The other day as I commenced my weekly lawn mower disentombing from the garden shed, it dawned on me that I may have too many garden and lawn tools.

Referencing the American Begonia Society, there are over 1,000 named species in the begonia genus or family, and they are often divided into seven different categories. Some are much more common than others, so for the sake of this column, let’s focus on two of the well-known types — cane and wax.

Around this time each year, I start getting calls from family, friends and the general public asking about sick or under-performing apple trees. Most of these calls revolve around the same three questions:

Dearest readers, I have a secret. Sort of. Not really, though it’s perhaps not the common knowledge one might expect. Quite simply, it is this: Gardening is an incredibly accessible and feasible hobby, as long as you approach it with flexibility and without specific expectations.

My first kitchen garden was truly just that ... a few pots hanging on the railing outside my kitchen door. I loved it! I felt like a gourmet cook, stepping out the door and snipping plants, then adding them to my dish.

With the spring planting and summer garden seasons upon us, it will not be long before some type of disease or critter is having its way with my garden crops.

Last month, my column was all about rooting for the underdog and being willing to open up to the possibility that certain “nuisances,” like weeds, are actually quite beneficial. It was about love and acceptance, of a sort.

As I was thinking of ways to share my love of gardening, I thought of pizza. Yes, pizza. Planting a pizza garden to be exact. Gardening, cooking and eating pizza — a trifecta of delight!

I run across very few people who can tell the difference between soil and potting media. To make matters worse, companies that sell soil products are not always forthright on the labeling.

Look at that beautiful weather. Spring flowers are blooming, trees are leafing out. All of this can all only mean one thing: Weeds. The weeds are back in all of their glory and majesty. Huzzah and jubilation!

I mentioned in a previous article that the No. 1 question I get asked is, “How do I keep the deer from eating my plants?”

Jane, what are your top 10 perennials? The question was an innocent one, asked casually and off the cuff, with no idea of the tailspin it would create in my mind.

A couple weeks back, I did a talk for the Kanawha County Master Gardeners Association on the basics of worm husbandry — more commonly called vermicomposting. I have done three such talks in the past six months. I guess it is safe to say, worms are crawling into the mainstream.

As I write this, the weather outside is warm and windy and I can’t get enough of it. I can’t think of anything that lifts the spirits as effortlessly as the sun on my skin and the breeze in my hair.

Last weekend, the Buckskin Council of the Boy Scouts of America had their annual University Day event at West Virginia State University in Institute.

To many, March Madness is 68 college basketball teams battling to win a championship. To a gardener, March Madness is all about preparing to be in the garden.

Most gardeners call it a season when we have the first hard frost of the fall. This makes a lot sense, seeing how most plants die back after a few heavy frosts.

Fellow garden enthusiasts, rejoice! For we have less than a month of winter left according to the puppy and kitty calendar hanging slightly askew on my office wall.

Want a conversation piece? Try a staghorn fern. It’s a stately and handsome plant that is surprisingly easy to grow.

Late January and early February can be an unusual time of year. It always feels like I’m crashing from the adrenaline of the holidays and ringing in the new year.