Dear Santa, Gardeners are an easy group to buy for. They like anything connected with growing; however you might want to avoid the obvious-plants. Gardeners would prefer to choose the plants that best fit their gardening designs and environment. Giving them a gift certificate for their favorite gardening catalogs or better yet, for a local greenhouse or nursery would be great! They can get what they want and check out what it looks like. Another winter essential is garden books. Don't give how-to-do books unless you are sure of the gardener's skills or lack thereof. Picture books of gorgeous gardens and books that relay personal gardening experiences of others are good bets. If you know what their favorite plant is, then give a book written about that one plant. Videos on garden design and an endless list of other garden topics are widely available. Fill a stocking with leather gardening gloves, a heavy garden apron, and rubber kneepads. Add some garden hand soaps and lotions. Tools are always welcome. The earnest gardener does mind duplicates and may like to keep two sets of tools, one for the house garden and one for the back forty. There are ergonomically designed tools available for the disabled and elderly gardener. Indoor gardening equipment, digging tools, pruners and a mister, delivered in a carry bag are usually a hit. Fill a galvanized pail or sand bucket with packets of seeds for a specialty garden, i.e., dried flowers collection of straw flowers, larkspur, yarrow, and wheat, or a gourmet salad mix of radicchio, argula, endive, spinach, and leaf lettuce. The gardener will know that these seeds will germinate better if kept in a cool, dry place until planting time. If you must give a plant, consider a Bonsai Tree gift of lucky bamboo, azalea, Chinese Elm, or a green mound juniper. To help track the gardener's work, a diary would be welcomed. Then you can add clay pots, concrete stepping stones, birdhouse and birdfeeder building kits, and a herb windowsill garden if you still have room. Have a great ride on Christmas eve admiring all the beautiful gardens in the world!

Dear Master Gardener, As I watch the town trucks spread the salt on the roads, I am grateful but I am worried about salt damage on my lawn. Iced in Greene

Dear Iced, Sodium chloride (salt) used in de-icing causes bare spots along sidewalks, driveways, and roadsides. It may leave a white or yellow crust on the soil. Areas injured by salt are characterized by the growth of tolerant weeds in once grassy areas. Salt damage is compounded by compaction from foot traffic, auto tires, and piled snow. Even if damage is not enough to kill sod, it increases stress on the grass, making it more prone to diseases and weed competition. To prevent salt damage, avoid plowing or shoveling salt-laden snow unto your turf. When spreading salt yourself, use only enough to do the job after you remove the snow. Calcium chloride based de-icing agents do not cause as much damage as sodium chloride. Do not use urea or other fertilizers as de-icing agents as they run off when the snow melts and pollute ground waters. Plant perennial ryegrass, fine fescues, and tall fescue, which are more tolerant of salts, in these at risk areas. Improve the drainage in these areas by mixing in organic matter to depth of 6 inches. Improve the soil before reseeding as the salt may prevent germination and damage new seedlings. Remember, for more information like this, log on to Cornell University's website
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/gardening

Written by Ann Laing- Chenango County Master Gardener

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