Nothing beats the flavor of fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes. Keep them close at hand by growing one or more in containers on your patio, balcony, or front steps. Any tomato can be grown in a pot, but determinate varieties are shorter and more compact, making them a bit easier to manage in a container. They produce fruit in a relatively short period of time, making them great choices for preserving as well as using fresh.

Trees provide many benefits to the environment and our health and well-being. These long-lived members of our landscapes and communities provide shade, help reduce energy costs, clean the air we breathe, prevent soil erosion and stormwater runoff, and attract and provide homes for birds and pollinators.

Too much or not enough water and never when your garden needs it. This is a common complaint of gardeners no matter where they live. Make a few changes in your plant selection and garden care to help manage water use while growing healthy plants. All plants need sufficient moisture after planting and for several months to a year or two to develop a robust root system.

Rabbits are year-round and frequent visitors to gardens and landscapes. As children, we read about and adored these furry critters. This love of rabbits often faded as we grew older and experienced damage to our gardens and landscapes.

That first full day in the garden may find you tired, sunburned and stiff. Whether you are a young or young-at-heart gardener, include some strategies to help extend your enjoyment and reduce fatigue and muscle strain so you can keep gardening longer each day and for years to come. No matter your age, it’s important to protect your joints when gardening. Use a kneeler pad or knee pads to protect your knees.

Fresh on your pizza, added to your favorite Italian and Southeastern Asian dishes or made into pesto, it’s not surprising basil is often called the king of herbs. Look for opportunities to include basil in gardens, containers and ornamental plantings. Purple varieties add color and combine nicely with other flowers and vegetables.