Allergy season is in full swing in most parts of the country; turning cars a peculiar shade of green, causing Kleenex stocks to rise and giving allergy sufferers a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms. Allergies can cause sneezing, wheezing, coughing, headaches and worse but they shouldn’t keep you from enjoying your garden. Instead, re-evaluate your garden, replacing allergy-causing plants with those that will not contribute to your symptoms and redesign your gardening routine and habits.

The love of gardening does not fade with age or disability but the work of toting heavy tools and materials, getting down on your hands and knees to prune or dig and even getting around in the garden can be difficult or impossible for those with physical challenges. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to preserve your hobby and keep gardening just as calming, fulfilling and healthful.

For many gardeners February isn’t just a time to celebrate love for their significant other but a time to celebrate their love of gardening as well. The garden starts to show the tiniest bit of life, seed catalogues are coming in and seeds are being started indoors. Forget the traditional rose bouquet and box of chocolates and show your lovable gardener you care with these creative garden-themed Valentine’s Day ideas.

In most parts of the country, it’s been a pretty mild winter but the lack of sunlight and life in your garden can still make the most upbeat among us a little blue. It is good to have a place to step away, regenerate and reignite your senses, whether that is at a coffee shop, library, gym or your own home. Many plants have properties that can heighten your senses and lighten your mood, making your home a peaceful place to regenerate.

Watering your plants correctly may seem like a basic skill to many gardeners but it is a key skill for beginner gardeners to learn for their plant’s livelihood. Water is a basic necessity for all life and acts as a transport medium, allowing nutrients from the soil to enter plant cells. Too little water can starve the plant while too much water can drown it, forcing air from the root zone which depletes the plant’s oxygen supply, leaving the plant vulnerable to fungi and bacteria which can cause root rot and death. Unfortunately, there is no one measure or rule for how often or how much a plant needs to be watered. No two plants are the same, some preferring swamp land while others prefer desert sands. Fortunately, there are some simple techniques and products that can be used to gauge a plant’s need for water.

As you plant this fall for the warmer seasons, be sure you have the following items accompany your shovel, hose and soil:

1) Quality bulbs and seeds.