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Harold Sweetman, head of the Jenkins Arboretum, holds ´50s dandelion tools: A Killer Kane (left), filled with herbicide applied directly to plant, and stabbers.
They dig garden tools
Hand gadgets are reliably cool, some vintage gewgaws just ghoulish. And collectors simply drool for horticultural antiques.
Maybe, says Harold Sweetman, there are no new ideas when it comes to garden tools. No good ones, anyway. Maybe the old standbys - spade, trowel, hoe, fork, pruner, saw - cannot be improved upon, though Lord knows, the marketplace keeps trying.
 
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They dig garden tools
 
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VIDEO: RON TARVER

The art of bonsai
Michael Marinelli of the Pennsylvania Bonsai Society conveys his exceptional knowledge of bonsais, having thirty years of experience. He describes bonsai as "the marriage of horticulture and art."

Ginny Smith
"Kiss the Earth:
'The most fun of all'
 
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Ron Tarver
Ron Tarver
"Art from the Garden"
Master Gardeners

John Holtz
"The Hortisexual: Real men do garden"
Marion Yaglinski
Marion Yaglinski
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Photo of clivia taken at Longwood Gardens by Sharon Vogel
Photo of clivia taken at Longwood Gardens by Sharon Vogel
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Make shopping for gardening friends easier on yourself by opting for gift certificates to nurseries or mail-order houses. In our clime, December holidays occur when gardening needs are at their lowest - but come April, those gifts will earn another round of thanks.

Take proper steps with a living Christmas tree so that it actually grows and thrives when planted outdoors. The hole should be dug now (digging frozen soil later is folly); maximum 24 inches deep, covered to keep water out. Store the soil where it won't freeze. The tree should remain inside as short a time as you can bear, seven to 10 days maximum. Keep it in a cool garage or porch until the last minute. Strong people will be needed to maneuver it - root balls are very heavy. Place as far from heaters as possible and keep the thermostat low. Don't let the root ball dry out.

Escape December mania by visiting a local arboretum. The absence of leaves and low angle of the sun create entirely new ways to appreciate the plant kingdom. You'll also get ideas for prodigious ornamental grasses and berry-laden shrubs to liven your winter garden (the shocking pink-purple berries of callicarpas will surely make you smile). Take notes and staple them to the April page of your 2008 calendar.

 
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Garden Q&A
Each week, garden enthusiast Michael Martin Mills answers your questions about plants, vegetables and flowers, and how to make the most of them. He exhibits at the annual Philadelphia Flower Show, and regularly contributes plants to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's plant dividend program for members. His columns appear Fridays in The Inquirer.

Ask him a question.

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