I just returned from a warm and pleasant week in Tucson. The Sonoran desert is one of my favorite places to visit. I consider it the antithesis of the Pacific Northwest. That doesn't mean I don't love the PNW - I do. But when I can't take one more week of grey winter skies I head south for sun, great Mexican food and cactus gardens. I love those spiny plants. Every year I make a point of planting some in the Tucson garden of my friends Tom and Jill (see photo). I accept the fact that I can't grow them here so it's nice when you can have an adopted garden in another part of the country.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a conversation with my gardening partner, Joseph, in which he suggested we buy a blow torch to fight weeds.

I thought he was crazy. And he is, but more crazy like a fox: Marce pointed out an article from the Organic Gardening magazine that explains how to use a torch effectively.

According to the experts, the flame causes the water molecules in the plants heat up and explode, damaging the cell walls in the plant. And you can do that without burning it to a crisp!

A torch isn't on my shopping list just yet, but the season is young.

In other news, I saw a few kale and carrot sprouts this morning! I was beginning to get discouraged, but now I'm feeling a bit better. This weekend if all goes as planned, we'll get a few more things planted.

We evicted "Stinky Bob" or whatever its name was. The mysterious weed growing in my garden is a memory – at least until the dormant seeds sitting in the warming ground are inspired to sprout again.

This is the time of year that makes me wish I believed in heavy-duty chemicals that would annihilate all those seedlings that take up so much of my precious gardening time.

This month's issue of Organic Gardening offers tips on getting ahead of the weeds.

Usually I spend most of my time pulling the weeds by hand. But this year, I am going to try spending more time with my hoe. The Organic Gardening article recommends an oscillating or a swan neck hoe for the job.

I've put that on my shopping list for this weekend.

Any one have great tips for keeping away weeds?

Here's one I hadn't heard of: a combination Easter egg hunt and plant exchange.

There's no mention in the flyer of how the egg hunt will work, but the plant exchange is simple: Bring what you don't want, go home with what you do. Here's a sampling of what will be availiable: Coreopsis moon beam, rudbeckia daisy, sedum, chives, oregano, phlox, cat mint, feverfew, euphorbia and butterfly bush. And that's just from one gardener!

The exchange is at the Portland Avenue Community Center from noon to 2 p.m.

Remember: If you bring plants, be sure to include the name, sunlight and water requirements and soil information.

When I built a raised garden bed out of stone blocks last spring I did plenty of lifting and twisting. Ahhhhh, my aching back!

I wish I would have had this tool: the PotLifter. It's a contraption made of nylon webbing and some pretty strong plastic straps. It carries up to 200 pounds.

From the company's marketing propaganda:

Certainly the most common use for this tool is the lifting and moving of large flowerpots, but PotLifter's remarkable versatility is allowing constant discovery of new and interesting uses. Landscapers like it for moving stones, stumps and tree root balls.

Cost is $29.95 and is manufactured by a Mercer Island company. Details here.

Want instant spring in your front yard? Did you blow it and forget to plant tulips last fall? The Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center suggests how to add instant spring:

You need: Nursery-grown potted bulbs

Where to find them: Nurseries and garden centers everywhere, between $4-$12

Choose: Bulbs that are young and still green, in bud, but not in bloom. Tulips , hyacinths, daffodils and Iris reticulata and dwarf Narcissi, muscari and crocuses.

Once home: Water the pots well and put them in a cold, but protected space to help them acclimate to the colder weather. Once acclimated for a day or so, slip them out of the pot and plant directly in your garden bed or in a container.

After blooming and the foliage dies back, just cut to the ground and leave them to bloom again next spring.

Source: Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center, www.bulb.com

Pictured here: Hyacinthus "Delft Blue,' Anemone blanda 'Blue Shades.'

Good news: Point Defiance is hosting a plant sale tomorrow (Sat., March 24) at the pagoda. It will feature mainly roses, along with other plants and what they call an eclectic mix of garden treasures. And everything you buy will help the Point Defiance Rose Garden buy more roses.

Details: Sat., March 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pagoda in Point Defiance Park. Admission is free.

Have fun -- I'll be working!

This isn't exactly garden art -- but it will pretty up your porch. I just love these copper doorbell plates from artist Lisa Young, who owns Seattle-based Flopping Fish. She tarnishes the pieces by hand with a technique that gives the pieces an interesting patina.

She also makes copper house numbers, switch plates and plaques. If you have a nicely decorated porch with arty doorbell plates or house numbers, you should upload photos at our web site. Once there, click on "photos" on the right side of the screen to upload your photos.

I just saw this on BoingBoing, one of my favorite Web sites:

The Berkeley Public Library maintains a tool-lending library open to all residents and property owners of Berkeley. The library lends out everything from cabinet scrapers to rotary hammer drills to portable workbenches (!).
Update: "Burlington, Vermont's Fletcher Free Library has a similar program with garden tools etc."

I just built a cold frame last weekend, one of many times I've found myself needing tools (garden or otherwise) that I don't want to buy because I'll probably only use them once. (Although I just know I could make good use of a skill saw.) It would be great to be able to visit the library and come home with a DIY book and tools - free.

Ah, weeds. So many of them and so little time. We headed out on Sunday to enjoy the sun and clear the raised beds that will eventually become home to our vegetables.

Each of the kids got a large pot of their own to plant seeds. But first we had to get rid of weeds. Much of the last several years in the garden has been spent trying not to get them to pull up plants in the yard. Now they are going to learn about the plants we want in the garden and those we don't.

They loved this exercise - for a while.

I ran into this weed, at least I think it's a weed. Anyone know what it is?

=> Read more!

This May, I was planning on growing tomatoes on a trellis next to my front porch (the only spot in my yard that gets quality sun).

But then I got this e-mail:

Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter – an ingenious, upside-down planter that hangs from a tree branch or deck overhang, growing fresh tomatoes without digging, staking or weeding. $19.95

I'm intrigued. I might just have to buy one. Anyone ever try to grow tomatoes in a hanging contraption like this? Would you buy it?

I dug around and found this web site that has a pretty solid description of how to grow potatoes in a barrel.

Tips from the site include:
1. Use a clean trash can to grow the potatoes, and make sure there are holes drilled in the bottom.
2. Be sure to bleach out the container to kill bad germs.
3. Use good soil to prevent potato scab (click the link to see their suggestions)
4. Buy seed potatoes to get started - and make sure they're certified disease-free.

This looks like a great garden assignment for kids. If anyone starts a potato barrel, please post here and tell us about it. Send photos too.

A reader wrote me to ask if letting the moss take over her backyard was ok and, if not, if there were any organic moss killers. Judging by my own backyard, the answer to the former is yes.

But I didn't want to leave it at the blind misleading the blind, so I did some research. Turns out, moss is a fine groundcover, but there are a couple of downfalls, acccording to Sue Williams, production manager at Watson's Greenhouse in Puyallup.

She said moss is easier -- especially for a shady lawn. Plus, it'll grow all over in winter. But "in summer it will dry up and look brown." It's also not as durable as grass, so it won't stand up to the abuse that grass will.

As for organic moss killers, they do exist, according to "The Organic Lawn Care Manual" by Paul Tukey (Storey Publishing, $19.95). They're "usually soap products with a high phosphorous content." But moss killers won't due any good unless you consider why the moss is there in the first place. "You likely have one of six conditions in and around your soil: compaction, low fertility, acidity, excess moisture, inadequate soil depth and shade."

Take care of those and you can say goodbye to moss. If you must.

Another question from a reader came in today.

Sue:
I am interested in planting potatoes in a barrel. Somewhere I have heard that you can plant potatoes in a barrel and layer them, planting them about every six inches. Then as they ripen you just dig them out one layer at a time. Have you ever heard of anything like this?

My garden is small and by the time I plant potatoes, squash etc. I use too much of my area. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am starting a fact finding mission to get to the bottom of potato barrels. In the meantime, have any readers here grown a potato barrel? If so, post a comment and tell us how.

Readers have called me in the past and asked about slug bait that is safe for pets. Today, I received this product release in my e-mail:

Spring means vegetable gardening for many pet owners -- which can be a dangerous time for cats and dogs. Cats and dogs die when they ingest certain garden chemicals. It happens every summer.
A garden product that you may want to consider: Bayer Advanced Dual Action Snail & Slug Killer Bait.
This product can be used around both pets and wildlife. It eliminates messy slime trails and works in turf, vegetable gardens, ornamental beds and around edible plants. It remains effective after rain and has an active ingredient of iron phosphate, all according to the Bayer Advanced Product Guide.

Anyone ever tried this product? Also, are there other slug baits on the market that are safe for pets? How do you make sure you use products that are safe for your pets?

I received another question from a reader today. A reader would like some advice on how to get rid of algae in his pond. I've e-mailed the reader to ask if his pond is manmade (and connected to a filter system) or if it's a naturally flowing pond in his yard.

Sue
How can I treat and control the green algae growth in my ponds?
The ponds have a small amount of ground water flowing through them continually. I can stop the water flow for a time, to allow for any possible treatment.
The ponds also contain goldfish and plants.
The ponds have a western exposure and are in full sunlight.
Any help would be appreciated.

Any advice from any of you? I'll follow up when I hear back from the reader about whether he's using a filter system.

UPDATE: I heard back from our reader with the pond question. He had this to add:

I have 3 man-made ponds. There is no filter. The water flows through them continuously.

A reader with tomato troubles e-mailed me for help:

Sue,
This year I have attempted four times to plant heirloom beefsteak tomato seeds in the 'Jiffy Start' boxes. Each time, they sprout, get two small leaves and then just grow in stem. They are not bushy or healthy at all. I have tried Miracle Grow and am using the suggested starter soil, they just don't look like the pictures and after about two weeks, they lay down and die. Can you give me any suggestions?

Does anyone have any advice?

My first question is whether the tomato starts are getting enough sunlight and warmth. It's been a few years since I grew tomatoes from seeds, but I do remember getting better results when I moved my starts to a sunny, warm spot on a window sill.

And on the subject of starts, where do you get yours? Do you grow from seed? Do you buy your starts?

We were off to a great start: Joseph, Harriet and I had mulched, composted and planted lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots and a whole host of sprouts indoors.

But ... it's been about 10 days now and all we have to show is one measly lettuce sprout outdoors and too many leggy broccoli sprouts indoors. It's not even April and I feel like the garden is out of control!

I try to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint -- but it makes me a little antsy to look at (expensive) bare ground and see nothing but very happy weeds.

The garden store/nursery Bamford & Bamford has moved from its Tacoma Tide Flats location and is just about to open their new showroom – a 24,000 square foot building and display yard at 3001 S. Huson St., Tacoma.

They'll open March 30 in their new location -- which is in the same neighborhood as what I call the "home improvement alley" -- near Home Depot, Lowe's and Creative Tile. They'll have specials and refreshments through the opening weekend.

From their grand opening press release:

Open 7 days a week, Bamford & Bamford has the largest selection of frost proof pottery in the Pacific Northwest, with over 15,000 pots to choose from, a specialty plant nursery, custom fountains & water features, bamboo furnishings, & garden art. Bamford & Bamford has quickly become the source for the design conscious gardener and decorator.

Go to www.bambampots.com for map and directions.

The very cool garden store on Vashon, called Dig, is the place to be Sunday March 25 if you've got some work to do on your shrub border.

Sylvia Matlock will teach you how to do a proper prune job on perennials and shrubs. Students can practice their pruning skills on the border at Dig. Cost is $25, which includes a pair of pruners. Bargain.

Details:
11 a.m. March 25 at Dig, 19028 Vashon Highway S.W., Vashon Island
Info: 206-463-5096 or Dig Nursery web site

While you're there alert: Check out the beautiful garden mosaic art by artist Clare Dohna. Her artwork was on display at the recent NW Flower and Garden Show. We liked the free standing bird houses and the mosaic mirrors. Her work would be a gorgeous addition to any garden.

I woke in a cold sweat the other night. I must have heard "them" in my sleep.

The deer.

They love my garden with it's variety of native and non-native plants. They nibble here and there but with a couple exceptions they really don't hit any one plant too hard.

But this year is going to be different: lettuce, cabbage, carrots. All the veggies deer love to munch. WHAT was I thinking?

So, dear readers, what are your strategies for dealing with the nocturnal hooved ones? Electric fences? Neon-lit scare crows? Respond to this posting with your ideas. I need all the help I can get.

Every day we check on our seeds. The unofficial tally: About 50 percent have sprouted. The fastest ones were the zinnia. The cosmos and the peas were second.

Here are the kids working on the seeds last week:

Read on for more seed starting lessons.

=> Read more!

I've always wondered how to, um, "borrow" clippings from my neighbor's garden to add to my plant collection.

A book that tells me all: "How to Propagate: Techniques and Tips for Over 1000 Plants," by John Cushnie.

Some publisher propaganda on propagation:

In clear step-by-step instructions and photographs, How to Propagate details how to sow seed, take cuttings, divide, layer and graft in the best method possible for over 1,000 plants. The detailed information on plant hygiene, temperature and humidity, and care of newborn plants until they’re ready to go out into the garden and fend for themselves provides insight for the novice and accomplished gardener alike. Revel in the excitement of propagating your own garden for the upcoming spring!

The book is set for release next month. Details:

I was a little worried the sprouts on the tabletop plastic "greenhouse" might dry out over the weekend (while we were gone to Portland), but we returned to find that they were alive and well. The "small miracle" variety broccoli from Territorial Seed Co. has grown the most -- and it's the one we're most excited about because the catalog said it's perfect for Square Foot Gardening.

Last night, we planted multicolored carrots (I thought about giving the seeds to Craig for his wild garden project, but decided we could really use them) and kale. We were also going to plant peas, but the fine print on the inside of the seed pouch said they needed to be soaked overnight. Question: Can they not take care of this by themselves while in the wet ground overnight?

What else can we plant now? How much kale should we plant?

Being The News Tribune's Arts & Entertainment editor there's a certain expectation that I will entertain my friends and family with a decidedly alternative garden.

I hate to disappoint.

Thus: "Freak of Nature" - the name I've given my (at the moment imaginary) garden. There will be nothing ordinary about it. If it's unusual, oddly colored or just plain weird I'll grow it.

So far the only work I've done is to order seeds from Burpee and the Territorial Seed Company. My co-worker (and gardener par excellence) Dean Koepfler has promised me some unused lumber which I'll use to start a raised bed in my backyard.

I'll keep you posted on all germination tragedies, wacky Roundup/Miracle-Gro mix ups, mole attacks, and general incompetence.

I'll be mighty surprised if I have even a decent amount of success. I just might have to change its name to "Miracle Garden."

Here's what I'm planning:
Edamame beans
Shiso (Japanese herb)
Purple broccoli
Purple carrot
Ornamental corn
Lemon cucumbers
Purple kale
Red lettuce
Arugula
Blue potatoes
Daikon (Japanese radish)
Red sunflowers
Red/orange striped tomatoes (and will look for green/white as well)
Black cherry tomatoes
Green zinnias
Red marigolds
Baby bok choy (Asian cabbage)
Blue Himalayan poppies (photo above)

A plant breeder from Louisiana has introduced a new kind of azalea that the breeder says will bloom through spring, summer and fall.

For real? Blooms through three seasons?

Here's what the company marketing propaganda says:

Encore Azaleas begin blooming each spring like a traditional azalea. Once this initial blooming concludes, new shoots begin to grow and set buds. Then blooms emerge again in mid-summer and continue in many areas until first frost; a feat no other azalea can consistently achieve.

Click here for details. The new azaleas (23 varieties) are scheduled to hit the market later this spring, but it doesn't look like any South Sound nurseries are carrying them at the moment. If you find one, please tell us about it.

"Autumn Amethyst™
Azalea x 'Conlee'

Grower details from encoreazaela.com: "With its dark lavender blooms, lustrous green summer foliage and attractive purple winter foliage, Autumn Amethyst offers vibrant year-round color to any garden. Preliminary university trials have shown it to be one of the most cold hardy varieties of the Encore Azalea line."

Soil needs: This plant prefers slightly acidic, well-drained soil.

Bloom Color: Dark Pink to Purple. 2 inch-bloom spam and single bloom form

Size: 4 feet tall

The Tacoma Chapter of Plant Amnesty just mailed me a little yellow card about a rose pruning event. Here are details:

When: Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Metro Parks Headquarters, 4702 S. 19th St., Tacoma
Who's gonna be there: Frank Gatt of the Tacoma Rose Society will talk about pruning and caring for roses.
Cost: Free, but bring food or drink to share
Questions: 253-759-5438

I took my kids to the store this weekend so they could get the proper
accessories to begin their gardening career. They each got a trowel,
gloves and a watering can. Then we stopped at a local garden center to pick out some seeds that we could start in trays at home.

It’s hard to explain to kids the germination process and why we can’t grown enormous pumpkins in our small backyard that doesn’t have a lot of sun.

Margie Heinz, a manager at Watson’s Garden Center in Puyallup, suggested starting with seeds that germinate quickly such as lettuce and beans. That way kids get nearly instant gratification.

I did my best to steer them to easy-to-grow varieties while attempting to prevent a meltdown in front of the peat moss.

Here’s what we will be watching this spring:

Cosmos Bright Lights

Sunflower Autumn Beauty

Snap peas

Kandy Korn Sweet Corn

California poppy

Candytuft

Mesclun

Lemon cucumbers

Zinnia semidwarf sprite mixture

Speat peas

Swan River Daisy

Cosmos Sensation Mix

Radish Early Scarlet Globe

We’ll keep you updated on the progress.

Seed catalogs, fancy gardening magazines and glossy pictures of experimental plants clutter my desk at The News Tribune.

Think of me as “the clearinghouse.” Because of my title – Home & Garden editor –all kinds of people send me all kinds of garden propaganda. I could spend all day reading this stuff.

It’s far too much information to publish in our Saturday Home & Garden section, but will be perfect for a gardening blog. My intention here is to pass along useful gardening information to you – from my messy desk straight to your computer screen.

When I left you all last year, I had just found out I'd be moving into a rented house with some space in the back to garden. I can't believe four months has passed since then, but I'm glad it has: To say I'm excited that daylight savings is this weekend and we'll be able to walk Harriet the pug in the daylight after work is an understatement.

We is me, Joseph and, of course, Harriet the Pug. We enjoy eating vegetables and reading about sustainability and organic farming. But ... reading and doing are two different things. Joseph has never gardened before, which means I, with my one year of (in)experience, am the senior gardener. That leads to conversations like:

J: So like what kind of stuff do we have to do for upkeep?
N: Water, compost tea and lots of weeding.
J: Does that mean we can get a blow torch?
N: What? Why?
J: To burn the weeds. Isn't that the only way to really kill them?
N: We are not getting a blow torch.
Five minutes later, conversation had devolved to aeration via grenades.

As you can see, we may need a little help.

We've decided to try a modified version of Square Foot Gardening. So far, we've put up a little plastic fence to keep our veggies pug poop free, planted lettuce and spinach and started all sorts of things in a seed tray indoors.

This weekend, we're going to plant peas, carrots and maybe some feel-good turnips. I don't particularly like turnips, but I do like that anyone can grow them -- and we need all the help we can get!

I am a pretty good gardener. No really. My neighbors who look at my yard with its morning glories winding around a badly pruned laurel tree might disagree. But at my last house I had a beautiful rose garden, pond blooming with water lilies and a vegetable garden that yielded enough tomatoes and carrots to feed a small town.

Then I had kids. Two wonderful kids. And I surrendered almost all of my free time to hanging out with them. For the past few seasons, I grew assorted vegetables in the backyard , and I planted a few perennials and annuals.

But this year, I plan to focus some of that family time on the garden.

Together, we will start seeds, cultivate vegetables, pull weeds and fend off slugs.

We have a small space with two raised beds and several large pots. Much more is coming. And to all you neighbors out there - stay tuned.