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As Mother’s Day approaches, Hannah Stephenson digs out some of the best gardening gifts for every budget

Stuck on the usual ‘flowers or chocolates’ dilemma? Why not find some inspiration in the garden this Mother’s Day, and treat the woman who knows you best to everything from decorative twine to wind chimes, seed collections or serious tools.

Here’s our round-up of some of the best mum-friendly gardening gifts.

UNDER A FIVER

:: If you’re on a strict budget, what about some pretty candle holders? These bird tealight holders from Crocus (£4.99, www.crocus.co.uk) are unfussy, would suit a contemporary or traditional setting, come in two finishes – zinc plated and white gloss powder coated – and you can use them outside or indoors.

:: If your mother doesn’t want to be a slave to watering her pots, treat her to the new AquaDeco globe from Hozelock. A hand-made glass globe that acts as both a decorate and functional feature, you simply make a hole in the compost, fill the globe with water and place the neck of it into the soil. Through capillary action, the plant will absorb the quantity of water it needs. Available in six different colours and widely available from DIY stores, leading garden centres and specialist retailers, priced £4.99 or £12.99 for a pack of three.

:: Colour-themed seeds presented in eye-catching cubes are the latest idea from Mr Fothergill’s, reflecting the continuing demand from gardeners for mixed flowers. The cubes are available in four colours – Vibrant Red, Vibrant Yellow, Cool Blue and Cool White – and contain quick-to-flower hardy annual mixtures which will cover up to 10 square metres per cube and allow gardeners either to ‘pick and mix’ or colour-theme their beds, borders and containers. £2.95 each or £5 for two, visit www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

UNDER £15

:: For a gift that keeps on giving, buy a premium quality David Austin English Rose. Available in six colour options, the rose comes wrapped in a pretty box and is available from your local David Austin stockist or garden centre, priced £14.99 (www.davidaustinroses.com/ 01902 376300).

:: If your mum likes a natural setting, check out Crocus’s new cork fern pots, made from environmentally friendly cork bark. Once cork oak trees are about 25 years old, the old bark is stripped from their trunks, every nine years, and the trees continue to live and grow. The old bark is used to produce these flower pots (£14.99, www.crocus.co.uk), ideal for ferns and other native plants and for creating a woodland feel to the garden.

:: A pretty addition to any patio table, or even to an indoor one, is this parasol tealight holder from Homebase (£9.99, www.homebase.co.uk), which has a contemporary and space-saving design along with citronella candles to help keep insects away.

:: Attractive striped twine in a gift box makes a pleasant and pretty change from boring green gardening string. Each 200m spool, £5.95 or buy a boxed set of five 50m twines in a variety of colours for £38.95 (www.burgonandball.co.uk)

UNDER £20

:: Don’t just give one present, give a whole box! This stylish Sussex trug gift set (£17.99, www.crocus.co.uk) is packed with gloves, garden twine, raffia and flower scissors, and should please any green-fingered enthusiast.

:: For all your mum’s bits and bobs, including labels, pencils, scissors and string, these gardener’s gubbins tins come in deck egg, soft grey or galvanised. From the new collection of Sophie Conran tools and accessories for Burgon 7 Ball, £19.95, www.burgonandball.com.

:: To create an ethereal atmosphere, buy a beautiful Cole Bright changing windchime light featuring a crackle glass globe with four metal windchimes. Made from steel and glass, it comes with an AA battery and is available, priced £19.99, from garden centres across the country. For stockists visit www.gardman.co.uk.

OVER £20

:: Wildflowers are so popular at the moment, and a Wild Flower Seed Starter Pack from the Seed Pantry can help Mum on her way. The kit contains five different types of wild flower seeds – field poppies, yarrow, musk mallow, chamomile and wallflowers – which can be planted from March to July. The kit includes easy-to-follow illustrated instructions and a handy notes pencil, bio-degradable rice husk pots, coir seed trays, organic compost and an oak dibblet. Offered at the introductory price of £24.50 (until March 31) from www.seedpantry.co.uk.

:: Good quality gardening tools will always be welcomed by the gardening enthusiast, and as spring is here and pruning needs to be done, what about a new set of loppers. The latest range from Fiskars are light, smooth and cut tough hedges like butter. For thicker cuts, go for Fiskars new SmartFit Telescopic lopper (£49.99, www.fiskars.co.uk/0115 9277 335), with excellent extension buttons on the handles to go to the length your require. With blades made from carbon steel, they’re lightweight and sturdy and will make pruning a breeze.

There is a season for everything, but this is ridiculous. Winter shows no signs of letting up in many parts of the country, and many people I know are “done with winter” as I’ve heard many times lately. Out of patience, many of us will try to defy the odds, throw care to the wind and accelerate the beginning of the planting season with reckless abandon.

Fortunately the downside of such a gamble is minimal. Perhaps a few flats of mushy annuals that will need to be replanted, along with repeating the time it takes to do so. Yet any time spent outdoors in the fresh air on a beautiful warm sunny day is never wasted. However, if you’d like to improve your odds of success in beating Mother Nature at her own game, try a few of these tricks to jumpstart your gardening season.

The first place to start if you’re digging in the dirt well ahead of the first average frost date in your area is to purchase plant varieties that are considered hardy. That’s a term that references a plant’s winter toughness for your area or growing zone. Keep in mind, a plant variety that is hardy in Atlanta’s zone 7 doesn’t make it hardy in Denver’s zone 5, for example. Know your zone and do your homework to seek out hardy varieties of the plants you want to add to your garden. The bonus is that you also will have plants more likely to last longer in fall and beyond than similar non-hardy options. If you still have seeds to plant, it works for this, too. Most seed companies list this information routinely in catalogues and online and frequently hype its hardiness tolerance.

Another technique I often use includes applying a thick layer of organic mulch around the base of all my plants. Not only does it keep the roots warmer, it also helps to maintain the soil temperatures at a more even level and can reduce the chances of the ground freezing or heaving. It’s important to note that mulch will do nothing for any winter damage above ground. Yet, as long as what’s underground is still alive, there is a good chance of partial or even full recovery above. On the other hand, when it’s practical, as with spinach or strawberries, you can cover the entire plant in a layer of straw mulch to add an additional barrier of protection for the roots and foliage. The mulch is light enough so as not to smother the plants and still allows enough light in for plants to function.

Physical barriers are another effective way to retain and capture a few extra degrees of heat while keeping killing frost off of young plants especially. There are numerous versions of protective covers you can place over plants for light protection, yet they often make the difference between survival or not, particularly for tender new plants placed in the ground before the last risk of frost has passed. One common choice is known as floating row covers. The material is typically made of fabric that is strong yet so light, it can actually lie directly on the plants as though it appears the fabric is floating, hence its name. Alternatively, you can support row cover material with metal wire, conduit, or PVC pipes stuck into the garden beds. The row cover material is placed over the frame supports, a few inches to a foot or so above the plants. It is then pulled tightly and secured around all the edges with bricks, soil or whatever you may have that is convenient and sturdy enough to hold it in place.

Row cover material made for such purpose is designed to allow light, water and air in but provide a protective barrier from frost and pests. When the sides are secured around the bed completely, several extra degrees of warmth can be retained and could make the difference in survival for marginally hardy plants.

Check back next week for more techniques designed to help extend your gardening season.

Joe Lamp’l is the host and executive producer of Growing a Greener World on national public television, and the founder of The joe gardener� Company, devoted to environmentally responsible gardening and sustainable outdoor living.

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Published: March 10, 2014 7:56 AM

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The incident happened at the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Merchants Boulevard yesterday. (3/10/14)

GARDEN CITY – Police say a Good Samaritan came to the rescue of a driver whose truck tipped over and caught fire in Garden City. 

The incident happened at the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Merchants Boulevard yesterday. 

In pictures obtained by News 12, you can see the Good Samaritan jumping in and climbing into the cab of the truck to pull the driver out. 

READ MORE: Long Island Top Stories

Witnesses say the truck caught fire moments later. 

It is unclear how badly the driver was injured, or what caused the truck to tip over. 

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – We know tomorrow is spring forward time, and we also know it’s time to check the batteries in our smoke detector. Let’s take it a step further.

It looks like the snow and ice are finally moving out of the area and making way for spring. This is a very important time of the year to get your lawn and home ready for warmer temperatures.

We talked it about it over a month ago, but we had a few snowstorms and a thing called the polar vortex that interrupted spring a bit longer, but now it really is time to short mow your lawn. A short mow will cut off that top layer of dead grass and expose the new green grass that is sprouting underneath. Lower your mower height as low as you can without scalping the lawn. Be sure to bag the clippings so they don’t cover the lawn and you’ll have green grass just in time for St. Paddy’s Day.

While you are checking those smoke detector batteries, now is a great time to schedule a full electrical system tune up. Call our friends at Teague Electric and they will not only replace all your smoke detector batteries, but they will clean all the detectors and check out your entire electric system. This includes tightening all circuits, checking outlets and much more all for under a hundred bucks!

It won’t be too long before we will be switching on the AC. Now is a great time to check your furnace filter and also be sure to schedule your tune up from a professional. This should include checking the system for any leaks, cleaning the inside and outside units and making sure everything is running efficiently.

Finally that mower and other lawn equipment have been sitting in the garage for quite a while. From your string trimmers to mower, clean them up, sharpen blades and make sure everything is running well. It’s a good idea to start up all the small engines and make sure it’s all running smoothly, and if not get them in for service before you need them or you could be waiting a couple of weeks without a mower.

LAS CRUCES Opportunities to walk “the Green Mile” and find eco-friendly ways to spruce up homes and yards lured many to the annual Las Cruces Home Garden Show on Saturday.

The show continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

The show features more than 100 vendors, along with cooking demonstrations, gardening and outdoor living features, and how-to sessions conducted by experts. Symbols are posted throughout the convention center to help visitors identify green exhibitors and learn more about sustainability and green living.

“I have an older home and I’d like to make some improvements. I’m looking to see what’s out there,” said Kris Salazar of Las Cruces, checking out home spas and pools.

“We’re here just looking. We just saw tankless water heaters. People were helpful and courteous and the show is laid out well,” said Oscar Tennison of Las Cruces.

The event emphasizes an environmentally-friendly theme this year, and the experience starts with a lush, almost tropical entry way leading to a long, plant-filled corridor. Benches and garden ornaments are clustered in displays that features trees, bushes and flowering annuals.

“This took a long time to do. We started Thursday and finished Friday night. There are tons and tons of materials here. We got a lot of people who worked really hard,” said Richie Rubio, director of operations for Halal Landscaping.

“It adds a lot more life and action to the show. It was a group effort, a collaboration, with a lot of contributions from different vendors,” said the Green Mile’s designer, Max Bower of Red Mesa Landscaping and Design.

Master Gardeners of Doña Ana County are offering spring gardening advice and showcasing displays of native plants and succulents that do well in high desert climates.

“People are asking a lot of questions and taking information,” said Velma Noland, who’s been with the group who do volunteer work for three years.

“They want to know what is good to grow in raised beds, where to get composting, and how to analyze soil. And there are a lot of questions about what needs to be planted now, and we have guides to give them,” said Noland, handing out spring planting charts and Master Gardener Hotline information (call 575-525-6649 for landscaping and pest control questions).

For those who like it hot, the New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute booth has the goods.

“We have live chile plants, several varieties of seeds, books and brochures and hot chile brownie mix,” said Erica Trevino, program specialist with the Chile Pepper Institute.

Venders offered information on everything from roofing and insulation to solar heating and water purification systems, custom made vigas and latillas and ornamental steel railings.

Michael Orta, with Casa Mexica, said there is a lot of interest in both traditional hand-crafted tiles, available in colorful Mexican and Southwestern motifs, and in tile that mimics wood flooring.

“We were the first to import it from Italy five years ago, and it’s really big now. A lot of people are interested. It looks like wood, but it’s easy to maintain, like tile,” Orta said.

Today’s schedule includes presentations from Doña Ana County Extension Service experts. Jeff Anderson will speak on container gardening at 11 a.m. and “Tree Selections for Southern New Mexico” at 2 p.m. Dr. Scott Bundy will present a program on “Insects and Kids in Your Backyard” at noon, and Karim Martinez presents “Fruits and Veggies for Your Health” at 1 p.m.

Admission is $5 and free for children under age 12. For information, contact the Las Cruces Home Builders Association at 575-526-6126, email office@lchba.com, or visit lchba.com and LasCrucesHBA on Facebook.

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450.

ASK THE MASTER GARDENERS

Q: Any ideas for dealing with the deer and wildlife that are ravaging my garden?

A: Browsing by deer and woodchucks has resulted in a large loss of plants at our Demonstration Gardens at Cornell Cooperative headquarters in Stony Point. To deal with this we have fenced in some gardens, use spray repellents, and accept some damage and use plants that are rarely eaten.

Your Cooperative Extension will have a guideline list of plants and their susceptibility to deer browsing. There is no list for woodchucks, which eat many vegetables and flowers. We have fenced in our Native Plant, Annual Cutting, Rain, Container and Shade gardens with great success. For deer, Cornell recommends using a fence at least 8 feet high. To deter woodchucks from digging under the fence, make an L-shaped bend 1 foot up from the lower edge of the fence and bury it a few inches underground. If rabbits are a problem, use fencing with very small holes.

Spray repellents work if they are applied consistently, changing brands a few times through the season so the animals don’t get used to them. Spray repellents have worked in our Fern Garden.

The Lower Hudson Valley has a very large population of deer. They are pressured for food sources and are eating plants such as ferns that are on the rarely eaten list, a list that they clearly don’t read!

Unfenced and unsprayed, our Hillside Garden and Ralph Snodsmith Perennial Gardens are evolving into gardens with fewer plants that are rarely browsed. Because the plants eaten by deer in one area can be very different from those eaten in another area, you should keep track of what is browsed in your garden.

Our Ornamental Grass Garden and our aromatic plant filled Herb Garden are, dare I say it and tempt fate, never browsed.

Starting April 27, at 1 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month through October, you can join the master gardeners for take a free hour-long tour of our Demonstration Gardens and ask us questions beginning at 1 p.m. at the Cornell headquarters in Stony Point. For more information, call 845-429-7085 or visit www.rocklandcce.org.

Donna De Sousa, Suffern, master gardener, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland

It’s easy to step on early spring bloomers such as daffodils while cleaning up mulch and winter clutter. To prevent damage, mark the plants with something like the branches from a recently pruned crape myrtle. Cut them in 12-to-14-inch lengths, tie a small piece of bright ribbon on one end and place the other end in the ground. Once the growth is tall enough to be easily seen, the sticks are moved to later bloomers, emerging perennials or saved for next year. Lois Kaivani, Charlotte

Another use for pantyhose

My father taught me to cut pantyhose into strips of any size to use as ties for plants that need support. These ties are strong and plant friendly. Plus, you recycle those old runny hose! Sybil Huskey, Rock Hill

Recruit the kids

Our yard fills up quickly with painful “pricker balls” (gum tree balls) and pine cones. Raking is very time consuming and picking up by hand is quite a burden on the back. Mowing creates woody projectiles. I recruit my preschooler and her house guests to see how many they can collect. It keeps them entertained – and outside – and I get a hazard-free lawn. Jessica Norman, Charlotte

Simple tool multitasks

My old cultivator is my garden friend. Being older, I need extra support. It’s a walking stick, a brace for kneeling, a stick picker-upper, a branch grabber, and even a clod buster.

I also drape a bandana around my neck that has been sprayed with DEET, as the bugs like me. Carol Dzvonik, Davidson

An essential for organizing

I’m a Mecklenburg County Extension master gardener, so I spend a lot of time volunteering and on my own gardening projects. Years ago, my brother and sister-in-law gave me a Bucket Boss, which is a pocket-filled canvas sleeve that fits over a five-gallon bucket. I’m able to organize all my hand tools and small accessories like gloves, safety glasses, insect repellant, even my lip gloss in the bucket, which is then my portable carry-all.

There’s no running back to the utility room for items left behind. It’s a dream for pruning, planting and cleanup chores. And it travels with me to various projects. Amazing how a plain, inexpensive tool has become so indispensable! Tonya Banbury, Indian Land, S.C.

Caffeinate your plants

Save money on plant fertilizer! Ask your favorite coffee shop for their “Grounds For Gardeners.” I have been doing this for years and have had huge blooms on my roses, perennials and flowering shrubs. Here’s how to spread them: Just before a good rain, sprinkle the coffee grounds around the perimeter of the plants (but not on the crowns). In about two weeks you will see a happier plant!

Save the filters for your compost bin if you like. E.J. McGee, Charlotte

A binder for gardening articles

I have a three-ring binder to organize gardening and similar articles (including Nancy Brachey’s gardening articles in the Charlotte Observer). I categorize it with plastic dividers with pockets for each subject, such as soils and mulch, annuals, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, groundcovers and vines. Fred Sutton Jr., Clover, S.C.

It’s March, we are setting the clocks ahead this weekend and the daytime temperatures have reached above 50 degrees, but winter may still have a few last gasps before we can say spring has arrived and planting can start.

St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for some to plant potatoes and peas, but smart gardeners wisely check the soil temperature before planting their vegetable seed. If the soil is too cold, the seeds will sit there and may rot before sprouting and growing.

To check the soil temperature, invest in a soil thermometer. You can find one for about $10 to $15 at a local garden store or from an online garden supply company. Take the soil temperature in mid-morning by inserting the thermometer’s probe 2 inches into the soil for small-seeded crops (such as lettuce) and 4 inches into the soil for large-seeded crops (such as squash and beans). The probes of some of the soil thermometers have markings that indicate inches to make this easier.

Seeds of early spring cool-season crops can be planted when the soil temperature is 40 degrees or above. This includes lettuce, peas, kale, radishes, arugula and spinach. When the soil reaches 50 degrees, plant seeds of leeks, onions, Swiss chard and turnips. Wait until it reaches 60 degrees for planting beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower, and 70 degrees for cucumbers, squash, melons and corn. The soil temperature should be consistent for several days before deciding these optimum temperatures have been reached.

Seed potatoes are best planted when the soil temperature is 45 degrees or above and daytime temperatures are consistently in the 65 degree range and nighttime temperatures in the 55 to 65 degree range.

If you are anxious to plant, warm up the soil faster by covering the garden with a sheet of clear plastic. To keep the wind from wreaking havoc with the plastic, lay it out smoothly and then pull it taut, firmly burying all the edges in trenches.

If you choose to keep the plastic in place, you can plant seeds and transplants by making holes in the plastic, but weeds will grow profusely under the plastic. In addition, the clear plastic will heat the soil to plant damaging or stressful levels during the sunny, hot part of summer unless your garden plants are big enough to shade the plastic by then.

Clear plastic works better than black plastic for warming the soil because it allows sunlight in during day and then traps heat that builds, much like a greenhouse. I recommend warming the soil with clear plastic, but removing it before planting. Gardeners also find that the soil in raised beds warms faster, and situating your garden so it receives full sun and faces south will also help.

The last average date of frost for our area is May 1. Keep in mind that tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cukes, squash and melons will need protection if frost is in the forecast. Row cover fabrics can provide several degrees of protection.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

With spring 11 days away, Domenick Voce, the owner of Atlantic Nursery in Mays Landing, knows his customers will soon stop by his place looking to improve their backyard gardens.

Voce said the most valuable first step is to come up with a plan before any work is done. In creating plans, homeowners need to think about the architecture of their homes, their personal styles and their wants and needs.

“Make sure you have made your garden space large enough to accommodate the plantings you would like to install. Making your garden space too small and not allowing room for growth will make your garden overcrowded quickly. Bring the dimensions of your garden along with pictures when you visit the nursery. The staff will be better equipped to help you,” Voce said. “Buying insufficient amounts of one variety of a plant and instead buying one of everything you like can make your garden look hodgepodge with very little consistency.”

Colleen Dunne, landscape designer at At-lantic Nursery with 25 years of experience, said when redoing anything in a garden, homeowners should take in consideration the sun, wind, drainage and soil condition of their property.

“People may want a patio, but if you have a western exposure, you will receive the full afternoon heat of the sun, which may not be a good idea. You may want a meadow garden, but if you have poor drainage, there will be some needs you will have to deal with,” said Dunne, who added Atlantic Nursery offers the “we plan, you plant” service. “In southern New Jersey, people tend to use a lot of native plants that attract wildlife. You can start with seeds indoors, move the plants outdoors after

May 15 and have flowers in the summertime.”

Mona Bawgus, a certified master gardener and consumer horticulturist with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County, said there is a master gardener helpline in effect

9 a.m. to noon on weekdays at 609-625-0056.

Bawgus, who writes the Green Thumbs column for The Press, said one thing homeowners want to avoid in making changes to their backyard gardens is adding harmful invasive plants, such as English ivy, the wisteria vine and purple loosestrife. People who live on barrier islands might want to skip planting arbor vitae shrubs because shrubs don’t like saltwater, Bawgus said. Round beds of plants and flowers are more aesthetically pleasing than straight beds, and gardeners don’t want to make their beds too narrow because then mowing will be difficult, Bawgus said.

“Summersweet is good for the area,” said Bawgus, who mentioned the plant that is often found in wetland areas and is attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

Tessa Goldsmith, past president of The Little Gardens Club, said a garden should be designed to meet homeowners’ needs while also keeping in mind their ability to maintain it. Otherwise, it will become a chore, the Mays Landing woman said.

Goldsmith, said more people have been adding water features to their gardens whether they are foundations, waterfalls or ponds.

“It depends on how adventurous you want to be,” said Goldsmith, who added ideas for next year’s gardens can come from taking The Little Gardens Club tour on July 13. “A garden never stays still. I know people who completely change their garden every few years.”

Contact Vincent Jackson:

609-272-7202; VJackson@pressofac.com