Dear $$firstname$$,

It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is just around the corner. As usual, summer seems to fly by all too fast for gardeners. The Garden Club is here with a few articles and tips to get the most out of this fleeting time of year.

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Happy Gardening!
—From the editors of Backyard Living and Birds and Blooms

READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Gardening Question of the Month
• Let’s Talk Trees
• Gardening Made Easy
• Contain your Enthusiasm for Fall
• 10 Tips for a Pest-Free Garden

Submit Your Story

Plant of the Month

‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ Vinca
All-America Selections Winner for 2007

Botanical name: Catharanthus roseus, ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo.’

Featuring: Superb, sharp color contrast. Performs prolifically, even in hot, sunny spots and drought conditions.

Mature size (h x w): 12” x 10-12”

Hardiness: Annual.

Growing tip: Plant it in full sun in well-drained soil (or in a container) anywhere you want loads of dependable color all summer long.

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Gardening Question of the Month

Perk Up Your Soil
Q: As a youngster, I remember my grandmother putting used coffee grounds in her flower beds. Can you tell me why? –Judy Dupre, Alpine, California

Melinda: Past generations have provided many wonderful examples of Earth-friendly gardening. Recycling plant scraps and coffee grounds into the garden is a great way to improve the soil, while decreasing the amount of reusable materials entering the landfill.

Coffee grounds add organic matter and small amounts of nutrients to the soil. You can work the grounds into the soil, spread them onto the surface as mulch or mix them, filter and all, into the compost pile. Some gardeners even use coffee grounds as a slug deterrent. They spread the grounds on the soil around hosta and other slug favorites.

See more of Melinda’s answers

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Let’s Talk Trees

Trees and shrubs are landscape essentials. They provide shade, food for birds and require little maintenance. But if you’re considering something smaller than a towering maple, read the scoop on shrubs to learn how to pick the best shrub for your backyard. And read on to learn how even little trees can produce big benefits and will attract a flurry of birds. And Melinda Myers helps a reader determine what is causing her tree indentations.

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Gardening Made Easy

Let’s face it…we’re all busy this time of year. School, practices and work obligations don’t leave a lot of time for gardening. We’ll give you some tips on decreasing the amount of time and energy spent in your backyard.

• No-Fuss Gardening
• Easy Care Roses
• 8 Easy Ways to Revive Your Deck

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Container Gardening

Gardeners needn’t pack away their summer containers once Labor Day is past and the fall equinox approaches. You’ll find it’s easy to contain your enthusiasm for fall with these tips for containers. And we have some simple fall container recipes you can try on your own.

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10 Tips for a Pest-Free Garden—Naturally

Gardeners are turning to natural products today to keep their gardens chemical-free. But if you’re running short of options for getting rid of the pests in your garden, click here for a natural solution to a pest free garden.

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More from your favorite gardening/birding magazines:

• --Top 10 Tips for Shade Gardening
• --Creative Impulses
• --Simple project: Easy Planter
• --Hand-Feeding Hummingbirds
• --Learn how to take amazing bird photos
• --No. 1 Green Thumb

LAST CHANCE: Enter to Win this $13,000 Massey Ferguson Tractor

Want a chance to win this ultimate garden tractor? Then go ahead…take some photos of your yard and enter our Backyard Makeover Contest. The Grand Prize winner of this year’s contest receives a Massey Ferguson Sub-Compact tractor, valued at nearly $13,000.00! Click here for details

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What’s going on in your backyard? Check out our solutions for common gardening problems. Or click here to submit your story to the editors.

What do you rely on to dress up your yard in autumn? Take our survey.