Lawn (lon) noun. A usually closely mown plot or area planted with grass or similar plants. [variant of obsolete laund, from Middle English launde, lawnde, from Old French launde, heath]

Heath (heeth) noun. 1. Any of various usually low-growing shrubs of the genus Erica and related genera, native to the Old World, having small, evergreen leaves and small, urn-shaped pink or purplish flowers. 2. An extensive tract of open, uncultivated land covered with such shrubs or similar plants; a moor.

Moor (moor) noun. A broad tract of open land, often high but poorly drained, with patches of heath and peat bogs.

At what point of history did a lawn become defined solely as closely cropped green turf grass? Was it originally to walk on? Was it developed at the time we domesticated animals such as cows, horses, and sheep that fed on grasses? Was it for lawn bowling, golf, or cricket?

"True" grasses include not only what we now know as lawn grass, but also cereal grains, as well as those grains grown as ornamental garden grasses. Bamboo is also in this category. Over the years, the meaning of grass has expanded to include a wide range of plants with narrow to strap-like leaves. This group includes rushes, sedges, liriopes, flax (phormium) and cattails.

Today, we also have an even greater list of plants that can be used instead of a turf grass. We call them "lawn substitutes" when they are used in this fashion. Plants, such as Creeping Thyme, Creeping Potentilla, Brass Buttons and Snow-in-summer plants, which are commonly grown in zones 3-7. All of these plants, as well as the grasses listed above, can be members of your gardens--functioning in a decorative way and complementing other plantings.

There are many reasons to consider alternative plants in place of a regularly mown lawn: too much shade, too little water, too much water, a preference for alternative ground covers, a preference for alternative grasses, and the need for regular mowing. There are many beautiful options available today. For example, a number of no-mow ornamental grasses can be used in hard-to-mow areas, or even in a large area, if you like a natural look.

There are many lawn substitutes to choose from, depending upon your needs and requirements. The choices increase if you have areas with very little foot traffic. Use substitutes in combination with each other by placing the most traffic-tolerant plants in the heaviest foot traffic areas. Add in some of the many ornamental grasses for a bit of height.

Many plants besides the usual lawn grasses will tolerate foot traffic. Varieties of cerastium, chamomile, leptinella, pratia, sagina, silene, and thyme are all examples of ground covers that take some foot traffic and would be beautiful lawn substitutes. Some of these flower; others release a wonderful fragrance with each step. Some, like thyme, do both.

Today, more and more people are bringing back a more natural look to their yards and gardens. Many areas of the country are working hard to maintain and reestablish the native plant habitats. You can join in this passionate evolution of gardens. Remember, until recent years, grass meant only a "lawn," green and mown. There are now many alternatives to that bowling lawn look. Enjoy seeking out and planting your new lawn substitutes.

If you have ever eaten a savory lamb chop, a rosemary-enhanced spaghetti sauce, or grilled seafood on skewers made of the leaf-stripped stems of the rosemary plant, you already understand why rosemary was named the Herb of the Year in 2000, and why nearly every kitchen, no matter how sophisticated or how simplistic, has a bottle of rosemary leaves as part of its arsenal.

It is one of the easiest plants to grow, in just about any USDA zone. Rosemary is marginally hardy here and needs to be in a sunny spot with some winter watering. In the colder regions it should be brought indoors to winter, given strong southern light, well-draining alkaline soil, and not too much water. If grown outdoors, this amazing herb may be planted in a raised bed, or in containers and pots which will make a move inside easier.

If you live in the south, rosemary is a perennial that will provide you with fresh taste year-round. And in these economic times, growing your own herbs will not only be a positive impact on your purse, it will also enliven tired recipes, and help you develop your young ones' palates.

But it is perhaps the history of this herb that makes it a subject of much literature and lore. The ancients were quite familiar with this shrub. Greek scholars wore garlands of rosemary during examinations in order to improve their memories and rejuvenate their spirits.

It was touted by Pliny the Elder (who gave the herb the name rosmarinus, meaning "sea dew") as a cure for bad eyesight, jaundice and miscellaneous wounds. Rosemary was substituted for the more costly incense, and called by its French name, incensier. The Spaniards had a legend that the bush sheltered the Virgin Mary in the holy family's flight into Egypt. She draped her cloak over a rosemary bush, turning the color of the blossoms from white to blue; they called it romero (the Pilgrim's Flower).

It was a common sight for rosemary to be burned in sick chambers (perhaps the strong odor was thought enough to evict the foul fevers), and in contemporary French hospitals it is still burnt in conjunction with juniper berries to purify the air and prevent infection.

Romance surrounds the myth of the rosemary. In the 14th century, Queen Elizabeth of Hungary had a potion made of rosemary and lavender to inflame the passions of the King of Poland, who requested her hand in marriage. She was 72 years of age; he was 26. This miraculous potion became known as Budapest water, and was the modern-day equivalent of a beauty product for women for hundreds of years.

"There is rosemary, that's for remembrance, pray, love, remember." Thus spake Shakespeare's Ophelia. Along with remembrance, rosemary symbolizes loyalty and thus has been long associated with weddings.

So we invoke the power of rosemary in hope of healing heal gout, the plague, colds, headaches, dyspepsia, or as a stimulant for memory. We use it in topiaries, potpourri, or bath salts...what more can you ask for in one plant?

Click here for a wonderful rosemary cookie recipe!

Roses must be pruned every year to maintain vigorous growth and to keep them flowering well. The best time to prune is while they are dormant.

Steps in pruning your roses:

• Think about each cut before you make it. All cuts should be at an angle and just above a bud that is facing away from the center of the bush.
• Remove dead branches and canes.
• Remove old canes that produce only twiggy growth. If your bush is old and has only these old canes, save three or four and cut those back to 3 feet.
• The height to cut your canes back depends on the type of flowers you want. If you want the long stems for cutting, cut your canes back to 3 feet. If you want profuse flowers, but you're not concerned about stem length, cut the canes back one third.
• Remove all branches that are thinner than a pencil.
• Pull off all remaining leaves, rake up all debris, and put it in the trash. Do not use this for your compost pile, as there may be overwintering insects and/or diseases.
• Spray the pruned bush with dormant oil spray.

If you haven't already done so, make sure to protect your fruit trees from pests and disease by applying a dormant spray to them. Most fruit trees should be sprayed at least twice--once in January when they are fully dormant and once again at bud swell.

It's helpful to combine both a dormant oil spray with a fungicide at the same time so you only have to spray once. This important spraying will help prevent fungus diseases such as dead bud and peach-leaf curl, in addition to knocking out any overwintering insects or insect eggs.

Since different varieties of fruit trees bloom at different times, it's important to make sure you apply your spray at the proper time for maximum effectiveness. Our staff of garden experts will be happy to guide and advise you with all your spray applications.

The non-mineral nutrients--hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and carbon (C)--are found in the air and water. Through a process called photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun to change these nutrients into starches and sugars which become the plant's food. Since plants get these nutrients from the air and water, there is little gardeners can do to control how much of these nutrients a plant can use.

The 13 mineral nutrients, which come from the soil, are dissolved in water or digested by soil microbes and made available to be absorbed through a plant's roots. Most of the mineral nutrients contained in plant foods exist in your soil in some amount naturally. The problem is that most don't contain enough or have become out of balance. The only way that these nutrients in soil can be replenished is from decomposing plant or leaf matter (natural or from composting) or from fertilizers. Most soil types are lacking in a number of areas. The three most important (primary) nutrients for healthy plants are N-P-K or nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is necessary for healthy, green plant foliage and growth. Phosphorus is needed for a plant's roots, flowers and eventual fruit production and flavor. Potassium is necessary for a plant's overall health because it stimulates good root growth and cell structure in the leaf tissue. These major nutrients usually are lacking from the soil first because plants use large amounts for their growth and survival.

The best way to provide your plants with the mineral nutrients is with fertilizer. Here you have a couple of choices: chemical or organic, dry or water soluble. Chemical and water soluble fertilizers are designed to make these nutrients available to the plant quickly. They can give plants a quick boost to stimulate new growth or to green up fast.

Alternatively, organic products are designed to slowly decompose to enhance the soil and be consumed by soil microbes, then taken up by the plant root system. Organic fertilizers are more stable in the soil and become available to the plant more gradually. While they are feeding the plants, they are also improving the soil health. The plants grow a bit more slowly, but that gives them more strength and resistance to disease and pests.

Make sure to apply the fertilizer to the soil at the drip line of the plant, because that's where the feeding roots are. The drip line is where, if you draw an imaginary line from the outermost branches to the ground, rain would fall. Always water in well and never feed a dry plant. It is especially important to feed plants in containers regularly or they won't have anything to eat! The label directions will guide you for how much to apply and how often.

by Tamara Galbraith

With warm weather just around the corner, but temperatures still in the cool range, it's a great time to start some lettuce seeds in your garden. Lettuce is easy to start, matures quickly, and offers a "cut-and-come-again" growth habit that can give you several salads from the same plant.

Looseleaf, butterheads and romaines are the easiest and most nutritious lettuces to grow. What is commonly referred to as iceberg lettuce is generally a waste of time for the backyard gardener, as it is fussy and, frankly, not nearly as tasty.

Germination of lettuce seed requires two elements: lots of moisture and light. Do not bury lettuce seeds, but rather scatter them over some fertile, fluffy, moist soil, then sift some compost lightly on top of the seed and press down gently. You will probably see germination in about a week if soil temperatures are around 50 degrees. Alternatively, you can buy already-started plants.

Lettuce can and should be grown outdoors in a sunny location as long as temperatures stay above freezing at night--if an unexpected freeze comes, simply toss a few layers of frost cloth on top of the plants and they should be fine.

Make sure the soil stays evenly moist as the plants develop. Thin seedlings to allow about 6" between plants (or plant 6" apart if you aren't starting from seed), but don't worry too much about overcrowding.

Leaf lettuces are particularly fast-growing; they reach maturity in 45-60 days, while romaine and butterhead/bibb types can take up to 70 days. You can harvest individual leaves to eat, or give each plant a crew cut about 2" above the soil line and let it regrow.

There are many beautiful, tasty types of lettuce in all sorts of shapes and colors. Check with us to see what varieties are best for our area, as some are more resistant--a definite benefit to those in the sun-baked South--while others are cold-hardy and good for growing in northern climates.

Most varieties of lettuce are generally disease- and insect-resistant. The biggest enemy of lettuce is heat, which is why early late winter or spring is the perfect time to start lettuce. Once regular warmth comes along--say 80 degrees or more--lettuce will quickly "bolt," meaning the plant suddenly puts on a growth spurt, then sends up flowers and goes to seed. At that point, it tastes so bitter and chewy that even the bunnies won't touch it.

Note for those with limited space: lettuce may be grown in containers (1 gallon or larger). This also has the advantage that you can move the containers to a cooler spot when the weather gets warm, thus keeping them from bolting for a little bit longer.

By Tamara Galbraith

Early spring is the time of year to grow cool season crops of the brassica family, such as cabbage and cauliflower. Soon after doing so, you can almost hear the ringing of the dinner bell at the imported cabbageworm party.

Very few gardeners can say they've never had these velvety green, chewing pests dining on their cole crops. Entire broccoli plants can be devoured in a day or two in bad cases of infestation. But there are a few ways you can minimize or even alleviate the damage:

At the first sign of smallish white butterflies flitting around your cabbage, get out the row cover. The lightest weight of cloth is preferable, unless you're experiencing a cold snap. The fabric will provide a barrier against the butterflies laying eggs on your veggies and will therefore halt the entire lurid cycle. (Sticky traps are also effective in catching the butterflies, but you might end up catching beneficial insects as well.)

Spot check your plants often on the underside of the leaves; this is where the caterpillar form of this pest likes to hang out...and munch out. Handpick them if you're not too disgusted by doing that — and if there aren't too many. For more serious infestations, spray with a food-safe pesticide. Use only as directed.

Since these nasty critters stick around for pretty much the entire growing season, keep a continual eye on your plants and keep the spray within arm's reach.

How often should I feed my lawn?

Answer:
We recommend feeding lawns every two months during the growing season. You can start off by applying a lawn food in late winter to early spring that contains a pre-emergent herbicide to help prevent crabgrass and other weeds from germinating.

After that, switch to a complete lawn food.

If summer weeds become a problem, apply a weed and feed fertilizer.

Make sure to give your lawn a final feeding in fall, before it goes dormant, to keep it green through winter. If a lawn goes into the winter looking yellow, you won't be able to green it up until temperatures warm up again.