By Tamara Galbraith

There are few downsides to owning an aloe. It is beautiful, easy to grow and, of course, handy in emergencies. Certainly, no kitchen should be without an aloe plant. If you've ever suffered a burn and used the plant's gel to treat it, you already know how well it works to reduce the pain and speed healing.

In fact, hospital trials have been underway for several years to study the usefulness and safety of an aloe-based liquid as a blood substitute in cases of extreme blood loss.

For the home gardener's use, an aloe plant will be very happy in a bright kitchen window. Plant it in a container with a good potting soil like Master Nursery Gold Medal Plus. Let the soil dry completely between waterings; when the pointed, fat leaves of an aloe plant droop slightly, it's usually time to water. Root rot can be a problem, so err on the side of caution and don't overwater.

If you'd like to encourage flowering of your aloe plant, gradually acclimate it to full sun outdoors once the threat of frost has passed. The orange-ish flowers appear on long growth spikes, are attractive to hummingbirds, and are even edible. However, the famously helpful gel shouldn't be eaten.

If you have ever wondered how to get some of the same great flavors you find in top restaurants, consider planting the secret weapon that top cooks employ--a chef's garden. Get the most out of your garden by adding not only beauty but an endless bounty of flavor as well!

A good chef's garden incorporates the attributes of every location in the garden to produce a variety of flavorful food. Start with a boring fence line. Instead of flowering vines, consider attaching a few trellises and planting a variety of different table grapes.

To block out the neighbor's windows and create privacy, plant fruit trees. You can harvest citrus from late winter through spring; apricots and cherries in June; nectarines, peaches, plums and pluots in July and August; and apples, pears and persimmons in September and October.

Semi-shaded areas are a great place to plant berries. If you have the room to allow them to roam, consider planting blackberries, boysenberries, and raspberries. Are you looking for something a little more formal? Consider blueberries.

Save the sunniest location for your vegetable garden. Remember to plant "fruit" and "root" vegetables for summer. Plant "leaf" and "flower" vegetables in winter. Don't forget to add a little color with tasty nasturtiums--and save some space for a crop of strawberries, artichokes, and horseradish. Are you short on space? No problem. Herbs do wonderfully in containers--and no chef should be without them. You'd perhaps be surprised how many vegetables can also be grown in containers. And don't forget dwarf fruit trees!

The key to creating a great chef's garden is to look at every available location in your garden with the eyes of a chef. The possibilities are endless and the rewards are delicious. Are you getting hungry, now? Then don't delay, start planning your chef's garden today.

By Tamara Galbraith

So, the weekend comes, you've got a Gardening To-Do List as long as your arm...and the weather is miserable. Fortunately for gardeners, there's always a side project waiting--or an inside chore that needs doing. Here are ten ways to pass the time if you can't spend it outside gardening:

1. Clean your tools:
First, use a stiff brush to remove excess dirt, then scrub off rust with steel wool. Spray or wipe on a lubricating oil before storing in a dry area.

2. Clean your pots:
If you're like me, your garage and patio are littered with empty plant pots of varying sizes. Dump the excess dirt into the compost pile and rinse with water. If you suspect fungal disease was present in the pot, throw away the dirt, use a mild bleach solution to scrub the pot thoroughly with a stiff brush, and allow to air dry. Arrange and stack pots according to size, and store.

3. Tend to your houseplants:
Repot where necessary. Polish large leaved-plants with a soft cloth soaked in a mild solution of water and stale beer. If you want leaves to really shine, use a commercial plant-polishing product. However, waxes and oils tend to block plant pores and attract dust, so watch out for those.

4. Clean out old gardening products:
Determine which pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, etc., are ready to be thrown out. (Most will last about two years.) Check with your local solid waste management authority, environmental agency, or health department to find out whether your community has a household hazardous waste collection program or a similar program for getting rid of unwanted, leftover pesticides. Whatever you do, please DON'T pour products--even organic ones--down the sink, into the toilet, or down a sewer or street drain. And don't re-use empty containers--just throw them away.

5. Go through your seeds:
Seeds more than two years old should probably be thrown away. If you're not sure, test their viability by folding a few seeds in a wet paper towel and laying the towel someplace warm for a few days, ensuring it remains damp. If the seeds germinate, they're obviously still ok. The best way to store seeds is in screw-lid jars or in zip-top plastic baggies.

6. Start a scrapbook:
Go through old gardening magazines and cut out favorite pictures, articles, growing tips, etc.; then organize them and paste in a scrapbook. This can actually be a winter-long project if you've got stacks and stacks of gardening magazines--as I do.

7. Learn something new:
Interested in trying bonsai but not sure where to start? Want to learn the basics of designing an attractive container arrangement? Get on the Internet and do some searching. There's a world of resources out there.

8. Pamper your orchids:
Got orchids? You should decrease the amount of water given to orchids (and all indoor plants, actually) during the winter months, but before you help them shut down for the season, make sure the sphagnum moss and other rooting medium is still fresh. Roots should be white or green and not brown and soggy. If you're getting root rot, change the moss out and trim off bad roots.

9. Start a garden journal:
Keeping records of what works and what doesn't is invaluable in gardening. Taking pictures of your landscape throughout the seasons is also helpful in determining how to tweak here and there.

10. Visit us:
Hop in the car and come visit us. Treat yourself to new houseplants or some new gardening tools. You've worked hard all summer and fall, so you deserve it!

When xeriscape is mentioned, many people think of cactus and sand--or rock gardens. Mind you, both cactus gardens and rock gardens can be be quite attractive. But many people think that is all xeriscaping allows. That's not the case. You can have a xeriscape landscape that is fully planted, colorful--and water-conserving. Nor do you have to use only drought-tolerant plants. The idea is to reduce overall water use by grouping plants with similar needs together--so you can have one area that uses some extra water and another area where you need no more water than nature provides.

Advantages of xeriscape

• Water saving: Using native and other drought-tolerant plants can significantly reduce water use.
• Money saving: Reducing water use can lower your water bill. Xeriscaping can also reduce maintenance costs--while adding to the beauty and value of your property.
• Time saving: Xeriscape landscaping can significantly reduce the time you spend watering, fertilizing and mowing. (Buy a hammock--you'll have more time to use it.)
• No worries: It's nice to be able to go on vacation for a few weeks and know your plants will still be alive when you return.

The seven principles of xeriscape:

• Plan and design for water conservation and beauty from the start.
• Create practical turf areas of manageable size and shape, and appropriate grasses.
• Select plants with low water requirements and group plants of similar water needs together. Experiment to determine how much and how often to water the plants.
• Use soil amendments as needed by the site and the type of plants used.
• Use mulches to reduce evaporation and to keep the soil cool.
• Irrigate efficiently with properly designed systems--and by applying the right amount of water at the right time.
• Maintain the landscape properly by mowing, weeding, pruning and fertilizing properly.

If you've just moved in to a new place and want a whole new landscape, consider xeriscape. We'd advise you, in that situation, to hire a professional landscaper to help you design the landscape--and to do the hard work for you. Doing a whole landscape at once is too much for most individuals. But you can use the 'bit by bit' approach or a simple substitution approach, and move your landscape gradually to xeriscape.

Perhaps you have a problem area where it's difficult to keep your plants growing well, an area that is difficult to irrigate, or a lawn area that's hard to mow or keep green. Look at these areas as candidates for the first moves to xeriscape.

One of the major things to look at when xeriscaping is, "Can I get rid of some of that lawn?" Out of all the things we grow in our yards, turf is usually the biggest overall water-user. If you live in an area with a homeowner's association that requires you to have a certain percentage of lawn, at least make your long-term plans to get the lawn down to the minimal acceptable percentage (or get the rule changed).

When planning a xeriscaped area, keep in mind that curves are more natural (and easier to mow around) than sharp angles. Also look at the soil type, the amount of sun or shade, elevation, and ease of access.

Do you have some plants that already do well in that area, even if neglected? Keep them for xeriscaping in that particular micro-climate in your yard. Remove, or move, plants that are not doing well and amend the soil before planting any new plants. Then mulch.

Keep in mind that even xeriscape plants will need extra water when first planted--until established. Once established, however, they will need much less maintenance than other areas.

You may find you like xeriscape so much you'll continue till your whole yard (or as much as possible) is xeriscaped. You can then lie in the hammock you bought with the savings on your water bill, sipping a cool drink on a hot summer day, and watching your neighbors sweating over their vast expanses of turf. Have fun!

What's the best type of mulch to use in a garden?

Answer:

There are many types of mulches available; it all comes down to the look you want in your garden--natural or manicured?

• For a more natural look, use shredded redwood or shredded cedar. Shredded redwood is deeper in color and mats up more, making it an excellent choice for hillsides. Shredded cedar is lighter in color and an excellent choice if you own a dog--because it also repels fleas.
• For a more manicured look, use small or medium pebble bark (pine or fir), mini mulch (also called "orchid bark"), or cocoa mulch, which smells like chocolate and also deters cats and snails.
• We don't recommend large pine or fir bark, except for playgrounds. The air space is too large, so it is not very effective for retaining moisture in the soil or controlling weeds.