Jan Feit - Rockford Illinois Real Estate

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7 Garden Questions You're Afraid To Ask

Maybe there are no dumb questions, but some may seem so basic you hesitate to ask. Relax - you're not alone (and if you read the answers here, we won't tell a soul) - Midwest Living 2009:

1. Am I paranoid to worry about garden plants poisoning kids and pets? Poisonous Plants - Only a few common plants are poisonous if eaten, says Norm Lownds, curator of the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden in East Lansing. Others can cause allergic reactions if touched. One common threat: Yews (Taxus species). These shrubs often used by foundations produce poisonous red berries. Parts of several common plants, including rhubarb leaves, are harmful only if eaten in large quantities.

2. A shovel is a shovel, right? Are they really different? Shovels- A long handled, round-point shovel is a multitasker, just as good for moving gravel piles as digging holes. Look for a blade attached solidly to the handle with a metal shank that wraps around the entire handle (called a "closed-back" shovel). Wood handles are find for light work, such as raking leaves or shoveling mulch. Choose fiberglass for tough tasks such as digging or moving soil.

3. Do pots really need to have holes in them? Pots - If they hold plants, they need drainage holes. Otherwise, water saturates the soil and kills plants. Some pots come without holes, so either drill a hole or use it for decorative or water-garden purposes.

4. What does partial shade mean? Shade - Partial shade (or partial sun, depending on how you look at it) means a garden spot receives 4-6 hours of direct sunlight a day, says Chip Tynan, manager of the Missouri Botanical Garden's Horticultural Answer Service. Areas receiving more than 6 hours of direct sun are full-sun locations. Less than 4 hours of direct sun is called full shade.

5. Can I plant as soon as the weather warms up? Planting - You can plant cool-season annuals and vegetables such as peas and lettuce when there's still a threat of frost, Chip says. But hold off on warm-season annuals and vegetables, such as tomatoes, until your area's frost-free date. (Get the date from a local extension office.) You can plant most potted perennials, trees and shrubs anytime the soil is workable - even late fall. "As long as the ground isn't frozen and we are not in the grip of a desperate drought, you can plant container plants," says Chip.

6. What does "amend the soil" mean? Amending soil - This simple refers to adding organic matter to soil. Organic matter, in the form of compost or well-decomposed manure or leaves, improves soil texture, letting water and air seep in and nourish plants. It also adds valuable nutrients where roots grow. Homemade compost is ideal, but you can also buy compost at garden centers.

7. How do you make sense of numbers on fertilizer bags? Fertilizer - Most landscape plants benefit from a fertilizer labeled 5-10-10. The numbers represent the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer. For vegetable gardens and vigorously growing annuals, choose a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer labeled 10-10-10.

It's the little things

You don't have to go overboard to help Mother Earth

by Hilary Dickinson

Want to go green with spending a lot of green? You don't have to drive a hybrid car or buy solar panels to do it. Here's a list of simple inexpensive tricks you can do to improve the environment and save energy:

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Compared with regular bulbs, they use 75 percent less energy, last up to 10 times longer and reduce your electric bill 3 percent to 4 percent annually, says Timothy Melloch, a ComEd energy doctor.

Don't keep throwing plastic bottles into landfills. Get a water cooler instead, says Gayle Englof, owner of the Home Environment Center in Rockford.

Flip the light off when you leave a room.

Shut the computer down or let it hibernate when not in use.

Don't bump the thermostat up; put on a sweater. Melloch says your heating bill is reduced by 6 percent for every degree you change in the winter.

Let ComEd pay you $25 to haul old refrigerators away that you're barely using, Melloch says. That extra unit's costing you $100 to $150 annually.

If you don't have canvas bags, use paper at the grocery instead of plastic. Then put one in your laundry room (which Gummow does) to make recycling easier.

Batteries have harmful chemicals, so Gummow recommends disposing of them at the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Center, 3333 Kishwaukee St. in Rockford.

Use nontoxic cleaning and personal-care products. Englof says they break down more easily and don't pollute.

DVRS use almost as much energy as refrigerators, so Melloch advices unplugging secondary DVRs when not in use.

Buy an energy star appliance. "It might not be the top product, but it's designed to be efficient," Melloch says.

Seal air leaks in windows and doors to reduce your heating bill.

Tips For Traveling With Dogs

Dogfriendly.com's Len Kain offers the following advice for anyone taking a pooch on the road:

RSVP for rover. Finding hotels in advance lets you get amenities you want and skip hotels with pet charges.
Pack for the pooch. Bring your dog's regular food along to head off an upset stomach, and carry a small dish to make watering easy. Be a considerate dog owner: Buy a box of plastic clean-up bags.
Take driving breaks. Dogs need a walk every 2 - 4 hours.
Know your dog. If your pet can't handle attention, avoid crowded areas. And chronic barkers won't make friends at hotels.
Don't rub noses in it. Avoid hanging out in hotel lobbies except at dog-friendly locations. "Respect the fact that not everyone wants your dog where they are," Len says.
Get beach-savvy. Beaches remain restrictive places for dogs. Check policies in advance.
Leave the leash on. Dogs on strange turf are more likely to run off and struggle to find their way back. "You're not on your home terrain, and your dog doesn't have the same knowledge of its surroundings," Len says.