Beautiful bougainvillea, that evergreen subtropical plant from South America, comes in several different forms. The most common is a vine--a vine that does not twine or cling--but a vine nonetheless. It also comes in a shrub form and a ground cover.

The vibrant colors are not the flower, but are colorful bracts surrounding a small, inconspicuous flower. The color show begins in spring and can continue into the winter. Now, you can't ask much more of any flowering plant!

A mature vine bougainvillea in full bloom is simply a huge "WOW!" factor in any garden. The vine bougainvillea is a fast grower and needs regular pruning to keep in good form. Because of this vigorous growth, any structure chosen for support must be very sturdy.

Yes, they do have thorns. Keep that in mind when you are thinking of the best location in your landscape.

Other bougainvilleas have a low-growing form which is perfect for containers. Place containers near the edge of a balcony and the bougainvillea will grow outward and down, spilling color over the outside wall of your home.

Great care must be taken when planting bougainvilleas. The roots do not like much handling so do not disturb the root ball. You can cut out the bottom of the pot and plant both bougainvillea and pot. Alternatively, carefully make four vertical cuts down the side of the nursery container and carefully pull all four sides farther apart. Supporting the base of the root ball (not grasping the trunk of the plant), gently remove the plant from the growing container and carefully place it into the ground or new container, remembering that the roots are very sensitive to handling.

Bougainvilleas like full sun and regular watering, but not overwatering. If you water too much, they won't bloom.

Bougainvilleas come in white, yellow/orange, pink, red, and purple. Plant all one color for a huge color impact, or mix and match colors, to create the look of an impressionist painting.

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So, you've decided to design your own garden! This will prove to be an interesting journey, and if done correctly, the result will provide you and your family with an outdoor space that you can enjoy for years to come.

A garden can be many things: a tranquil retreat, an area for sports activities, a source for your own home-grown food, a multi-faceted entertainment area that complements indoor spaces or even a combination of all these things...and more.

A very important part of the initial planning phase is an honest consideration of your family's interests at present as well as an assessment of how they will likely evolve in the future. If these things are taken into consideration before anything else is dealt with, your chances of creating a garden that is able to evolve over time as your family grows and changes becomes much more likely.

• Do you and your family enjoy spending time outdoors, or will you be happier viewing the garden from the indoor spaces?
• Do you, or do you plan to, entertain a lot? Do you want to be able to use the outdoor living spaces for entertainment purposes at all times of the year?
• Are there certain sports you or your family enjoy, such as croquet, badminton, swimming, basketball, horseshoes or golf?
• Do you, or do you plan to, have pets? Do you envision the pets having free access to all outdoor areas at all times, or will you need a space to put them at certain times?
• Do you enjoy working in the garden and will you have time to do so?
• Would you use a firepit, swimming pool, built-in barbeque or fireplace?
• Do you need an area for vegetables and/or fruit trees? How large should it be?
• If you have small children, will they need an area for play equipment or possibly a walkway for tricycle riding?
• Do you like the idea of creating “garden rooms” or would you prefer a large, expansive open area with lots of lawn?
• Are there certain areas of the garden that need screening or areas that should be kept open to allow for views?
• What styles of gardens are you drawn to? Are there certain plants you like or ones you don't like?
• What elements are especially important to you? The sound of water? Fragrance? Shade? Hummingbirds or Butterflies? Color?

Some of these questions will be answered based on your area's size. For instance, even though you like basketball you may or may not be able to fit a half-court into your area - but perhaps a basketball hoop could be used.

Visiting local public and private gardens and looking at magazines and books can help you determine the style of garden you will prefer, while some visiting us will prove invaluable in determining your preferences in plants and garden ornaments.

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Tomatoes are the favorite vegetable for home growing. Over the past years, commercial growers have produced tomato varieties that valued shelf-life and unblemished prettiness over taste--and the result has been an almost tasteless tomato at your local stores. You can put taste back on top of the list by growing your own.

• Height and bushiness of the plant are important, particularly for gardeners growing tomatoes in small spaces. Check to see whether the variety you select is "determinate" (bush type--produces all at once--best for small spaces) or "indeterminate" (vine type--produces throughout the season and grows in all directions).
• Consider taste, size, shape, color, mildness, (acidity or non-acidity), disease resistance, and cracking resistance.
• Your intended use for the tomato may dictate your selection. For instance, if you want to use your tomato crop for preserving or for making tomato paste, you'll want to select a variety that has a strong tomato flavor and lasts a long time in the refrigerator.
• Depending on when you plant, you may be concerned about the "days to maturity" (the time it takes a transplant to bear ripe fruit.)
• Finally, consider selecting a few unique tomato plants that you haven't tried before or a novelty variety no one else in the neighborhood grows.

• Choose a spot in full sun, and prepare the soil by digging it deeply with a spade and mixing in a good planting mix.
• Add a good vegetable fertilizer.
• Plant transplants deeply. If they're leggy, snip off the lower leaves, make a little trench with the trowel, lay the plant in sideways, and bend the stem up gently. Roots will form all along the buried stem.
• Choose a staking system (such as a tomato cage or trellis).
• Water deeply and continue to irrigate so the soil stays evenly moist.

Grow your own tomatoes! Your taste buds will thank you!

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Tomato hornworms are the larvae of a large sphinx moth that is about the size of a hummingbird. In spring, the moth lays eggs on the underside of tomato (and related plants like pepper and eggplant) leaves. Although the hornworms are quite small when they first emerge, they are big eaters (of leaves) and grow up quickly. Usually, you won't even see this fellow until it is large--about 2 inches long and fat! They are quite distinctive, actually handsome with their diagonal white stripes and horns on the rear. However, due to their camoflage they can be difficult to find (until they've eaten a lot of leaves).

Don't be afraid of the hornworms. They look more frightening than they are. They don't bite or sting, just try to look big and ferocious. You can easily handpick to remove from your plants and just throw them away. When they are younger and smaller, use Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) as an effective management technique.

Some gardeners have a different approach to the tomato hornworm. While handpicking a hornworm, look to see if you find little white cocoons attached to its back. If you do see this, that cocoon is a pupating braconid wasp, which is a garden-friend predator. Capture the hornworm and keep it (or all of them) in a container, feeding them tomato leaves. You are creating a nursery for the braconid wasps that can then be released into your garden! These wasps will help control the hornworm population.

Other natural predators are birds and the larvae of the green lacewing. Plant your gardens to create an inviting habitat for all of these natural predators, and you'll control this voracious eater of your tomato leaves. Luckily, hornworms don't eat the tomato!

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Should I fertilize shrubs before or after rain?

Answer:
That depends on whether the ground is wet before it rains. Fertilizer should never be applied to dry ground or dry plants. Chemical fertilizers can burn plants when the ground is dry, because the salts that are a by-product of the fertilizer will reach the plant cells before the water can replenish them.

Most organic plant foods need moist soil to break down and allow the beneficial microbes in them to proliferate. If the ground is already moist and you know a measurable amount of rain (at least 1/2") is coming, then apply your fertilizer before. If the ground is dry, allow the rain to replenish the soil with moisture and then apply your fertilizer. After you fertilize, make sure to water the fertilizer in so it percolates into the soil.

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