“I don’t have the best place in the world to store my gardening tools at the end of the year and as a result some of my tools get rusty.  Is there anything I can do to get the rust off?  (I am planning on finding the proper storage location for them soon!)

Doug, Wintersville, Ohio

Answer:

Some times space can be a problem for storing all those tools we collect. To help remedy my situation I found a large plastic barrel and put it in the corner of my basement where I put all my rakes, shovels and “awkward” tools in it.  They’re standing upright and collected all in one neat space.  When I get ready to store my tools I always make sure they are clean and then cover them with a light coat of WD-40.  This keeps them rust free and ready to go in the spring.  Since you are already dealing with rust on your tools rub them down with a soap-filled steel wool pad dipped in kerosene or turpentine.  (Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.)  Finish the job by rubbing the tools with a wad of aluminum foil.  They’ll look good as new.

Question:

“We just moved into a new house this summer and we’re already planning our landscaping for this spring.  What would you suggest would be a good, attractive hedge for providing privacy?”

Karen and Les, Libby, Montana

Answer:

Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) is a rather graceful and attractive evergreen to consider for your hedge.  It is a soft blue green in color and grows in flat, feathery layers all the way to the ground.  The foliage is easy to shape if you want, yet even left un-sheared the hedge is still very attractive.  It also grows fast and is hardy in plant zones 3 in the northwest to zone 8 in Louisiana.  It prefers full sun or partial shade, but needs its share of moisture.

The Redlleaf Barberry Hedge is another more colorful answer for zones 4 through 9, but given the fact that this strain was developed from a Japanese Barberry that was grown in the mountains of Japan, you just might be able to give this a try with some tender loving care.  It is a lustrous purple-red which accelerates as summer progresses.  In the fall it turns orange-scarlet in color and over the winter it produces red berries. In the spring it has tiny reddish flowers that are canary-yellow inside the petals.  It becomes very dense, beautiful and lush for a very different look.  

Question:

“I’m relatively new to the gardening scene and there are so many tools and gardening gadgets on the market these days, how does a consumer know what to buy?  Are there any guidelines as to what a person really needs or is it a trial and error situation?  I just hate to stick a lot of money into tools that I don’t end up needing.”

Gretta, Bloomfield, New York

Answer:

A person could go broke out there buying gardening tools, there’s no doubt about that.  What you buy depends entirely upon what your own specific needs are, but your basic garden trowel, spade, shovel and rakes are the big ones to start with.  It won’t take you long to figure out what you really need, I guarantee that.  When it comes to gardening tools though, just remember that “you do get what you pay for.”  I recommend staying away from buying dime store, gift shop and department store types of tools. This particular sales staff is not going to know the difference between a good tool and a piece of tin, if you really think about it.  Instead, buy the top of the line quality tool from a garden center or hardware store that knows exactly what they are selling you.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions or pay a decent price for them.  Good quality garden tools will last you a lifetime and be well worth the money if you take care of them.

Question:

“Is there a secret to storing fresh herbs?  I had a very successful herb garden this summer and I want to keep these herbs as long as possible.”

Tara, Silver Lake, Oregon

Answer:

The rule of thumb on storing herbs with woodier qualities to them like sage, rosemary, basil and thyme is to store them in a perforated bag and keep them in the crisper of your refrigerator.  Leafy fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill and mint come in bunches and can be stored like a bouquet of flowers.  Put about an inch of water in a vase or jar with the cut ends down.  Cover them with a little plastic wrap loosely so air can flow around them.  Make sure you change the water every day or two so the water stays fresh.

Question: 

“I’m planning on doing some landscaping next spring, which includes introducing some new trees to my property. Do I need to be too particular about what kind of soil I plant trees in? I’ve read that they just sort of adapt to their environments. Do certain trees take special soil mixtures?”

Judy and Kaye, Itasca, Illinois

Answer:

Well, yes and no. If you’re buying trees from a nursery always consult the resident horticulturalist for their recommendation. That not only makes good sense, but it also gives you piece of mind. (When I buy anything from a nursery, I milk them for information to the fullest while I have their undivided attention!) Basically, most trees do well in sandy loam or a good clay loam. Heavy clay, on the other hand, is bad news.

Question:

“This is my first year at trying my hand at drying flowers and I have met with some success.  What flowers dry best to be used for dried flower arrangements?”

Dionne, Owatona, Minnesota

Answer:

The flowers that you are going to want to choose are those that are colorful, strong-stemmed, compact, and relatively low in moisture content.  The best time to harvest these flowers is just when the first flowers are reaching maturity.  Some people use a silica gel that you can get from craft stores or florists to preserve flowers such as anemones, daisies, pansies and zinnias which have very moist blooms.  However, if you choose the old fashion air-drying route, the best choices would be yarrow, anise hyssop, larkspur, globe amaranth, pink paper daisy, statice and starflower.  Drying time is pretty much from 10-20 days depending upon when you picked the plant and the moisture content.