Aphids are nasty little critters. Their joy is ganging up on the flowers of chiles and sucking all of the life out of them. Outdoors, at least in Bluff, aphids are seldom a problem. Sometimes they cluster on the flowers of the Siberian peas, but they are easily sprayed off with a hose, or the wind blows them off, or the ladybugs get them.

By Linda Richmond The days have been warm and sunny, the crocus and daffodils are blooming, the elm trees bloomed weeks ago, and local gardeners have the urge to plant something. In the vegetable garden, peas, lettuce and carrots can go in now. Surveying my meager compost pile, I wondered if I could plant a … Continue reading Spring Fever: The gardening bug bites (March 1996)

Note: Lefty's Soap Box, a gardening column by former Canyon Echo editor Phil Hall, ran each month throughout the 1990s. If the weather keeps up like this February may become my favorite month. Good moisture, beautiful blue sky days, nights with crystal stars. During the week of the Presidents' birthdays we planted peas. The soil … Continue reading Lefty’s Soap Box: Spring planting, starting chiles, and other gardening tips (Feb. 1995)