Withthe cost of so many things going up in 2006, it´s nice to know there are still affordable, tasteful holiday gifts. Here are some ideas for the holiday season.

When landscaping, we are always planning for the next season. For spring flowering bulbs, we have to plant them in the fall.

Though the summer has been hotter and drier than usual here in western North Carolina, it hasn´t keep my veggies and herbs from doin well.

How did my flowers do in 2006? Not ad, considering the entire season was drier and hotter than usual. In my discussion of specific varieties, I have put the source of my seeds in parentheses.

Here´s a summary of what did and didn´t go well in my garden during the 2006 gardening season.

2006 has been a banner year with a large number of herbaceous plants being designated as award winners. Here is a look at some of them.

Each year, the best trees, shrubs, and woody vines are singled out for special honors. Here are details on some of these 2006 winners.

For 2007, All-America Selections (AAS) offers an outstanding line-up. These include four flowers and one vegetable. I tried these in my garden during the 2006 growing season, and they did beautifully.

Of all the gardening books released thus far in 2006, one stands out in the crowd. This extraordinary title from Prestel is "Florilegium Imperiale-Botanical Illustrations for Francis I of Austria" by H. Walter Lack.

The foliage of trees and shrubs begin to change color during the fall from their mostly greens to a range of colors from oranges and reds to golds.