(Family Features) Fresh veggie pizza, spaghetti sauce, and pasta with pesto sauce—sound incredible? You’ll be happy to know that you can grow your own fresh Italian ingredients simply and easily right at home.

For a delicious garden you just need a spot with full sun. Classic Italian ingredients including tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley can be grown in pots or small raised beds.

Here are tips on helping your Italian garden thrive:

Start with the Soil. To help an in-ground garden get off to a strong start, first address the soil. Simply remove any stones or debris from the garden area and add a 4-inch layer of Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers and Vegetables or Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Garden Soil, working it into the soil.

For a container garden, just make sure your pot has a hole for drainage, add a few small stones over the hole, and fill to about 3 inches under the rim with a quality potting soil like Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix.

Dig In. Check the instructions on your herbs and veggies for proper spacing. Plant in the early morning, dig a hole twice as wide as your plant’s root ball, gently place your plant in it, then backfill with soil.

What to Plant

•    Tomatoes. To create rich, complex flavors in your tomato sauce, use more than one variety. Consider using both red and yellow tomatoes and remember to use cages or stakes for support.
•    Peppers. For bell peppers wait until temperatures are over 60 degrees for planting. Pick while green if that is your preference or leave on the vine to ripen into yellow or red peppers for a sweeter flavor.
•    Onions. Onions should be planted very early in the growing season. Make sure you select a variety best suited to your climate – short-day onions do best in the south while long-day onions thrive in the north.
•    Garlic. Fragrant, delicious garlic does best when planted in the fall and harvested in the spring and summer. If you can’t wait, you can plant it before the last frost date in your area, but the bulbs will be somewhat smaller.
•    Herbs. Basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley are very easy to grow. To encourage new foliage, avoid picking more than one-third of the plant at once.

Water and Feed. If you water your garden regularly, feeding about once every two weeks, you’ll be amazed at how beautifully your plants respond. You can combine tasks by using Miracle-Gro Watering Can Singles mixed right into your watering can.

Mulch.

Protect in-ground plants by putting down a layer of mulch around them. This will keep weeds from cropping up and will help your garden retain moisture. A two-inch layer should do the trick.
Harvest and Enjoy. Pick your homegrown produce and with these few fresh ingredients, you’ll be able to whip up amazing Italian dishes like pesto, marinara, pizza, and more.
For more tips and recipes, visit groyourown.miraclegro.com.

(NAPS)—If you’re considering what to do about a hard-to-mow patch of your garden, ground cover may have it covered. Most ground covers require less work and fewer chemicals than a lawn—and they never need mowing.

Ground covers do exactly what their name implies: cover the ground with dense plant growth, choking out weeds and lending color and texture to a space. Even hostas and daylilies can be considered ground covers.

Regular turfgrass does a good job if you have a very large, sunny yard. But if you have a smaller area, a spot with shady pockets where turfgrass struggles, a difficult slope where mowing is difficult or another unusual situation, a ground cover can work wonders.

Many ground covers don’t like to be walked on, but a few, such as creeping thyme or brass buttons (Leptinella squalida “Platt’s Black”), tolerate some foot traffic and look great when planted between pavers and flagstones. Pink Chintz even sports tiny pink flowers in early spring.

If you want color in a partially sunny to sunny area, try the three-part Forever & Ever® GroundCover Sedum Carpet Collection. Golden foliage and flowers from Angelina, bronzy-red leaves and red flowers from Red Carpet and rich green foliage and yellow flowers from Kamschaticum sedum will light up the space.

Many sedums, including John Creech, Sedum divergens, Blue Spruce and Ogon, serve as reliable and beautiful ground covers whose stems can be left for months to provide winter interest. Just clip or break off the old dry stems in early spring before new growth starts.

Ornamental grasses, which come in various heights and shapes, work well in sunny spaces.

In partial to full sun, try a silver-veined winter creeper called Wolong Ghost, a type of spreading euonymus that just needs regular water to stay looking fresh.

Vinca minor, a stalwart ground cover for shade, gets a makeover with “Merlot.” Instead of the traditional blue flowers, you’ll get burgundy flowers in spring. Or seek out “Double Bowles” vinca minor, with a ruffle of extra petals in a lighter shade of violet.

All these tough ground covers are available at home and garden centers.

It’s now the end of July, and that means it’s time to begin digging up those red potatoes! We harvested a batch a few days ago here in Cedar Springs, and my son fried them with polish kielbasa, onions and bell pepper. It tasted delicious! And it tasted even better knowing that the potatoes were from our own garden.

The potato is the most popular vegetable in America. It’s easy to understand their popularity. They’re fat-free, low in calories, high in vitamin C and potassium, and provide a good source of vitamin B6 and fiber. In addition to being nutritious and great tasting, potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways and are loved by adults and kids, alike.

Potatoes were cultivated over 4,500 years ago in ancient Peru, in areas too cold to grow wheat or corn. Today, potatoes are grown in 130 countries around the world.

“French fries” were reportedly first introduced to America when Thomas Jefferson served “french fries” at the White House.

Looking for a new recipe for those newly harvested potatoes? Below is a summertime recipe from the Michigan Potato Commission.

Grilled Potato Salad

Cut potatoes in half and microwave for about 2 minutes or until they just start to cook. Cut onions into 1⁄2 inch slices ad place on hot grill with potatoes. Grill potatoes and onions until tender. Chop into small pieces (about 1⁄4 inch). Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, mustard and dill seeds. Toss together with potatoes and onions until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve cold.

PotatoesBy Judy Reed
It’s now the end of July, and that means it’s time to begin digging up those red potatoes! We harvested a batch a few days ago here in Cedar Springs, and my son fried them with polish kielbasa, onions and bell pepper. It tasted delicious! And it tasted even better knowing that the potatoes were from our own garden.The potato is the most popular vegetable in America. It’s easy to understand their popularity. They’re fat-free, low in calories, high in vitamin C and potassium, and provide a good source of vitamin B6 and fiber. In addition to being nutritious and great tasting, potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways and are loved by adults and kids, alike.Potatoes were cultivated over 4,500 years ago in ancient Peru, in areas too cold to grow wheat or corn. Today, potatoes are grown in 130 countries around the world.“French fries” were reportedly first introduced to America when Thomas Jefferson served “french fries” at the White House. Looking for a new recipe for those newly harvested potatoes? Below is a summertime recipe from the Michigan Potato Commission.Grilled Potato Salad
Ingredients8 medium red potatoes2 large red onions3⁄4 cup olive oil1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped2 tablespoons dijon mustard1 tablespoon dill seedssalt and pepper to taste
Cut potatoes in half and microwave for about 2 minutes or until they just start to cook. Cut onions into 1⁄2 inch slices ad place on hot grill with potatoes. Grill potatoes and onions until tender. Chop into small pieces (about 1⁄4 inch). Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, mustard and dill seeds. Toss together with potatoes and onions until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve cold.

(ARA) – The trend for gardening at home continues to grow – and people are taking a particular interest in raising their flowers and vegetables organically. With such prominent figures as Michelle Obama taking public initiatives in organic gardening, more and more products that cater to the trend are appearing.

Unfortunately, the increased interest in organic gardening has led to some confusion – and some deception – about what it means for a product to be “organic.” The labeling of products has become a minefield for consumers who are interested in eco-friendly agriculture. It can be difficult to know exactly what is meant by products labeled “natural,” “plant-based” or “organic.”

Official organic labeling comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their seal comes in a few forms, denoting whether a product is “100 percent organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic” ingredients. Unfortunately, anecdotal evidence suggests this multi-tiered labeling system is also contributing to consumer confusion.

For example, for a product to be labeled 100 percent organic, everything in it must be certified organic. If it says just “organic,” that means that it must contain 95 percent certified organic ingredients. If a product contains 70 percent organic ingredients, it can be labeled as being “made with organic [ingredients].” Any product with less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot carry the USDA seal.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a product labeled “natural” is not organic. While there might be some naturally occurring ingredients in the product, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe or earth-friendly – not to mention organic.

Perhaps in an effort to simplify the consumer’s “organic” label options, the USDA also directs consumers to other organizations that can help them determine whether or not the products they’re buying are 100 percent organic. One of those, the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a non-profit, independent organization that gives reviews of products and how they stand up to the National Organic Standards from the USDA.

For concerned consumers, they provide a comprehensive list (available online) of products that pass the test. “OMRI’s list is an invaluable tool for gardeners who want to keep their plots organic,” says Claude Boisvert, president of Tree World Plant Care Products. “It makes it easier than ever to find gardening supplements that are not harmful to the environment.”

If your main concern in planting an organic garden is providing your family with safe-to-eat, healthy food right from your own back yard, you’ll want to take the trouble to make sure you’re using truly organic gardening products. At the same time, you want your garden to look great and produce well.

One of the biggest challenges to organic gardening is keeping pests away in a way that is humane and safe. For smaller pests, it is increasingly easy to find organic insecticidal soaps that are safe unlike some traditional pesticides. Larger garden plant browsers can really wreak havoc unless you use a rabbit or deer repellent. An OMRI listed solution, developed in eco-conscious Sweden and now made in the United States, is Plantskydd. Its effectiveness and environmental soundness as an organic repellent have made it popular for farming and among gardeners, professional landscapers, nurseries, foresters and state conservation agencies.

It’s important to remember that you have the power to influence the products that are available to you. If keeping your organic garden truly organic is important to you, discuss your concerns with local retailers. By asking them to stock products that have been subject to rigorous standards, like those of OMRI, you’ll make it easier for everyone in your community to have access to verified organic materials.

(NAPS)—Got a hundred bucks and a free weekend? Then you’ve got what it takes to invest in some yard care improvements, according to a top expert on lawn and yard care.

“Some of the best improvements in your yard can be done with a few dollars and a few hours,” says Trey Rogers, Ph.D., the Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor. “When budgets are tight, get more creative and do it yourself.”

What can you do with $100 right now?

• Mow the right way starting today. Don’t scalp your lawn, thinking you will have to mow less often. Instead, let it grow a little longer, which is healthy for the lawn and saves on gas and wear and tear on your mower. When you do mow, cut only one-third the length of the grass blade. Cost: About $3 for a gallon of gas, enough for a month of mowing for many homeowners.

• Apply a few bags of bark mulch. Few things dress up a yard more than mulch properly applied on flower beds and around trees. It provides that finished look and is good for the plants because it retains moisture in the soil. Cost: About $3 per bag.

• Fertilize naturally. When you mow, leave a light layer of grass clippings on the lawn, which will become a natural fertilizer. Even better, a mulching mower finely minces the grass clippings so they decompose more rapidly. Cost: $0.

• Start a compost pile. This costs nothing but a little time as opposed to purchasing bags of compost at the garden center. It’s easy. Start a pile that includes most leftovers from your meals (excluding proteins). Cost: $0.

• Take 30 minutes to maintain your mower. Change the oil, clean or replace the spark plug, and change the filter once a year. This simple task cuts emissions, makes your mower run better and may save you from repair bills down the road. Tune-up kits are available to make it easy. Cost: $10–14 for the average walk-behind mower.

• Let nature water your lawn. Your lawn needs about one inch of water a week to be green and thrive. But if water is costly where you live, let nature handle irrigation. Cost: $0.

With the rest of your $100 bill, splurge on some flowers, inexpensive clay pots and a bag of potting soil to dress up your front doorway, patio or deck. Then sit back and admire what you accomplished on a shoestring.

For more yard care tips and to learn about the Yard Smarts Boot Camp hosted by Trey Rogers, visit www.yardsmarts.com. The Yard Doctor is part of the Briggs & Stratton Yard Smarts program, created to help homeowners achieve the yard they want to have.

If you are looking for a place to shop or place to sell your produce or crafts, you might want to check out the Solon Township farmer’s market/craft sale/flea market every Saturday through September from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 15185 Algoma, at the old horse barn. Right now, it appears to be a well-kept secret, and township officials and residents hope it catches on.

Vicky Babcock, a Solon Twp. resident, sent us a letter last week about it. “I am amazed at the amount of people I have talked to regarding Solon Township’s farmer’s market that say, ‘I have not seen or heard anything about it. Why was this not put in the paper?’ Both the Cedar Springs Post and the Rockford Squire printed information regarding this new venue, which is free to vendors and open rain or shine every Saturday through September,” she noted.

Babcock said they are struggling to get the word out and she understands it’s a common problem with start up ventures. “There is no charge for vendors and plenty of free parking, with no door fee to shoppers,” she explained. “Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? Okay, there is a charge for the hot dogs,” she conceded.

For more information, call Linda at Solon Township at (616) 696-1718.

Growing Better Green Beans

Kathy Bond-Borie, Guest Columnist

(Family Features) – Green beans are one of the quintessential veggies of summer, and they are hard to beat for the quantity of food they provide per square foot. They are also easy to grow, providing you can keep the bugs and diseases from getting the upper hand. Here are some routines that will help keep your crop healthy and productive.

Soil Preparation

Beans grow well in a wide range of soils without fertilizer. Where fertility is low, mix a complete fertilizer into the top 3 or 4 inches of soil before planting. Set up trellises or pole tepees before planting climbing beans.

Planting

Plants grow best when spaced about 2 to 4 inches apart. You can plant seeds at this spacing or, better yet, err on the side of planting too many seeds and plan to thin them to the recommended spacing just in case some don’t germinate. Plant seeds 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep.

Care

Mulch snap beans to help keep the soil cool and retain moisture. Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.

Weeding

Beans generally grow quickly and shade out weeds, particularly if the beans are grown in wide rows. But if you need to cultivate around plants to dislodge weeds, do so near the soil surface so you don’t injure plant roots. The best time is after a rain when the plants are completely dry and the soil has dried out a little. This is when many weeds start to germinate.

Insects and Disease

Rotate the location of your bean crops from year to year to discourage diseases, and avoid working around plants when the foliage is wet.

To deter Mexican bean beetles, use floating row covers over seedlings to prevent egg laying. Check leaf undersides for masses of yellowish eggs, and squish any you spot. Hand-pick adult beetles and larvae. Neem oil will deter feeding adults; horticultural oil and insecticidal soap are useful against the larvae. Clean up plant debris in the garden at the end of the season to reduce the number of overwintering adults. Where these beetles are a severe problem, look for varieties of beans that are naturally resistant.

Pick ‘em Young

For the best flavor and nutritional value, pick snap beans when they’re young and tender and about the diameter of a pencil. Hold the stem with one hand and the pod with other to avoid pulling off branches that will produce more pods. Picking encourages more blossoms and more pods. After your first picking, you can probably pick again three to five days later. To keep the harvest going as long as possible, don’t let any seeds develop inside the pods. Pole (climbing) beans are slower to mature, but they have a longer harvest period.

For more tips and garden information visit www.garden.org.
A former floral designer and interior plantscaper, Kathy Bond-Borie has spent 20 years as a garden writer/editor, including her current role as Horticultural Editor for the National Gardening Association. She loves designing with plants, and spends more time playing in the garden – planting and trying new combinations – than sitting and appreciating it.

Courtesy of Family Features

(NAPS)—Whether you use shrubs as foundation plantings, for a hedge or simply as a single specimen in your garden, you can get double the punch when you plant a flowering variety.

Freshen up your garden with pink and white peppermint-striped hydrangeas.

Shrubs are low-maintenance solutions in most yards. They fill larger amounts of space than perennials and can form the backbone of a garden’s structure. Some easy-care flowering shrubs offer value-added impact.

* Henry’s Garnet sweetspire (Itea virginica “Henry’s Garnet”) is an excellent replacement for the invasive old burning bush in your yard. Fragrant finger-length sprays of tiny white flowers adorn the shrub in spring, giving the appearance of a white waterfall. In autumn, brilliant red leaves make it a traffic stopper. Perhaps best of all, it’s highly adaptable to most conditions. Reaching three to four feet tall and four to six feet wide, Henry’s Garnet prefers full sun but takes dappled shade. It likes moist soil but tolerates drought when established.

For an unexpected jolt of blue flowers in late summer when you least expect them, plant Caryopteris, sometimes called blue mist, bluebeard or blue spirea. The cobalt-blue flowers of “First Choice” or the pure blue flowers of “Longwood Blue” attract butterflies and hummingbirds. For a contrast between foliage and flowers, look for “Sunshine Blue” with yellow-chartreuse leaves and amethyst-blue flowers. Plant blue mist in full sun or in afternoon shade. Most reach three to five feet tall and two to four feet wide.

Old-fashioned weigelas—dependable growers with showy, trumpet-shaped spring flowers in pink, red, white or yellow—have gotten a makeover in recent years, offering many choices of leaf color. Selections with burgundy, butter-yellow and variegated green and white or green and yellow leaves can perk up your yard even when the shrub isn’t in bloom (some will rebloom in late summer or fall). Weigelas come in a wide range of sizes, from about a foot tall to six to eight feet, and are pretty hardy.

For the longest-flowering shrub, consider a hydrangea. Beautiful mophead hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) now come in reblooming varieties. Hydrangeas in the Forever & Ever series bloom on both old and new wood. Choose from pink (blue in acidic soils) or white flowers or the cute bicolor pink and white of “Peppermint” for a color boost that begins in early summer and lasts until frost. Even then, you can leave the dried flowers on the shrub for winter interest. The new Summer Lace variety grows with a flat-top lacecap form. Grow them in morning sun and afternoon shade in well-drained, organic-rich soil. Most of these hardy plants reach three to four feet tall.

You can locate retailers carrying these plants or get more information online at www.forever hydrangea.com and on Facebook.

Wild ones in Cedar Springs

The “Wild Ones” gathered for an exploratory walk at Ody Brook on June 21 to view and discuss native plant landscaping. Forty-five people met for a two-hour walk to enjoy the plants and animals in a yard maintained to maximize increased varieties of life. We were greeted by the sounds of Blue-winged Warblers, Field Sparrows, and Eastern Towhees among other birds.

Along the drive we viewed the large leaves of skunk cabbage surrounded by sensitive ferns in the understory of native hardwood wetland trees. Many species of trees, shrubs, and ground plants provide food and shelter for an abundance of surprising wildlife species. Those plants muffle the sounds emanating from the highway traffic and keep it quieter around the home.

The walk up the drive brought us to higher ground where butterflies flitted around a landscape mound. Mowed lawn, field area, shrub land, and forest blended into an appealing landscape. Each was claimed by different wildlife where each species works daily to make its living. Some move among the different habitats. Like members of our human community, work duties are divided among specialists. Each species fills a different nature niche and some generalists have a variety of jobs.

The Common Yellowthroat seeks insects on floodplain shrubs to feed young birds. Kathy Bowler found Question Mark caterpillars eating American elm leaves. Ken Knight found a Viceroy Butterfly on willow. A House Wren announced its territory near birdhouses as the Wild Ones walked nearby. Quietly an Indigo Bunting stood watch in a treetop while an Eastern Phoebe vacated the open yard until the hoard of people passed.

Two sugar maple trees keep the home cool in summer by standing year round on the south and west sides of the home. In the winter they allow sunlight warmth through their naked branches. The dense stand of wetland trees and shrubs between the road and open yard prevent strong winds form taking heat away from around the house and reduce heating bills. In winter, strong winds are not noticed in the yard until we venture away from Ody Brook, where chilling winds are raising heating bills for neighbors who keep open sterile yards to south and north or us.

East of the house two ash trees were planted to provide light shade. Ash trees branches permit filtered light through so we get some morning sun warmth. This is where the phoebe often spends much of its day flying out from tree branches in search of tasty insect morsels. A nest is annually built or remolded in the carport.

Close to the house, it is mowed so we can sit enjoying the sunlight light on the back porch without mosquitoes disturbing us during sunny weather. At mid June, most of the backyard still has not received its first mowing or the year. The Wild Ones were able to experience a carpet of nearly solid pink and yellow flowers where mowing will occur after plants set seed. Many inquiries about plant names erupted from the group. Butterflies, birds, and an American toad, among others, find the yard a most pleasing home full of abundant life to meet individual needs. An Eastern Comma butterfly flitted back and forth above our heads as we compared the two planted 30-year-old ash trees. One tree is six feet tall and the other about 30 feet tall. The tall one has been allowed to grow freely. The shorter one is pruned Bonsai-style to six feet each year. It has a full dense green ball of foliage and is next to a butterfly garden. It appears like a large beautifully dense leaved shade tree in miniature.

Prairie Smoke is a Michigan threatened plant thriving on the sandy soils in the back yard along with Cut-leaved Grape Fern and Ebony Spleenwort. Seven ferns enrich the landscape. Thirty-one species of trees, about 25 species of shrubs, many forbs and grasses host hundreds of animal species needs. Thanks to native plants, we have birds, mammals, and amphibians, reptiles, and a wonderful array of beautiful insects to enjoy. Non-native ornamental plants are beautiful and I grow a few but they do not support many wildlife so we keep them to a minimum. Prior to our purchase of the property, the yard was mowed to the neighbors home and to the creek where fewer species could survive. Sun warmed the brook trout stream. By reducing the yard to the vicinity of the home, septic field and some selected clearings for wildlife, the yard is now haven for life and a wonderful place for wildlife.

I am always hopeful neighbors to the north and south will spend less time on mowers, save money by consuming less fuel mowing, and allow yards to replenish America’s native plant and wildlife diversity.

—
Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at the odybrook@chartermi.net  Ody Brook, 13010 Northland Dr, Cedar Springs, MI 49319-8433. 616-696-1753.

By Kathy Bond-Borie, Guest Columnist

What’s eating my potatoes?

(Family Features) – Potatoes are a fun crop to grow, especially when it comes time to dig for those buried treasures. Unfortunately, there are numerous pests that are also fond of potatoes. Here are the most common and what to do about them.

Colorado Potato Beetle

In spite of the name, these insects can be found in most states. Both the adults, which are yellowish with black stripes, and the larvae, which are dark red or orange with black spots, feed on potato foliage. Check the undersides of leaves for their orange egg masses and rub them off. Dispose of beetles in a can of soapy water. Bacillus thuringiensis ‘San Diego’ kills the young larvae and it’s harmless to beneficial insects, animals, and humans.

Flea Beetle

Flea beetles are tiny, black or brown, and pesky. They chew small holes in plant leaves and can do serious damage fast if they attack young plants. To foil these pests, cover young plants with fabric row covers as soon as you set them out. Keep flea beetle populations low through crop rotation and by maintaining high soil organic matter.

Aphid

These tiny insects can transmit virus diseases. They suck juices from the leaves and stems of potato plants, stunting their growth. Insecticidal soap sprays are an effective control.

Wireworm

Wireworms are the larvae of the click beetle. They’re a problem when potatoes are planted in a section of garden that was recently in sod. Fully-grown wireworms are 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long, slender, and brownish or yellowish white. They tunnel into plant roots and tubers, spoiling them. If your soil is heavily infested, contact your Extension Service for advice on solving the problem.

Diseases

You may have a disease problem in the potato patch one year and none at all the next. The weather plays a big part in the health of a potato crop. Moisture and temperature conditions may trigger certain diseases, which will spread rapidly through the potato rows. But there’s no need to simply sit back and let the weather determine the fate of your crop.

To protect your crop, rotate the potato plot each year. Plant healthy, certified seed potatoes. If you have severe disease problems, consider using a standard potato dust or spray regularly throughout the season. These are chemical mixtures that prevent some diseases such as late blight. They thwart some pests, too, such as the Colorado potato beetle. If you use a potato dust or spray, read and follow the directions carefully. To be effective, most standard dusts must be applied to the potato foliage every 7 to 10 days, beginning when the plants emerge from the ground.

The fungus that causes common scab lives in the soil for many years. It’s not active when the soil pH is below 5.4, so if you have a serious scab problem, take a soil pH test. You may want to lower the pH by adding wood ashes to the potato bed. Avoid lime, which raises the pH.

For more tips and garden information visit www.garden.org.

A former floral designer and interior plantscaper, Kathy Bond-Borie has spent 20 years as a garden writer/editor, including her current role as Horticultural Editor for the National Gardening Association. She loves designing with plants, and spends more time playing in the garden – planting and trying new combinations – than sitting and appreciating it.

Courtesy of Family Features