The Plant Man
by Steve Jones

QUESTION: ?I just laid several inches of fresh, high-end dirt, an inch of shredded hardwood mulch and planted 150 bare root vinca (periwinkle) under a large pear tree in the front yard. With all the rain, I?m now faced with mushrooms everywhere and the beginnings of a fungal epidemic.

?There are several small patches of white fungus growing on the mulch. The drainage is relatively good, but the several inches of new soil are still very loose and so the moisture stays put longer. That, plus the incessant rain and high humidity seem to make for a great medium for these problems. Is the vinca safe or should I try to take protective measure of some kind?? ? John B.

How to Sell Strategically
By Alan Rigg
80/20 Performance
http://www.8020performance.com/

If you want to maximize your sales performance, take a STRATEGIC approach to selling. After all, wouldn't you agree that "the 80/20 rule" applies to customers, where approximately 20 percent of customers produce approximately 80 percent of sales?

The starting point for strategic selling is figuring out a) which
customers produce the bulk of your sales, and b) what they are buying. Armed with this information, you can strategically plan how to increase sales.

Create a Hummingbird Garden Habitat

It's not difficult to create a garden that will attract hummingbirds, but if you'd like to build a habitat in which they will happily nest and live throughout the northern summer, you need to provide them with more than a sugar-water feeder and a plant or two. An active hummingbird garden doesn't need to be large, but it will have all of the following key ingredients to attract and keep the attention of "nature's fairies".

Choose plants that attract Hummingbirds. Flowers are, of course, the key ingredient in attracting hummingbirds to your garden. The tiny birds feed on nectar that is produced by
flowers, and they seem particularly attracted to plants with trumpet or tubular bright red and orange flowers. Favorites include rhododendrons, azaleas and rose of Sharon bushes. For northern gardens that attract the ruby-throated hummingbird, choose plants that flower at different times during the blooming season to provide food for them
throughout the spring, summer and fall.

The Plant Man
by Steve Jones
www.landsteward.org

Groundcover can solve problem of sloping clay yard

QUESTION: "I have a problem with a side yard. The ground is red clay that currently has no vegetation on it except weeds. The yard is a rather steep slope. We tried to grow grass for a few years but due to the slope it was very difficult mowing the area. So now we are back to the bare ground. We need a surface we can walk on and not worry about slipping and falling and something that is low maintenance. The area gets quite a bit of sun and the rain runs down the slope. Do you have any suggestions (besides concrete)?" ? Nancy Ramsey

How to Write Effective Selling Proposals
Copyright © 2005 Alan Rigg
80/20 Performance
http://www.8020performance.com/

Depending upon how much you enjoy writing, writing sales
proposals can be a joy, purgatory, or something in between.
However, if you sell a complex product or one that involves the delivery of professional services, learning how to write
effective selling proposals can be critical to your success.

Some proposals are written in response to an RFP (Request for Proposal) or RFI (Request for Information). Organizations that go to the trouble of writing RFP's want to receive highly structured proposals, as this makes it easier for them to compare responses from various bidders.

Hi,

Whoever did the sprinklers for our house did a fairly poor job and the heads are 2-4 inches higher than we would like them to be. Is there any reasonably cheap and easy way to lower these are do we need to have the whole piping system ripped out and lowered?

Thanks!

Mike

The Plant Man
by Steve Jones
www.landsteward.org

These four special trees will enhance your landscape

One of the toughest questions to answer is one I get asked quite frequently: ?What is your favorite tree??

Whew! That?s like asking Grandma to pick her favorite grandchild! Everyday, as I walk around the Nursery, I see so many different trees and each one fascinates me in its own way. So, depending on when you ask me, I?m likely to describe enthusiastically my current favorite!

Yes, favorites are hard to define, whether we?re talking about trees or grandkids. But it might be easier to answer the question if we break out the answer into four categories: evergreen, deciduous, flowering and fruiting.

Evergreen
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) The Douglas Fir is one of the fastest-growing of the evergreen forest trees, even faster than the Frazier. If you?re thinking of lining a long driveway, planting a row of Douglas Firs on either side will quickly add a stately ambience, and because of the fast growth, they give the appearance of having been there for years. A Douglas Fir also makes a nice stand-alone specimen with its characteristic soft, blue/green needles. Even at the height of summer, a Douglas Fir reminds me of Christmas (my favorite Holiday) so you can see why it figures high on my list of favored trees.

Hi,
 
    Thank you for your website!  I've been everywhere on the internet today trying to find out some info when I came upon you.  Hope you can help.
 
    I ordered some Evergreen Windbreak (American Arborviae) ????  When they arrived a note was in the package that says "keep roots moint and in a col shaded area, if they will NOT be planted for a few days you need to "HEEL" then in the ground until you want to plant them.
 
    Sorry, but at the risk of sounding stupid, could you briefly explain to me what "HEEL" means?  I have never heard this word used.  I spoke with several older folks thinking it might be an old term for something, but they weren't sure either.  I know it says heel in ground till you plant, however, I want to do things the right way and not kill them!
 
    So, any help you send my way I would appreciate it.  Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Respectfully,
 
MS. Shinsky

The Plant Man
by Steve Jones
www.landsteward.org

Magnificent Black Walnut trees need Compatible Neighbors

What can I plant near my Black Walnut trees? That's a question that I sometimes hear, and it's a very good question, because not every plant will thrive in close proximity to a Black Walnut. Today, I'll explain why, and tell you about some trees and shrubs that can cohabit with your Walnuts.