Some gardeners shy away from growing plants in containers because of endless "failure" stories buzzing in their heads. Container plantings are not difficult, but you do need to keep a few things in mind--including selection of container, type of planting mix, feeding and watering needs. These are the variables differentiating growing plants in the ground from growing them in containers.

First of all, different types of containers will lead to different types of watering needs. For example, terracotta pots are probably the most porous of the clay pots. This porosity allows the soil to dry out more quickly. Glazed pots are next in line. The glaze on the outside of the pot actually helps to keep moisture in more than a non-glazed clay pot would. Thick cement containers probably fall in line together with the glazed pots. Finally, there are plastic and some of the new composite material containers. These containers will hold the moisture far longer than the other pots.

The soil mix itself should breathe and should be light and airy. But be sure to use the right type of potting soil for your plant. Most plants do fine in normal potting soil, but the reason you'll see things like "cactus mix" on the shelves is that some plants have special needs.

Because plants in containers have a limited amount of soil area, they will need to be fed more often than a plant in the ground. We recommend feeding most plants every week with a liquid or water-soluble plant food such as Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food, or every two months with a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote. Again, some plants have different needs, so adjust as necessary for your own container garden.

Plants in containers can often suffer from dehydration, especially in the summer months of the year. Water those that need moist soil frequently, especially if your container is made of a more porous material. Drought-tolerant plants will like a pot that dries out quickly, but a water-needy plant will want to have consistently moist (but not wet) conditions.

If you let your potting soil dry out too much, the root ball will shrink and the water will run straight down the sides and out of the bottom of your container. If this happens, you will need to leave the water dripping into your container for a long enough time to rehydrate the potting soil. If the container is small enough, dunk it into a big bucket of water and let it sit there for a few minutes until the root ball expands again and properly fills the pot.

Container gardening is a wonderful way to add splashes of plants and color in all areas of your outdoor rooms, and for those with only small patios, container gardening is the only way to go. Just remember not to treat them exactly like in-ground plantings, and you'll be fine.

A backyard retreat means something different for each of us. It could be a quiet corner in the shade with a comfortable chair for reading, or a chaise lounge in the sun. Perhaps it is a table for two for quiet dining or a large table seating 6-8 with an outdoor kitchen perfect for large dinner parties. Whatever your choice, needs and desires, include other features such as a bubbling fountain, koi pond, trees and flowers in a container arrangement.

Most of these ideas can be incorporated in part, no matter what the special area is for this special retreat. It could be a balcony, tiny patio garden or large backyard. Everyone can have a private customized retreat.

When designing a garden retreat, first take time to imagine the future dream garden that you desire. A multitude of questions will come pouring into your mind as you begin to envision your future garden. Or, for those less aware of just what to do, consider what your answers are to these questions.

1. Do you want a retreat for serenity after hectic days at work; do you want a space designed for entertaining?
2. How much space do you have? Is this a patio transformation, a small grotto along the side of your house, or the entire backyard?
3. What ever your desire, next consider what 'look' you would like--be it tropical, formal, informal cottage garden, or Asian.
4. Color and texture choices. Color and textures can be added in many different ways: through the plant foliage, fabrics, walls and flooring (you could paint them!), pottery, statuary, garden art and more.
5. Sound. Quiet water, bubbling water, splashing water, birds singing and/or leaves rustling in the breeze?
6. Water feature. Do you want a fountain, pool, pond, pond with waterfall?

So you see, there is much to consider when planning your very own backyard retreat. Join us at the garden center and wander through our fountains, pottery and plants.

The pesky little insect has ruined countless hikes, BBQ's and campouts. This vector has literally killed millions of people throughout history, and still affects millions around the world today. As daunting as this sounds, there are steps you can take to co-exist and stay healthy.

What attracts the mosquito? After 30 million years of evolution, the mosquito has perfected its hunting skills. The mosquito uses three sensors to attract its prey:

• Chemical sensors: Mosquitoes sense carbon dioxide and lactic acid up to 100 feet away. Unfortunately, we give off these gases as part of our normal breathing.
• Visual sensors: Clothing that contrasts with the background enables the mosquito to "zero in" on you.
• Heat sensors: Mosquitoes detect heat, so they can find warm-blooded mammals very easily.

The best thing you can do to control mosquitoes is to use a mosquito repellent with deet and eliminate standing water around your home. A mosquito can lay up to 250 eggs at one time in still water, and they can hatch as fast as 7 days. Check your gutters frequently for collected water (especially if they sag and aren't level), along with birdbaths, buckets or boggy areas of the garden.

Burning citronella candles, using an electronic bug zapper, or spraying surfaces near entertainment areas with a mosquito barrier spray will also help kill and repel mosquitoes.

The West Nile Virus was first introduced in the U.S. in 1999. It has since spread to almost every state, with over 3,000 cases in 2006. Diligence is your best protection. Stay indoors at dawn and dusk hours, wear pants and long-sleeves shirts if possible, avoid any standing water, and repair broken screens.

Although it can be a constant battle, by incorporating the use of insect repellents and breeding prevention (eliminating standing water), mosquitoes and the diseases they carry can be reduced, making the outdoors more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

The leaves on some of my plants are starting to turn brown. How can I tell if the cause is lack of water, or salt or chemical damage?

Answer:

That's fairly simple.

• If a plant is too dry, the tips of the leaves will turn brown. The longer without water, the farther down the leaf the burn will extend.
• If a plant is suffering from salt damage, the entire leaf edge will appear brown or dry.
• If it's chemical damage, the foliage will generally have burn spots all over the leaf surface.

And here are the usual causes:

• If a plant is too dry, it needs deeper or more frequent watering.
• Salt burn is most often caused by excessive fertilization.
• Chemical damage results from weed killer drifting onto a plant, a chemical solution being mixed stronger than label recommendations, or a spray being applied to (or to near to) a plant that is sensitive to that spray.

Please note that all three scenarios have man-made causes.

Spider mites are common pest problems on many plants around yards and gardens. Spider mites, like all mites, are not insects. They are related to spiders and therefore fall into the class of arachnids, which have eight legs, not six.

These tiny creatures cause injury to foliage as they feed, bruising the cells with their small, whip-like mouthparts and ingesting the sap. Damage to the foliage gives a speckled appearance to the damaged tissue sites. They also leave a cottony web material between leaf stems.

Spider mite infestation tends to occur during periods of dry, hot weather and hit plants that have not been well watered. A good lesson to learn from this would be to keep your plants healthy and watered at all times, especially when hot, dry weather strikes your gardens.

But if you still have spider mites, even after your best precautions, what can you do? Because spider mites are not insects, insecticides will not work on them; and worse, such a spray will just kill the beneficial insects coming to the plant to eat the spider mites.

Fortunately, the spider mite, like other pesky bugs on our plants, has several natural predators. One important one is the ladybug larva. Other less well-known predators of the spider mite are pirate bugs and predatory thrips.

Another easy physical control is simply to spray them off the foliage with water. Sound familiar? That is also a treatment for aphids, mealybugs and other garden insect pests. If the natural predators haven't come to the rescue, or the improvement of plant health and water control techniques is not solving the spider mite problem, talk to one of us and we will further direct you to a spray oil or miticide product.

But remember, if you decide to use an insecticide or miticide control, first double check for the beneficial insects coming in to gobble up the mites!