Like many northern transplants to South Florida, Lila Steinhoff learned the hard way that gardening skills don't transfer. She moved to West Palm Beach from Missouri several decades ago.

"My grandmother always had a garden," says Steinhoff. "She grew everything: green beans, squash, okra, tomatoes, dill, carrots, radishes, rhubarb — even horseradish. And she canned it all."So just like back home, Steinhoff planted her garden in April.

"I was uninitiated in Florida soil and growing seasons," she says. "The seasons are backward here."She also didn't know about nematodes, Florida's most common ground parasite that can decimate a garden literally overnight. "Nematodes killed it all," she says, "and I just gave up."

It wasn't until two years ago when her son, Matt, had a successful backyard garden that Steinhoff decided to give it another try. He built her a raised bed, and armed with much more knowledge and established plants from nurseries and home improvement stores, her garden blossomed.

She first "cooked" the soil by covering the dirt with a black plastic sheet held down by bricks. No more nematodes. Then she worked in manure and peat. "Then I just water it like crazy and plant."In her third season, she's growing cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, okra, rosemary and cilantro. Much of it goes into her vegetable-stocked shrimp gumbo.

Now that she's a converted Florida gardener, she even sees the pluses. Crops are long-lasting. "I just now finished cutting the okra from last year," she says. "It would have kept producing, but I had to go away and couldn't water it, so I just let it go and turned it under."

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See Thao walked along the edge of a garden at the end of a block in central Fresno, her smile as big as the sunflowers growing among the rows of vegetables.
"I love farming," she said.

The garden at Fresno Interdenominational Ministries on Fresno Street -- one of six Fresno County horticultural therapeutic gardens -- is shared by 10 families, including Thao's. At a celebration for the first harvest last week, she showed what she'd planted: cilantro, onions and taum lag, a Hmong green bean.
And as the crowd watched Hmong dancers and ate a meal prepared from the garden's bounty, Thao talked about what no one could see growing.

"Coming here for farming helps me with my depression because staying home makes me feel very frustrated," said Thao, 37, who came to Fresno in 2004 from a refugee camp in Thailand. "Coming here makes me happier.

Mental health officials say reducing depression and isolation among the Hmong, Slavic, African-American and Hispanic communities is why Fresno County is spending thousands of dollars in mental health funds on therapeutic gardens.

"A lot of the elderly have a lot of feeling of helplessness and hopelessness here in America," said Ghia Xiong, a psychologist at the Fresno Center for New Americans and project director of a garden at McCall and McKinley avenues.

Xiong, who interpreted for Thao, said many Hmong refugees were farmers. Thao said she has farmed since she was 8 years old. But today, Thao lives in an apartment with her seven children.

Most refugees live in apartments, Xiong said. And many of the adults spend their days alone while spouses or adult children work and children or grandchildren are at school, he said.

A garden is a place where they feel at home, Xiong said. "They can go and help and do some farming or just go and walk around it."

For years, the Hmong community has asked Fresno County mental health officials to build a garden, said the Rev. Sharon Stanley, executive director of the interdenominational ministries. The six gardens are the first therapeutic gardens built in the county, and a state official said she knows of only one other built for similar mental health purposes -- in Calaveras County.

Fresno County officials say the gardens are natural places for mental health support groups to form and for people to learn about services in a non-stigmatizing arena.

Through the gardens, the county hopes to reach people who ordinarily shun mental health services, said Karen Markland, a manager in the county's Department of Behavioral Health. The county has budgeted $180,653 in Mental Health Services Act funds this fiscal year for the six sites, she said.

Mental Health Services Act funds are collected from a tax on millionaires and distributed by the state to counties. Last year, the county received $33 million. By law, 20% of the money must be spent on prevention and early intervention. The county spent about $7 million for 12 such programs last year, including about $135,000 for the gardens.

Horticultural therapy isn't a new concept. Gardening as a means of therapy for the disabled and others has been around at least 38 years. But some question whether spending mental health money on gardening -- especially during tight economic times -- is a wise use of funds.

Curtis A. Thornton, chairman of the Fresno County Mental Health Advisory Board, has been a skeptic.
"I've asked the department to furnish reports on what's been transpiring and what they've been doing to really ensure that there really is a mental health focus there," he said.

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The ability of a plant and its pollinator to survive rapid climate change depends upon the density and distribution of other species in the community, a new study has suggested.

Ecologists have known for many years that climate change alters the timing of when plants flower and when insects emerge. If climate change causes species that rely on one another, known as “mutualists”, to be active at different times, then these species may be threatened with extinction.

The question that remained was whether the process of evolution could mitigate the potential damage that climate change can inflict upon the timing of life cycle events.  To find an answer to this, researchers from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis used computer simulations to examine the effect of climate change on populations of flowering plants and their insect pollinators for the study.

They found that in some cases evolution can rescue plant-pollinator mutualisms that would otherwise become extinct as a result of climate change. They also found weather a mutualism survives can depend upon the density and distribution of other species in the community.

“In such cases, habitat fragmentation or loss of native pollinators might compound the threat of climate change to mutualisms,” Tucker Gilman, lead author of the paper, said.

“The results are troubling because anthropogenic (or human caused) climate change is thought to be happening up to ten times faster than any natural climate change in the past 500,000 years,” Gilman said.

“This means that mutualisms that have survived past climate change events may still be vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change,” he added.

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Thirteen years ago, the Victoria County Master Gardener training program began with just 13 trainees through efforts of Texas AgriLife Extension.

Since then, more than 300 people have received this intensive training and been certified as Texas Master Gardeners; 144 are active and retain their certification by annual continuing education and community service hours.

From neighboring counties
While mostly from Victoria County, residents from neighboring communities have trained in the Victoria County Master Gardener program. These members have met all qualifications for the Victoria program although some live in Calhoun, DeWitt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca and Wharton counties and commuted to Victoria to take the course and maintain their certification.

Offsprings evolved
In 2002, Jackson County formed its own group, and last year, Gonzales County followed suit. Each time, members of Victoria County Master Gardeners helped form the groups in their communities.

This part of Texas is truly better educated in gardening because of the fruits of labor of Victoria County Master Gardeners who make up one of the most successful groups in Texas.

How group began: The Gonzales Master Gardeners are now instructing the second year of the Master Gardener program in Gonzales. In the summer of 2010, Gonzales County Extension Agent Dwight Sexton called for the help of some Master Gardeners of surrounding counties to help organize and sponsor a Master Gardener program for Gonzales County.

Answering the request for help were Jim and Gail Johnson from Guadalupe County, David DeMent, of Hays County, and me, from the Victoria County association. Gail was the leader in knowing what forms were needed and how to fill them out to satisfaction. Thus the program was off and running with these four people forming the organizing committee. Finding a place to hold classes was one of the first challenges for, which the local IOOF graciously allowed the use of their building.

First year formation: The first year was a busy one to get all the requirements filled to the satisfaction of Extension Service while conducting classes at the same time. The new training program consisted of 66 hours of classroom training plus field trips beginning in September and ending in May.

One of the field trips was the Victoria Educational Gardens in Victoria. Dick Nolen and the Victoria group were very helpful and allowed us to participate in the fall plant sale and even had do's and don'ts to suggest, which led to Gonzales County having its own plant sale.

First year projects: The Gonzales Master Gardeners and local students undertook several projects the first year. First was the Eggleston Children's Garden. Raised beds were built close to one of Gonzales' historic houses and close to the elementary school. The students from school planted vegetables in the garden and were excited when, at harvest time, the school cafeteria staff made a salad from the produce so the children could literally enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The Master Gardeners presented two public education programs during the winter and spring on topics of tree care and companion vegetable gardening.

These programs were free to the public and were well attended. The Gonzales Beautification Committee was joined by the Master Gardeners in a project of working to clean up and landscape the old Gonzales City Cemetery. Through years of neglect it had grown up with crepe myrtles and other shrubs and had to be cut out before plans could be made for the landscape.

The gardeners were given hour credits for the time worked on this project. Gonzales Memorial Hospital was also a recipient of the talents of the Master Gardeners. This is a work in progress. The hospital provided the financing and the gardeners are doing the planning and work to make a Memorial Garden in one of the patios at the hospital.

With the labyrinth in the center with foliage and a real waterfall in the flower beds, it will be a peaceful and restful place for patients and visitors to visit.

May graduates: In May, the Gonzales Master Gardeners graduated 16 certified Texas Master Gardeners who had completed both the classroom requirements and the 50 hours of volunteer service needed to earn their designations as Texas Master Gardeners. Ten other students completed the class and will continue working on their volunteer hours to earn their certifications. The organization has been receiving much recognition from the community and individual citizens for the difference they are making in the community. It has been a great learning experience, and the satisfaction of having another great organization in our town has been good.

As a Master Gardener in Victoria County, I am proud of being a part of the successes of both programs and encourage others interested in gardening to consider applying to being a part of a very worthwhile group - in either county. What you learn and do will be to your credit and satisfaction.

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When Rosemary Alexander, principal of The English Gardening School in London did a tour of South Africa a few years ago, she mentioned on her arrival in the country that she had only ever heard of two gardens in Cape Town, Kirstenbosch and Stellenberg.

Among the internationally acclaimed gardens, Sandy Ovenstone’s Stellenberg Gardens in Kenilworth is most definitely on the map. Moreover, it was showcased by international gardening author and presenter Montagu Don in his 2008 BBC television series, Around the World in 80 Gardens.

Next weekend, the magnificent Stellenberg Gardens will be opened to the public to raise funds for the Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (NOAH). “The Western Cape has the highest life expectancy in South Africa and this is increasing faster than other provinces”, says NOAH’s Jane Mills. “Of the population of the province, it is estimated that 8.6 percent (453 957) are 60 years and older,” she adds. NOAH provides houses, assisted living, primary health care and community centres to elderly people without means and depends on a range of charity fund-raisers every year to keep these services operational.

The gardens at Stellenberg were part of a farm granted to Simon van der Stel’s son, Francois, in 1697. The homestead in its current form was probably built in the 1740s by Jan de Wit (formerly John White) although alterations and additions occurred in the 1780s and 1790s.

The classical Cape Dutch home and its surrounding gardens have been home to the Ovenstone family for nearly 60 years. A passionate and informed gardener, Sandy Ovenstone has developed a number of different themes in the garden and substantial changes have taken place since 1987.

The philosophy behind the gardening is to plant each section with a different mood in mind, but always to give a sense of peace and serenity to the person walking through it. Four of the six acres of the Stellenberg estate are formally laid-out gardens. A number of areas in the Stellenberg Gardens have been designed by top Cape garden designer Franchesca Watson.

The “Garden of Reflection” features a series of small ponds, while the ”Parterre garden” has been simplified to allow only four large, square boxed planting areas, boldy monoplanted.

One of the biggest highlights in the garden is the “Medieval Garden”. Primarily an organic vegetable garden with a central pond and symmetrical beds, the garden connects to the shady pool garden of Upper Stellenberg.

The David Hicks formal garden features obelisks and spectacular arches of New Dawn roses. The clipped hedges and lawns are always looking superb, a testimony to the meticulous work of head gardener Caroline Magowen and her four gardeners. The 700m2 Stellenberg Gardens Nursery plays an important role at the Stellenberg Gardens.

“The nursery runs from the garden and for the garden,” explains Stellenberg nursery manager Doreen Dauberman. “We sow seeds and propagate plants for the gardens. Perennials are lifted from the garden, split and bagged. The surplus plants are sold to the public,” she says.

While gardening on the peninsula is not always easy, Doreen Dauberman maintains that there is basic horticultural advice which can assist any gardener to survive the dry heat of the coming summer. Having had years of experience, Dauberman offers these good words of gardening wisdom for your garden.

* Avoid watering too often, too little. A single deep watering once a week will assist in drawing the roots away from the surface and will be the key to surviving the hot, dry summer.

* “I believe in a no-dig garden,” she says. “When you start a garden you need to prepare the beds, add lots of compost and establish the foundation. However, once your bed is settled down, digging only exposes moisture in the soil to the dry air.” Rather replenish borders constantly with a thick layer of mulch and fertilise regularly.

* When it comes to lawn fertilisers, check the numbers. The best fertiliser for a lawn has a ratio of 2:3:4. The 2 reflects the nitrogen ratio, the 3 is the phosphates and 4 is potassium. It is important to feed the roots every six weeks through summer. If you buy a lawn fertiliser that that has too high a ratio of nitrogen, all you are doing is feeding the leaves which get mown away every couple of weeks.

* Raise the level of your lawn mower in summer. To combat the heat, leaf blades should be at least 5cm long. Any shorter and your lawn could be burnt on a hot day.

* Stellenberg Gardens are open to the public on November 5-6, 9.30am to 5.30pm. 30A Oak Ave, Kenilworth. Tickets: R30 per person. Tea: R20. No dogs, no picnics. Plants for sale at Stellenberg Nursery. Contact 021 686 6817 or 082 931 0687.

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While New York City adopts increasingly progressive measures to promote sustainability, at least one "green" group remains unsatisfied. Community gardeners, charging that the most recent city regulations leave them largely unprotected, fear their plots of land could be snatched away at any time.

The rules, though < href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/nyregion/14gardens.html ">framed as a gift to gardeners when enacted in September 2010, do not permanently protect existing gardens as an earlier agreement did. While 282 gardens remain protected, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development reserved the right to swap the protected gardens for other similar space. That and other caveats outweigh any theoretical increase in protection, advocates say.

"We all hoped that the rules would say active gardens would be preserved, but they didn't," said Hannah Riseley-White, a community organizer for the nonprofit organization Green Guerillas. "When you read the text, it really says the gardens are protected, unless we want to sell them."

Close to 200 gardens out of around 450 -- a number that doesn’t include Department of Education gardens -- are vulnerable to sale and development under these rules, advocates say. But, more importantly, they believe that all city gardens ultimately remain in jeopardy because none of the legislation they sought made it into the 2010 agreement. Without laws to protect gardens, those who work on them say, nothing is guaranteed.

"Rules and regulations are only as good at the current administration," said Karen Washington, the president of the New York City Community Garden Coalition. "That's not permanency."

Governing Gardens

The rules governing community gardens have gone through a number of changes in the past 20 years. As community gardens became increasingly popular in the 1980s and '90s, gardeners wanted to preserve their limited growing space, while real-estate developers craved room to expand. In 1999, the Giuliani administration, which had methodically sold garden lots for housing development, put 119 gardens on the auction block in a single day. Nonprofit groups saved some of the gardens by purchasing them, and then-state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed suit to halt Giuliani's wholesale development of the green space. In 2002, freshly elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg settled that lawsuit, reaching an agreement with the attorney general to permanently exempt a sizeable batch of gardens from a bricks and concrete fate.

That agreement promised firm, permanent protection to 198 community gardens and preserved about 100 more Department of Education gardens, while designating around 150 gardens for sale and development. The accord provided an armistice to years of battle over the dwindling open space in New York City.

Or perhaps it was only a ceasefire. The rules expired in 2010, prompting the Bloomberg administration to issue new ones. Under these rules, gardens "permanently" protected in 2002 are now subject to "swaps." As a result, around 250 gardens will remain protected for the foreseeable future, but they won’t necessarily occupy the same space they do now. It is the garden that is protected -- not the land it lies on -- so the garden can technically be relocated with the land it once occupied subject to development.

Christopher Amato, who was lead attorney for the state at the time of the 2002 agreement, cautioned at a 2010 public hearing that this approach threatened to create "nomad gardens." Such gardens, he said, could be "forced to move every few years in response to development proposals until, presumably, the gardeners threw up their hands and abandon future gardening efforts."

Amato added that the 2010 rules were “inconsistent with both the letter and the spirit" of the 2002 agreement, as they would "eliminate or substantially weaken several key provisions."

Aresh Javadi, board member for the Community Garden Coalition, agreed. "Working through the attorney general's [2002] agreement," Javadi said, "it was clear that the 198 community gardens named as parks were to be protected permanently."

That is certainly the impression Bloomberg conveyed when he announced the 2002 deal. "We are providing permanent protection to hundreds of community gardens throughout New York City,” he said then, "and establishing a fair process for reviewing future proposals to develop other garden properties."

Now, though, the city has taken a different approach. When the Community Garden Coalition reminded administration officials of the 2002 comments, Javadi said, “They kinda said, in general that’s true but as long as the overall number is the same we can pick and choose what we'll bulldoze."

Javadi added, "With those clauses, they can do whatever they want to anybody."The administration, for its part, has said that active gardens have nothing to worry about. "Parks gardens are not available for development unless the garden is in default or inactive," said a representative for the parks department, who added that no gardens have yet been defaulted.

However the representative added, "Parks community gardens and [those under the Department of Housing Preservation and Development] have slightly different rules. ... Parks licenses gardens for four years while HPD's is only for one year."

Trading Places

The fate of one Brooklyn garden highlights the dilemma inherent in the swaps. Hart to Hart garden sits four blocks north of Tompkins Park in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a quarter block of grass enclosed by a linked fence. It grows mostly herbs and vegetables, and offers composting to its members. Its membership tripled in 2009, according to Green Thumb, the city program that manages, but doesn’t own, community gardens in the five boroughs.

When the city realized that Hart to Hart, though thriving, was one of the 150 gardens assigned to the housing department under the 2002 deal and thus vulnerable to future development, the agency decided to swap it with the Warwick Block Association community garden, a parks department lot that was less active. Now, Warwick is no longer a protected garden, even though it was granted permanent status in 2002.

Margot Dorn, the head contact for Hart to Hart, was largely unaware of the swap's logistics. "There were complicated dealings" associated with it, she said, but the city largely handled it without involvement from the gardeners.

The swap means that Hart to Hart will continue to function as it has, and in the same location, but is now classified as a protected parks department garden. Meanwhile, the Warwick garden became a housing department garden. Since those are not protected, the lot could be developed as housing in the future, leaving the Warwick group without a space of its own and, in essence, possibly shutting down one city garden.

Although the 2010 agreement said only gardens that were no longer active would lose their parks department protection, the city soon extended that to gardens that were merely "less active.""Warwick was an active garden, but the city felt justified doing that swap in order to preserve Hart to Hart," said Riseley-White.

Additional Protection

Despite such struggles, community garden advocates say the 2010 rules do offer some policy improvements. Now, at least, gardens losing their status have some warning. Notification goes to two people affiliated with the garden instead of one, helping to prevent communication snafus. And upon receiving such notification, groups now have 30 days to turn the situation around by proving their lot's viability. If they clean up messy weeds or increase community participation, the gardeners can save their lots.

Also, the new agreement affords some protections to any new gardens that may come in to existence, whereas the old one only applied to those established before the 2002 agreement. And, says Javadi, the recent disputes have only energized gardening activists. His group is gathering documents that it hopes will prove which gardens are protected, in order to make that information widely available to the public.

"We really need to know exactly which gardens are the permanently protected ones," Javadi said. "Then, if any are impinged upon, we will very, very aggressively go after any agency that wants to hurt the community and its gardens."

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While we’re all eager to hail wounded heroes, we seem less ready to help those who have been damaged mentally by their efforts on our behalf. The stigma of mental illness is everywhere, discouraging sufferers from asking for help.

In the grounds of Chelsea barracks, charity Gardening Leave offers routine, exercise and comradeship to young veterans battling against personal odds, who have overcome the odds of a difficult site: high brick walls, dense canopy of overhanging trees and poor soil. Using their ingenuity and muscle, they have built raised beds in this lovely garden to grow shade-tolerant fruit, veg and herbs that are then donated to the Chelsea Pensioners’ café.

As chief executive Anna Baker Cresswell says: “There are many veterans for whom the transition from military life to 'civvy street’ is challenging, and the peaceful environment among like-minded people in our garden has brought light into the life of some of our very special veterans. But we can do much more, and we are grateful that Gardening Against the Odds will help us raise our profile among the health-care professionals and charities in the capital who we want to refer ex-Service personnel to us.”

AMLWCH COMMUNITY GARDENING CLUB

When volunteers from Age Well took over the rubble-strewn yard of the Memorial Hall, they transformed the site into a community garden, despite their age and health problems. Over the past two years, the garden has been a source of support to members suffering the loss of loved ones, and a tribute to those who have died, including the first grandchild of organisers Barry and Janet Tetlow, who was stillborn. All have discovered the joy of gardening and planted seeds of solace and comfort, though Janet is hoping for some younger gardeners to help shoulder ongoing plans.

From the concrete, bricks and waist-high weeds, rose gardens have bloomed, a fern-edged pond has become home to local wildlife, productive vegetable plots have produced lunches or been bartered with other groups in the area, and members have overcome the debilitating features of ageing. Individual gardeners have battled the symptoms of cancer to produce beautiful woodwork, and the depression and memory loss following a heart attack to weed dig, mow and plant, resulting not only in a venue for young and old, but in a new community spirit among all those who use the Memorial Hall.

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SALISBURY — Although spring is nowhere in sight, it is time to consider planting bulbs for early spring color. Cooler weather and recent rains make this the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs. Bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus need to be planted soon.

Fall planting helps with good root development and satisfies the cool temperature requirements of bulbs. A good selection of bulbs is now available from local garden shops and retail outlets. Select bulbs that are firm and healthy. Small nicks and loose skins do not affect the growth and development of the bulb. In fact, loose skin aids in inspection for diseases and other deformities.

The size and number of blooms per bulb is directly related to the size of the bulb. Small economy bulbs, sold by the hundreds, are no bargain when bulbs produce small, less attractive blooms later in the spring. Large, healthy bulbs produce large, showy blooms.

Store the bulbs in a cool, dry location (55-60 degrees) before planting. Do not store bulbs in the refrigerator. Daffodil bulbs have a similar appearance to onions and are poisonous. Also, do not store the bulbs near ripening fruit, such as apples and other tree fruits. These fruits produce ethylene gas, which will affect the flowering process.

Well drained soils are essential for adequate bulb growth. Avoid planting in poorly drained soils. Tight clay soils should be amended with top soil, ground bark or composted material worked into the soil. Raised beds that include good topsoil and soil amendments are excellent areas to locate bulbs.

Soil pH is also an important factor in bulb growth and development. Bulbs grow best in soils with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. A soil test may reveal the need for dolomitic lime to raise the pH of Rowan’s naturally acidic soils.

The planting procedure in the fall is important for later spring performance. Small sized bulbs (1 inch in height) should be planted 4-5 inches deep. Larger bulbs (2 inches or more in height) should be planted 7-8 inches deep, with the depths measured from the base of the bulb to the soil line. Try to loosen the soil under the bulb before planting. Large bulbs should be planted 3-6 inches apart and small bulbs 1-2 inches apart. Small and large bulb varieties can be inter-planted.

Bone meal is an organic fertilizer that is often used to promote bulb establishment and growth, but research has shown that the processing that goes into making bone meal removes much of the nutrients. Other experts lament that the fertilizer actually attracts animals such as raccoons, voles and other rodents. Specialized bulb food or fertilizers are now available designed to maximize top growth and bulb development.

Cover the bulbs with half the soil backfill, water thoroughly and finish covering with remaining soil. Cover the planted bulbs with 2-3 inches of mulch to conserve water and reduce winter weed growth. Be sure to irrigate as needed during winter droughts.

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Long before gardeners were running around with pruning tools, Mother Nature was tending to her plants with her own form of pruning. In nature, pruning is done on a much grander scale with tools such as wind, ice, fire, disease and snow, just to mention a few. There is even research to suggest plants do their own self pruning by a process called programmed senescence.

Senescence is thought to be controlled by hormone triggers causing mature leaves and roots to be pruned (die off). The reasons plants prune themselves usually result from lack of efficiency in production of nutrition or energy is needed elsewhere in the plant serving a greater good for the overall growth.

So why did man start to interfere if nature had it under control? The art of pruning has been around for a long, long time. There are many mentions of it in the Bible and even in ancient text dating back to 1500 B.C.

Man realized that pruning could increase the bounty of food, such as grapes for wine. As we have evolved, the need for pruning has too; we still prune to increase fruit and flower production, but also for aesthetics, protection of our homes and promoting health of the plant.

As the growing season for most things comes to a close, many folks like to prune, trim and cut to make everything neat and orderly for the winter. This is not typically what nature does. For many plants, this could be decreasing growth rates and/or even killing them. There are many reasons that some plants should not be pruned in the early fall and are better left looking a little unkempt. One reason is that they add interest to the winter garden.

An example of this would be the ornamental grasses waving in the breezes or layered with the occasional snow or ice. These grasses may also be shelter for wild life or beneficial insects during the cold winter months. Some plants may even stay green if the winter is milder than usual like foam flower.

Other plants, such as coneflowers, have seeds supporting the birds with much needed food for the winter. These seeds could also be necessary for self-seeding, as in the liatris family. Sometimes the dead leaves act to protect the new growth from early frosts, such as hostas. With butterfly weed, the fallen foliage protects the crown from the harsh winter winds and cold.

Yet there are other plants, such as plumbago, that do not emerge until very late in the season, and its dead stalk may act as a marker to let you know where it is sleeping. This does not mean pruning shouldn’t take place in the fall. There are some plants that do better with a trim.

Certainly any plant with disease, pests or damage should be pruned, as should any plant causing potential damage to a home or property. There are plants, such as blackberry lily, where the fallen leaves may cause the crown to rot or create problem sites with insects, such as borers in bearded iris or leaf miners in columbine.

Daylilies, catnip, blanket flower and crocosmia all perform better if trimmed in the fall. Therefore, everything should not be ignored until spring. A good resource on pruning is “Care of Ornamental Plants in Landscape” by Gary L. Wade and Beverly Sparks for your general information on when to prune some of the different plants found in our area.

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The Pureland Japanese Garden and Meditation Centre is a remarkable place. It is a uniquely beautiful garden, and also the home of Buddha Maitreya (pronounced 'My-treeya'), a spiritual teacher and creator of this wonderful space. There is now a Pureland Japanese Garden website, which contains some of the information explained here, and additional details besides.

The Pureland Japanese Garden, and the teachings and sessions provided by Buddha Maitreya, present a wonderful opportunity to bring spirituality and enlightenment into organisational learning and development. Spirituality and business - or love and business - might not seem an obvious 'fit' according to traditional thinking, however, we live in enlightened times. More and more people are seeking a new meaning from life and work. So there are increasingly significant connections between the ideas of spiritual peace, and what people want from their work and life beyond work. Pureland, based in the English East Midlands close to Newark Nottinghamshire, and Buddha Maitreya, offer a wonderful way to make these connections real.

The Pureland garden reflects Maitreya's approach to meditation and philosophy, in which he teaches self-awareness, peace, and harmony with nature. Buddha Maitreya acquired the land in 1973. It was then one and a half acres of flat wasteland - the site of an old farm house.

Maitreya has since transformed the space into an extraordinary venue, for people who seek peace and well-being, to discover more about themselves, or for others who simply enjoy visiting beautiful gardens.

The pictures convey a little of the Pureland experience. Visit the garden, or arrange a session for yourself or your team, with Buddha Maitreya, and discover for yourself the wonder of this special place, and this special teacher.

For those too distant to reach the Pureland venue, you might instead consider asking Buddha Maitreya to visit you, to teach relaxation and meditation, and/or maybe to give his talk and slide show about this beautiful Japanese garden and how it was created.

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