This time of year has a special place in my heart. Every season has its own characteristics and I wouldn’t want to change any of them, even the so-called bleak midwinter. But right now, at the height of a new spring season, I feel that exhilaration and contentment common to gardeners and horticulturists around the world.

Even the smallest garden can be a tranquil reminder that Nature knows what she’s doing. When Cheryl and I are outside, tending our plants at this time of year, we can almost hear the garden say, “I’m here, growing, glowing with life and beauty. Nurture me, cherish me. Let us grow together, and I will reward you with sights, sounds, tastes and aromas that will both stimulate and calm your senses.”

Forgive me for waxing poetic, but this IS a special time of year filled with fresh colors and new life springing from the soil. It is hard NOT to be upbeat and optimistic when you are outside among the plants that grace your landscape.

If worries about gas prices and a troubled economy are beginning to depress you, resolve to stay home a little more this spring and summer. Let the car stay in the garage. It deserves a rest and so do you.

For less than the price of a tank of gas, you can plant a tree. You will be doing your part to help the environment because a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year.

Splashes of brilliant color are appearing in gardens about now, and this brought to mind a few of my favorites.

Arizona Sun (Gaillardia aristata)
The name certainly creates an appropriate visual image! Arizona sun sports large fiery orange red blossoms tipped by a ring of rich flame yellow. They create a dramatic burst of color in almost any garden or border.

Arizona sun is sometimes call “blanket flower” because at one time they blanketed the North American prairies with their blooms. I can just imagine the amazement felt by a family of pioneers cresting a ridge in their Conestoga wagon and being dazzled by millions of these blazing blossoms as far as the eye could see!

Arizona Sun is fairly compact in growth, reaching about 8 to 10 inches. Too much shade makes them liable to flop over so be sure to plant these perennials where they’ll get plenty of full sun. They prefer moist, well-drained soil but are drought tolerant. Do not add compost when planting as they do best in “poor” loose soil and do not thrive in clay soil.

Coneflower “Prairie Splendor” (Echinacea purpurea)
Thinking of Arizona Sun on the prairies reminded me of this beautiful Coneflower. While Coneflowers are regarded as a mainstay in today’s gardens, the Prairie Splendor has the added benefit of being an earlier bloomer than other varieties, sporting 4 to 6 inch rose-pink blooms from late June to first frost.

Coneflower “White Swan”
If you prefer a more traditional Coneflower, this variety of Echinacea purpurea is a good choice I enjoy the sweet, honey-like fragrance and so do the masses of butterflies who are attracted to the White Swans in our garden. White Swan’s large daisy-like flowers appear from mid-summer through fall, continuing after many of the other perennials have finished their blooming cycle.

Columbine Aquilegia “Swan Pink and Yellow”
From white swans to pink and yellow swans! Horticulturists consider this a breakthrough in color combinations for columbines. Soft coral-pink outer petals with creamy tips blend harmoniously with pastel yellow inner petals. The blooms of ‘Swan Pink and Yellow’ face outward and show off perfectly.

From the eye-popping blaze of Arizona Sun to the soothing palette of Swan Pink and Yellow Columbine… colors that bring excitement and tranquility to your landscape. Enjoy them all as you grow with your garden, and drop me an e-mail if you want more information about the plants I’ve mentioned. The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

QUESTION: “I am new to gardening and seem to have a tough time getting plants to grow. Most of the area is full shade to partial sun and it does not have the best of drainage either. I do have a big patio that I pot flowers on as well. If you have any suggestions on some flowers that even a beginner can grow, I would greatly appreciate it.

“Also, I see that you have mentioned ways of deterring our animal friends. Would you have any suggestions on how we might get rid of a squirrel problem? I love to watch the little critters but they have made a home in the attic of our house. Nothing we seem to do deter them. They are very smart and they do not have a problem letting you know when you do something they do not like!” – Mary Wheeler

ANSWER: “Mary, I have e-mailed you a link to the extension office site in Missouri with a great article on controlling your little furry critters. For other readers, you can read the article here: http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/wildlife/g09455.htm and you can click on a direct link when you find this column at my Web site www.landsteward.org

Yes, you are correct in that there is little or nothing that will control them other than just protecting what you have. Don’t forget things such as screening any vents or other openings in your gable or attic areas. The Missouri extension article says that if a squirrel is found in an attic or another part of the house, do not try to chase it out. Open a window or door and allow the squirrel to find its own way out. Alternatively, bait a live trap or cage trap with peanut butter or nutmeats. Once the squirrel is trapped, release it outdoors.

Many people believe that nothing will grow in shaded or poorly drained areas but that isn’t the case. In planting in a wet area, you can always plant in containers rather than directly in the ground. Container gardening allows for much better control for the water situation.

Here is my own listing of plants that will grow in such an area: Astilbes, Hostas, Ferns, Dicentra, Irises, Daylilies, Salvia, Heucheras, Hellebores.

As you are someone who is fairly new to gardening, I suggest you surf the ‘Net for as much information as possible. One excellent article, titled “Flowers for Shade or Part Shade” can be found at www.suite101.com The direct link to the article, subtitled “Easy to Grow Shade Loving Annual and Perennial Flowers,” is http://flowergardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/flowers_for_shade_or_part_shade Cheryl fielded this next question from a reader with a poison ivy problem.

QUESTION: “My son planted Myrtle on a steep bank beside his house. Now poison ivy has taken over. We have tried for years to pull it up and spray it, but it still hangs on and is getting worse. How can we kill it for good?” – Sally

ANSWER: We have been using a vine and brush control product called Vine X. It comes in a container that you apply directly on the ivy itself. The ivy absorbs the product and dies off. It worked beautifully for us when last year, the Easter weekend freeze wiped out all of our hybrid wisteria that covered our garden arbor.

The root system, which was not the same as the top grafted part, began putting out sprouts everywhere. Steve started using the Vine X everywhere he found sprouts, as well as the trunk where we had to cut down to, over summer. By late summer, the root system had died and no more sprouts.

Vine X is much safer and easier to apply than roundup or other herbicides. You may want to consider it. Otherwise, the only way to get rid of poison ivy is to regularly apply herbicides, which can also kill other plants in the vicinity.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

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However much you like wildlife, it can be disheartening to see deer and other critters munching away on plants to which you have devoted so much of your time and money. If you see this as a potential problem, the most sensible solution is to start out with plants that deer are less likely to find desirable.

QUESTION: “We have just moved to a new home and the back yard is heavily treed with pines and a few hardwoods. Therefore it is partial sun to shade. We’re interested in purchasing some shrubs and ferns which are resistant to deer. What are your suggestions?” – Dave Whiting

ANSWER: Being “deer resistant” is a relative phrase. If deer are not getting food from their normal sources, they will eat anything and everything. With that noted, some plants that will grow at least in partly shaded areas and that are not on the top of the list for deer to eat are:

Sage, Thyme, Chives, Hellebore, Ferns, Yarrow, Bamboo, Blue fescue, Boxwood, Dogwood, Euonymus, Forsythia, Holly, Japanese red maple, Junipers, Sambucus, Viburnum.

QUESTION: “We’ve been thinking of planting some Barberry and we looked at a variety called Crimson Pygmy. However, we were told there is another variety that has even redder foliage. Can you tell me what it’s called?” – James T.

ANSWER: I believe you’re thinking of a Barberry named Berberis thunbergii, Royal Burgundy. Royal Burgundy has a number of benefits over Crimson Pygmy. For one thing, I prefer the reddish-purple foliage of the Royal Burgundy. It holds its color throughout the summer before turning to a darker, almost blackish-red in the fall before defoliating for winter.

Royal Burgundy is also smaller with a more compact shape compared to Crimson Pygmy with a mature height of around 18 inches and a spread of 30 inches or so. Although it is tolerant of shade, you’ll see the best color when it is planted in full sun. It is quite drought-tolerant and can be used in xeriscaping.

Planting Royal Burgundy en masse adjacent to gold or blue evergreens allows the contrast to make the color really “pop.” Remember that it is thorny so handle with care.

QUESTION: “Having read your article on raised boxes, I have a question. In making the raised boxes can one use treated lumber? Sounds hideous, I know, but I’ve seen it done and it raises the question in my mind of leaching chemicals from the wood to the soil and then to the roots to the edibles. Really bad idea or am I worried unnecessarily?” – Erik Jansen

ANSWER: No, actually you are correct to question their use. But, you know, I have read arguments from both sides. Gardeners and the nursery industry alike have used pressure treated wood for raised beds for decades and have not experienced any problems.

However, there are arguments that the chemicals used on this lumber leaches into the soil. I have e-mailed a link to you from Fine Gardening Magazine that will offer you much more information. (If other readers want to see this article, drop me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org and I’ll send you the link. Alternatively, go to http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/ and type “pressure treated lumber” into the search window.)

You can isolate pressure-treated wood by lining the inside of a bed with heavy plastic to prevent leaching of chemicals from the wood into the soil. Some landscape designers are now using recycled plastic lumber, such as the brand name Trex, when building raised beds.

Redwood, cypress, cedar and straw bales can be used as organic materials to create beds as well as many inorganic products such as old tractor tires, large garbage bags (heavy mil), and masonry, and now kits are available for raised beds in many garden centers and hardware stores.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

“Yes, those plants look nice enough,” I sometimes hear. “But don’t they have a reputation for spreading?”

Yes, there are a number of attractive plants that have a reputation for spreading out across, and sometimes beyond, the area in which they are planted. This can be a problem and it is advisable to investigate the “spreading habit” of any plant before you buy, if that is a potential problem in the designated planting location.

But a plant’s “spreadability” is not necessarily a bad thing. Spreading plants can be just what you are looking for in the right circumstances. They can choke out weeds, reduce soil erosion and beautify a sloping or rocky area that is difficult to mow.

Here are some of my favorite plants that you should take a look at if you have an area that could benefit from some low-growers that tend to spread.

Purple Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans)
In my opinion, this is one of the most versatile groundcovers you can find. Throughout the growing season, you’ll see a virtual carpet of bright green foliage that continues right into winter. In June/July, it produces a mass of tiny purplish-blue flowers with white markings. A tough, long-lasting plant, Mazus reptans is easy to grow. Each plant reaches a height of no more than two inches, spreading out to six inches or so, making it ideal for rock gardens and in between stepping stones. It does well in full sun to light shade and prefers moist but well-drained soil.

Verbena “Superbena” Burgundy
The Superbenas are a variety of Verbenas that have been bred to withstand heat and mildew, and that can be an important benefit in some areas. It produces large burgundy blooms on dark green leaves and will regenerate vigorous growth when you cut it back. With a maximum height of twelve inches, it makes a colorful groundcover that is popular with Swallowtail butterflies, and is a good choice for containers, baskets and window boxes.

Creeping Red Thyme (Thymus praecox subsp. arcticus)
You might be aware of the fragrance before you even see this fast, low-growing evergreen that is a good choice as a groundcover or between pavers for an attractive, rustic look. Easy to grow in full or partial sun and shade.

Phlox, Creeping Emerald Blue (Phlox subulata)
A rocky embankment or outcropping where weeding, tending or mowing is hazardous or impossible? Creeping Emerald Blue Phlox could be an ideal solution. I’ve also admired it in the nooks and crannies of dry stone retaining walls and around rock waterfalls. Locations of that nature are ideal for Phlox as it enjoys the good drainage provided by elevated planting. For contrast, try mixing it with Creeping Candy Stripe Phlox with its tiny pink and white flowers.

Liriope Big Blue
For some thing a bit taller, try this tufted evergreen groundcover with its arching, grass-like foliage. In the summer, you’ll see an abundance of blue flower spikes that are followed by clusters of black berries in the fall. In addition to hard-to-get-at areas, Liriope is a good choice for borders and edging.

Trailing Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
Continuing the “blue” theme, don’t forget Trailing Periwinkle, a delightful evergreen with dense, shiny, oval-shaped foliage that forms an almost flat, springy carpet adding soft, rolling contours to landscaping. In early spring, the foliage is covered with blue (yes, periwinkle blue) flowers. Vinca minor likes fairly good soil and does well in full sun, partial sun or shade.

Pachysandra terminalis
Introduced from Japan circa 1882, pachysandra is one of the most planted groundcovers in America. Most everyone is familiar with this rapidly spreading plant that thrives even in the dense shade of evergreens.

A spreading plant isn’t necessarily a negative, as long as you plant it in a location where its natural tendency is a benefit rather than a nuisance.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org