I just got back from several days in the concrete jungle: New York City. I heart NY but it sure felt great to look down from the plane and see the green Pacific Northwest.

Of course, I didn't realize that the greenery I was gazing upon from the 757 had doubled in size while I was gone.

I know there were high temps here while I was gone. I didn't think they would have such an effect on my ornamental garden.

My Chilean fire tree is on fire like I've never seen it and this lupine...well, I didn't even know I had a pink lupine.

Everything else grew, sprouted and bloomed as if a crop duster loaded with fertilizer had hovered over my place for an hour.

There were, however, some downsides: Many of my veggies just up and disappeared including pumpkins and carrots. Time to resow.

Also, as my neighbors no doubt can attest, the weedlot that is my front yard is now waist high. Time to fire up the week whacker...

Public shaming almost never works when trying to get that neighbor with the super hideous weeds to take action. Nope. But wouldn't it feel satisfying to nominate your lazy neighbor for an ugliest yard award? Details:

Watching grass grow is hardly anyone’s idea of a good time, but we also don’t want to have the ugliest yard in the neighborhood. What to do? One of your readers could win the “Ugliest Yard Contest” and get Yard Doctor Trey Rogers to help spruce up their yard.

Each year Briggs & Stratton launches its Yard Smarts hotline in time for spring lawn and garden season. It’s like the Butterball turkey hotline, except that it offers advice for the green-thumb challenged. Turf-grass scientist Trey Rogers, PhD, and his team help homeowners diagnose and cure their yard problems. The Yard Smarts Hotline runs from April 15 to May 15. And this year, Rogers will also make two emergency house calls for the winners of the “Ugliest Yard Contest.” USA Today calls Rogers the “Lawn Geek” and he can talk with you at length about his unusual fascination with watching grass grow.

To nominate, go here, or call 866-YARD-TIPS.

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?