Sage Plants
We can't help but think of Thanksgiving when mention is made of sage plants. What would stuffing be without sage? But as Marie Iannotti observes, they can also be useful in landscape design. "While a sage plant is in its prime, it makes an attractive addition to both herb gardens and ornamental borders. The purple, golden and tri-color varieties work especially well as edgers...." Learn more about tri-color sage plants in this article, including how to grow and how to use them.

Planting Trees: A Costly Decision?
Steve Nix observes that "the number one reason people plant trees in their yard is that trees have become 'necessary to maintain a public image of the appropriate setting for single family houses.' (Schmid) There are social pressures to plant a tree in one's yard." While I recognize the importance of increasing one's property value (with an eye to selling one's home, eventually), I still can't help but feel uncomfortable with such a reason for planting trees. I see a new tree as a (hopefully) long-term companion in my landscape. Consequently, I feel that I sho

How to Make Kissing Balls
Why have I been put into a mind to make a kissing ball? Well, here in New England (U.S.), we're entering the gray season, as cooler temperatures try to sever our ties with the plant domain. The rest of the year, I pretty much go with the flow -- but not now. My watch word during the gray season is "recalcitrance." With all my might, I resist being cut off from the wonders of the plant world to which I had become so accustomed over the course of the last eight months or so. Gone now are the days of stepping outdoors to see how, for instance, the leaves on m

Winterizing Sprinkler Systems
If you rely on a garden hose to water your lawn, you understand what a nuisance hoses can be. I'm continually annoyed, in my own yard, by the fact that the plumbing for the garden hose is on one side of the driveway, while the lawn is on the other. This means, of course, that the hose must run across my driveway in order for me to water my lawn. The driveway is a small one, with barely enough room for the two cars that call it home. Inevitably, it seems, there's a car in the way when I want to reposition the hose. Sometimes, the hose even winds up pinned under a tire. November is the one time of year, however, when I'm glad I water my lawn with a hose (or so I tell myself). Why

Leaf Raking or Leaf Blowing?
Do you have all the leaves removed off your lawn yet? If not, don't be ashamed: you have a sympathetic ear here with this procrastinator! But if you do, while your leaf-removal work is still fresh in your mind, it's a good time for you to share your leaf-removal method with the rest of us. I admit to harboring some skepticism about leaf blowers. What gets them off on the wrong foot with me is the noise that they emit. While bothering with the task of leaf removal, I take great consolation in being able to enjoy a peaceful fall day, and the blare of an engine definitely detracts from that. Leaf raking is work, yes, but I find it more pleasant work than leaf blowing. Of