrow or on a tarp.

Turn, break and aerate the next spade depth and width. Work in one third by volume of soil amendment. Blend together with turned-over soil and fill in the first trench.

Now repeat the process with another trench. Blend that soil with more soil amendment, and transfer to the previous trench. At the end of the bed, place the topsoil from the wheelbarrow or tarp over the last section, add amendment, and mix it in.

Make sure to remove any rocks or old pieces of roots as you fill in each trench.

Now--if you haven't collapsed yet--go ahead and plant your flowers. Better yet, plant a new crop of veggies. You'll need the vitamins to help you recover from the exhaustion! More seriously--if you have poor soil, double-digging is one of the most effective ways to improve the soil to a good depth, one that will allow your plant roots plenty of room to grow. Rototilling and such can help too but it doesn't improve much but the top layer of soil. Double-digging may be labor-intensive, but it works.

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