“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot seek a shadow.” ~ Helen Keller

1. More than my family, insects enjoy my summer gardens (flowers, vegetables, etc.). What can I do? First, keep your garden healthy (fertilized, well watered, and free of plant disease).  Beyond this flowers and roses are easier to treat as residual and systemic insecticides can be utilized.  Fruits and vegetables that will be consumed should be treated well before harvesting with a nonresidual insecticide like pyrethrum.  All insecticides used on food should be approved for such use and applied in full accordance with labeling.  
2. So, we wanted to start our spring plants indoors and now we have a gazzilion gnats in the house. What do you suggest? If you didn’t bake (350F for 3hrs) your potting soil to kill the gnats and other critters prior to use, then there are two choices. Choice 1 - if your husband leaves coffee in his uncovered cup for an afternoon pick me up, you're good to go. The coffee is a gnat attractant that is instantaneously lethal. Half the time my husband polishes off his afternoon creosote w/o even checking what’s in the cup. Alternatively, Choice 2 - one can purchase fly sticks from your favorite insect emporium. 
3. What are important Fall gardening tips? Don’t get rid of all those leaves.  Rather use them as compost in your garden beds or as insulation around the base of your roses. This is also the right time to think about planting any Spring bulbs.
4. Gardens take a lot of water. Why shouldn’t I replace my garden with stones and cactus? Some natural, ‘zero water' gardens are beautiful, and provide some resistance to wild fires. This is important in much of Colorado.  However, 'zero water' gardens are far from maintenance free and will provide little or no food options. Alternatively one may consider rain barrels and automated drip irrigation systems to conserve water and have a green garden.
5. Is dead-heading good?  If you are a truck driver, no.  If you want many of your flowers to keep blooming, then yes.  Prune and trim as flowers fade or plants become gangly.  
6. My husband often grumbles whenever I ask him to move bags of mulch.  What do you recommend?  First try the admonition “use it or lose it”.  If that doesn’t work, order several yards of Gorilla Hair Mulch for delivery to your driveway.  Slepping bags of mulch will be much better received thereafter.  

If you have any gardening questions, please ask by tapping or clicking on the photo of the fly sticks.