My family always had a vegetable garden and my mother tended her flowers with a great deal of love. So it only stands to reason that I would inherit that delight in the feel of warm soil sifting through my fingers, and the joy of seeing tiny green things pushing through a fine dusting of frost in early spring.
My gardening chores have spanned over 30 years and, in 2005, I “frosted the cake” by becoming an Ohio State University Master Gardener for Muskingum County. One seasoned member wryly commented that, with gardening “you never master anything!” So true, but so much fun trying!
Digging in the dirt and writing about it are an obvious perfect match for me -- read on to see what I’ve been up to.
Gardening Articles by Toni Leland
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Balancing the Bugs |
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*Beautiful Ohio Gardens in a Day |
| | Beauty in the Air: Hanging Basket Gardens |
| Bulb Lovers Unite: A Year of Bloom |
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*Butterflies and...Bison? |
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Can You Take it With You? |
| Carpenter Bees: All Bluff |
| Clay Soil: A Real Challenge |
| Darling Daylilies |
| Do You Know Your State Insect? |
| Did You Know? Fun Facts in the Garden |
| Did You Know? Fun Facts in the Garden |
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*Drought: A Sign of Things to Come |
| Foreign Visitors Without Visas: Bugs, Borers, and Beetles |
| Frost Heave: Preparing for Winter |
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Garden Styles: Xeriscapes |
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*Gardening by the Book: What You Really Need to Know |
| Gardening Hazards: Don't Touch That Poison Ivy! |
| Gardening Safely in Hot Weather |
| Gardening Tips to Make Life Easier |
| Gladiolus: Summer's Magnificent Showcase |
| Got Mulch? |
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Grass: More Than Just a Summer Chore |
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Green Roofs: Preserving the Future |
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*Hoe, Hoe, Hoe: Gifts for Gardeners |
| Harry Lauder's Walking Stick |
| How To Spray Weeds & Insects Without Killing Everything Else |
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Introduction to Garden Styles: So Many Choices! |
| Japanese Gardens: A Closer Look at Eighth Century Gardening |
| Managing Elderly Lilacs |
| Not Your Grandma's Poinsettias |
| Outwitting Backyard Creatures: Bulbs & Plants They Hate! |
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O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum! The Holiday's Over--What Now? |
| Slug Those Slugs! |
| Summer Blooming Shrubs for Non-stop Color |
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*The Leaves Fall, and Fall, and Fall... |
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Thinking Ahead 101: Following the Sun |
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Thinking Ahead 102: Planning for Fall Color & Winter Interest |
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Thinking Ahead 103: Planting for the Future |
| Think Green: Foliage as an Alternative to Flowers |
| This is for the Birds! |
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Topiary: Art in Nature, Part 1 - Historical Overview |
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Topiary: Art in Nature, Part 2 - Do It Yourself |
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Topiary: Art in Nature, Part 3 - Gardens of Note |
| Up Close & Personal in the Garden |
| Visitors Without Visas: Japanese Beetles |
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*What Now? October in the Garden |
| Winter's Wrath: Ice & Snow Damage |