Tips from the Pros
'Active' Composting Can Be a Full-Family Activity
As green lifestyles gain in appeal, more and more people want to make their landscaping friendlier to the environment. One option many families are trying is composting. Composting is a great way to dispose of organic wastes such as leaves, grass and other plant materials and to create nutrient-rich natural fertilizer and mulch. It's also a great way to teach kids the science of natural decomposition that is so important to the world. Composting will occur naturally to any pile of organic material you set aside. But it will be much more effective - and satisfying - if you embrace "active" composting. With active composting you regulate the composition, air, moisture and temperature of the materials to speed up decomposition. You turn the materials regularly either by hand or by tumbling a compost bin. The turning keeps the materials aerated and allows you to keep them moist (but not wet). With a properly managed compost pile or bin you can turn your leaves, grass and trimmings into excellent compost in just a matter of weeks - particularly if you start with a fairly even mix of green and brown (dried) materials. The Composting 101 website offers a full and useful overview on composting. And one last word: While composting will break down meats, eggshells and other non-vegetable food wastes, it's better to avoid them, as they can attract scavengers.

Plant of the Month
Miss Kim Lilac
May is a terrific month for lilacs, and one of the most popular in home gardens is the Miss Kim. The Miss Kim is one of the most beautiful and fragrant of all lilac bushes, and because it's semi-dwarf, it can fit nicely into most garden spaces. The blossoms of Miss Kim are dark lavender-pink when in bud and fade to a soft lavender-pink when fully opened. Even more appealing to lilac lovers is the Miss Kim fragrance - "one of the most intoxicating scents of all flowers," enthuses AboutLilacs.com. "Even more fragrant than roses!" Miss Kim prefers full sun, and its compact and upright rounded form makes it perfect as a foundation planting, border plant or individual specimen. It will grow to a height of six to seven feet, but can be pruned to be more compact. Miss Kim is one of the latest blooming lilacs and one of the most beautiful in fall. When the temperature drops, Miss Kim's dark, glossy green foliage turns a deep and beautiful burgundy red.

Landscaping Trend
'Designer Driveways' Are a Way to Increase Curb Appeal
In the world of real estate, "curb appeal" is one of the first phrases learned by buyers or new homeowners. How a home looks from the street can greatly affect how much it is worth in the marketplace. But curb appeal is a lot more than that. Homeowners quickly discover that curb appeal affects how they feel about their property every day of the year. To increase their enjoyment, more and more homeowners are taking a look at their driveways as a way to increase curb appeal. Bland installations of asphalt or concrete have been replaced with patterned or multicolored pavers that can add both eye appeal and "pop" to a home. These "designer driveways" can pick up on the features or materials used in a home, complement the paint or color scheme or match the hardscaping on patios or other parts of a property. They can work with plantings to enhance the look of the landscape. And they can provide a showcase space for owners whose cars are their pride and joy. Best of all, they can make homeowners feel good every time they drive in. That's curb appeal anyone can embrace.

It's Time To ...
Feed and Fertilize for a Successful Summer
May is the month when gardening kicks into high gear in this area. Help your lawns and plantings along by giving them a boost of fertilizer.

• Use an all-purpose garden fertilizer (10-10-10) to feed roses, deciduous shrubs and trees, but wait to feed lilacs until after they have bloomed.
• Use a rhododendron or evergreen type plant food to feed evergreens and other acid-loving plants like azaleas.
• Lightly side-dress perennial flowers with an all-purpose 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer. Take pains not to get fertilizer on the plant, as it will burn the foliage.
• To strengthen rhododendrons and azaleas, remove the seed heads after they bloom so the plants' energy can go to foliage growth.
• Follow the same practice with plantings of annual and perennial flowers.
• If you don't use herbicides, the most effective way to control dandelions and other spring weeds is to dig them out individually.
• Pulling the top off a weed and pouring boiling water down the root is another way to kill it.
• And about those dandelions: If you haven't treated your lawn, you can eat them! Clean and prepare them as you would other greens - steamed, sautéed or boiled. They contain more Vitamin A than carrots and are also a good source of potassium, fiber and Vitamin C.