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The snow is pretty much goen around my house and the first thing that seems to be greening up is the creeping ivy. Or maybe it's the rosettes of garlic mustard. I haven't gotten close enough to check, but I'm finding it very frustrating that my two nemeses are back already. Clearly those bags of pullings I left to fry in the sun last summer didn't do the trick. Can the dandelions be far behind?

Is your idea of weed control getting down on your hands and knees and pulling? There are easier ways and they don't have to be nasty, harsh chemicals. About's Landscaping Guide, David Beaulieu, gives us 5 kinder gentler ways to get rid of unwanted plants in Weed Control Without Chemicals.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Weed Control Without Chemicals originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 01:01:29.

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Ok, time to fess up - did you clean your hand pruners before you put them away last season? If you've already started pruning, did you give them a good sharpening at the start of the season?

There are few tools we rely on more than our hand pruners, but most of us don't really take very good care of them. Keeping your hand pruners clean and sharp can make pruning less stressful on your hands and on your plants. Ideally it should be done several times a year, but at least give them some attention at the beginning or end of the season.

Don't let your pruners intimidate you. They're basically held together by a screw or nut and taking them apart to clean and sharpen is a simple process. (And no, putting them back together again is not magic either. You can do it.) This pictorial walks you through the steps of cleaning and sharpening hand pruners.

• What to Look for in a Hand Pruner
• Hand Pruner Top Picks

Time to Clean Your Hand Pruners originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 01:25:21.

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I promised you photos of my visit to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Once again, I'm slow to get them uploaded, but our Guide to Philadelphia, Meg Favreau, has offered to share her's with us. The Theme was "Passport to the World" and the designers went wild with tropicals, orchids, succulents and edibles. My husband was wowed by the giant balloon made of flowers, which you'll see next, but I think my favorite might have been the green garden by one of the show's sponsors, PNC Bank.

There are still plenty of flower and garden shows to see around the country. If you visit one you think was great, share your thoughts with us.

• 2010Philadelphia Flower Show
• Flower & Garden Show Listings
• Tell Us About a Show You Saw

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Philadelphia International Flower Show Your Passport to the World originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 01:08:56.

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The snow is receding and every time I walk in or out of the house I notice the planter by the side of the stairs and the wispy, brown foliage of whatever was in there last summer, bobbing in the breeze. Now, what did I plant there last year? More to the point, what should I plant there this year?

Containers you walk by every day should have something special in them, something to make you smile and feel glad to be home. This is not a particularly sunny spot, and thinking back on all the plants I've tried growing in it over the years, my mind stuck on Torenia. This is a quirky looking flower. One of its common names is Wishbone Flower, because the anthers form a wishbone, until the bees break it open. But I always think of it as the Clown Flower. I believe only the Clown Series are technically Clown Flowers, but that little yellow dot on the bottom lip of the flower makes it look like the flower is in a constant state of surprise, so I always remember them as clown flowers.

Whatever you call them, they bloom their little hearts out and don't require deadheading, which is a really, really big plus. And they love partial shade. So today I'm thinking one of the violet Torenia varieties would look very nice in that container this summer. Join me while I check out this week's featured plant: Torenia.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Featured Plant: Torenia - The Wishbone Flower originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 01:20:04.

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Susan wrote for help with a Seniors project she undertaken: "I volunteer at Seniors' Home. The staff want to do a project growing flowering plants indoors from seed that will be in flower during May. They asked me for ideas but I'm no expert on growing flowers from seed, or on what will be flowering in May. Do you have any ideas? The plants can't be spiky or toxic."

May is a tricky time of year for seed grown flowers. I think if they get started now, indoors, they may have some luck with prolific bloomers like: Cornflower, cosmos, larkspur, stock, sweet pea and small flowering zinnia. Maybe some of you have participated in similar projects and can offer other flower ideas or tips to get them going. I'm sure Susan want's to get started right away. Either leave a comment here or reply to Susan directly, in the Forum.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Gardening Question of the Week: What Blooms in May, from Seed? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 01:21:42.

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