February 27, 2006

Spring is just three weeks away, according to the calendar. Although 

mild spring weather seems a long way off, signs of the new season are 

evident at the store. New products arrive daily to stock the shelves. 

Truckloads of fertilizer, soil amendments and plants are being 

delivered. Displays of seeds, bulbs and new garden tools are replacing 

the ice scrapers, snow shovels and ice-melters. Hopes are high for a 

great gardening season.

A new gardening season always looks good at the start. We envision 

perfect weather, few weeds, and beautiful gardens. But the weather will 

bring challenges, weeds grow and insects arrive. Throughout the season 

I 

field hundreds of gardening questions from customers, readers and 

friends. Most are answered from knowledge and experience gathered over 

many years. Sometimes a query sends me to further research. There are 

many great books and manuals to consult as well as colleagues to turn 

to 

for help. And increasingly, the Internet has become a great resource 

for 

quick information.

I have found many websites that are particularly helpful for anyone 

looking for gardening help. A local resource that I have mentioned many 

times in this column is Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension 

(RCRE). Each county has an agricultural department that is open to the 

public for help with lawn and garden questions. They also have a 

terrific website: www.rcre@rutgers.edu . 

All of their current gardening publications are available on-line. This 

is the website I usually turn to first in a search. Be sure to look at 

their Landscape Plants Rated for Deer Resistance.

Besides our local university you will find many of the state 

universities have websites with excellent information. The publications 

are based on the most recent research. Land grant universities are all 

part of the Cooperative Research and Extension system that is designed 

to disseminate information to the public. Penn State, Ohio State and 

Cornell universities are all examples. The entomology department at the 

University of Kentucky has a good website for information on insects 

Often a web search involves looking up the site of various plant and 

/or 

professional societies. Just about every group of plants has a loyal 

following that has formed a society to learn more about the particular 

plant. Their members meet regularly to share information. Their 

websites 

provide a wealth of information. For example, for information about 

trees look up: www.treesaregood.com <http://www.treesaregood.com/>. 

This 

website for the International Society of Arborists, contains articles 

on 

various tree topics including selection, planting, mulching and tree 

care. Care of both young and mature trees is explained. Pruning of both 

young and mature trees is described and illustrated. All the articles 

contain up-to-date techniques and good illustrations. There is also a 

section covering insects and diseases.

Customers regularly bring weeds to the store for identification. Most 

are common weeds and quickly identified. Sometimes a new or uncommon 

weed for our area crops up. When you go searching a website with good 

illustrations is a must, but photographs are even better. And that’s 

what you will find at www.weedalert.com <http://www.weedalert.com/>. 

This site has an extensive list of lawn and garden weeds with clear 

photographs for identification. Descriptions of each weed, their growth 

habit and cultural needs are discussed. Tips on how to treat the 

particular weed are also included.

Perhaps the biggest pest problem that most gardeners have to deal with 

in town is deer. The Institute of Ecosystems Studies has some good 

information on coping with deer on their website. Use 

 to access the gardening 

section. They offer a frank discussion on strategies for protecting 

plants. Deer habits and diet are explained and they provide plant lists 

based on their field studies. There are tips on dealing with voles and 

moles, too. The site has many articles on other topics including 

drought, gardening with native plants, organic choices, pruning, shade 

gardening and roses. There is also a section on general gardening tips.

One more website to mention is our store’s site: www.bellemeadcoop.com 

<http://www.bellemeadcoop.com/>. Besides listing store information and 

new products the site is updated regularly with timely advice. Beth’s 

Monthly Tips includes information from these garden articles. There is 

a 

chart for calculating how much soil, mulch or stone you will need for a 

landscape project. Included are links to other sites such as RCRE. You 

can even see the daily weather forecast. Check us out online!

Beth Nardone, botanist, is a resident of Hillsborough and is the 

Nursery 

Manager at the Belle Mead Co-Op. Questions and comments can be sent to 

bethtanical@patmedia.net 

<http://us.f210.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=bethtanical@patmedia.net>