These yard care articles contain helpful tips on plant selection and maintenance. They were created in April-July, 2006. Among the yard care information is a photo gallery designed to help you recognize what poison ivy looks like (so you can avoid it while doing your yard work!). Return to the index to access yard care articles composed in other years.
7/30/06 - Yarrow Plants
This article offers an introduction to yarrow plants. Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, yarrow plants pose few yard care problems.
7/29/06 - How to Make Scarecrows
Review of book on how to make garden scarecrows. Complement your other outdoor fall decorations with these creative garden scarecrows and other yard figures.
7/21/06 - No-Pump Garden Sprayers
Most garden sprayers have to be pumped. But Black & Decker's rechargeable garden sprayers require no pumping. That's the good news; but there's little else to recommend these garden sprayers.
7/07/06 - Yard Care Basics -- Planting Flower Beds
How you plant new perennial beds can have a significant impact on future yard care. For one thing, if you space your perennials properly, you'll cut down on yard care headaches caused by overcrowding.
6/24/06 - Yard Makeovers by the "Garden Police"
Yard care sometimes becomes an exercise in futility, because your yard is just too far gone. On the TV program, "Garden Police," the landscapes are so bad that yard makeovers for them are enforced -- by horticultural cops.
6/22/06 - Patio Construction versus Patio Plants
When your patio is "out of date," what should you do? You have to decide between the costs of patio construction (for a new one) or using container-grown plants to dress up the old one. This article offers some thoughts on the subject.
6/16/06 - Autumn Joy Sedums
Autumn Joy sedum is one of the stonecrop plants. Like other stonecrop plants, Autumn Joy sedums are drought-tolerant perennials.
6/09/06 - Pictures of Poison Ivy
I offer these pictures of poison ivy for plant identification purposes, so you can avoid it during your yard-care work. These pictures of poison ivy show the weed at different stages of development and in different habitats.
6/02/06 - Cat Repellents
I'm often asked how to keep cats away from yards. The answer lies in cat repellents.
5/28/06 - Scarecrow Sprinklers
Speaking of cat repellents, Scarecrow Sprinklers work not only for cats, but also for wild pests.
5/19/06 - Planting Hedges
This step-by-step tutorial walks you through the steps in planting hedges. Through pictures I show you how to plant boxwood hedges.
5/09/06 - Alligator Loppers
Review of Black & Decker Alligator Loppers. Being specialized yard-care tools, you'd want to clear brush away first with other tools, then finish up with Black & Decker Alligator Loppers.
5/05/06 - Shasta Daisies
Shasta daisies are an excellent choice for dry, sunny areas, as they are relatively drought-tolerant. Using such drought-tolerant plants reduces your yard care headaches.
4/21/06 - Earth Day Celebration
Interested in a practical Earth Day celebration? Incorporate these earth-friendly tips into your yard care regimen.
4/07/06 - Home Safety Tips
An article on home safety tips. Such advice can never be complete -- but this is a good place to start. Yard care is important, but safety always comes first.
