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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2003
TIPS
Plan as you grow
Keep a garden journal of what you like and dislike. Include notes on fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, plus plants you would like to add when fall planting season arrives.
Great gardeners reap praise
April is National Gardening Month. In honor of that designation, Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine, names the top 10 gardening innovators:
Luther Burbank, breeder of more than 800 varieties of plants.
Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York's Central Park. He also designed Riverside, Ill., one of the first suburban communities.
Gertrude Jekyll, who inspired and showed English homeowners how to create "cottage gardens" full of flowers that require little care.
W. Atlee Burpee, popularizer of the full-color seed catalog in the 1870s and sponsor of competitive gardening contests.
Lady Bird Johnson, supporter of native plant restoration.
Liberty Hyde Bailey, Cornell University professor and proponent of Victory Gardens to support the war effort during World War II.
John Jeavons, an advocate of intensive planting and author of How to Grow More Vegetables (Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine).
Alan Titchmarsh, founder of the popular BBC Gardening Program Ground Force.
Kent and Diane Whealy, founders of the Seed Savers Exchange and pioneers of the heirloom craze.
J.I. Rodale, who coined the term "organic" for agriculture, established Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in 1942 and spoke out early about the connection between healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people.
Occasional excerpts from fertile sources.
Trowel & Error: Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips & Remedies for the Gardener, by Sharon Lovejoy, Workman Publishing, $13.95.
"Car Potpourri: Whenever you need to dry flowers or herbs quickly, look no further than your car. Cover flat surfaces with paper, spread a layer of fragrant blooms, close the windows, and park in the sun.
" Aluminum Foils: Plant pathologists in Mississippi found that if you spread aluminum foil on the soil around tomatoes, peppers and squash, you can prevent viruses transmitted by thrips and aphids. Basil also flourishes with this protection and the extra warmth and light.
"Dragonfly lures: Dragonsflies can consume 300 insects a day. Lure them to your yard with an old tub, trough or small pool filled with water. Stick tall bamboo stakes into submerged, soil-filled pots, making sure the twigs protrude above the water. Dragonflies like to perch on these stakes."
-- Compiled by Lyra Solochek from Times staff and wire reports