Forsythia, viburnums, mock oranges, lilacs and others make a splash in their own times. Their spring color is glorious and then they settle down in green for the summer. Although the green leaves on these beautiful shrubs do add to the look of your garden, we love them best for their spring color. There are other shrubs that we plant for their green color, textures or possibly variegated leaves that add interest to the garden.

Spring flowers are perhaps the most welcome of all the blossoms in the landscape. They emerge to dot the landscape with bits of color here and there or if planted accordingly they provide a flood of vibrant hues to greet the cool spring air.

In a garden we have some control over seed and plant choices, soil, water, insects and weeds, but we cannot control the weather. We must work within climatic limitations to successfully grow good crops.

Some people are never satisfied. Last week many were griping about the nippy weather and if the forecasts are correct, those same folks may be griping about the heat very soon. The same holds true for other aspects of the weather.

Gardening has been dubbed the most popular outdoor recreational activity in the United States. My guess is that if the survey that determined this had ranked gardening's popularity by area, Utah would be somewhere at the top of the list. It is interesting that our area with its problem soils and challenging climatic conditions fosters so much interest in gardening.

Every summer it happens again. Some little pale yellow or whitish moths start flitting around the vegetable garden and soon I find hatchlings of small green caterpillars chewing holes in the leaves of many of my plants -- particularly the cole crops. They are nasty little critters that match the cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower so well that I can't find all of them to pick them off. I suppose the saying "you are what you eat" applies to them, since they take on the color of the crop they are eating.

The crocuses, which never did have very good sense about the weather anyway, are already bobbing their heads in many yards and the tulips and daffodils have tested the air, found it inviting and are sending buds forth. Biennials such as pansies that were planted last fall have developed root systems and are already showing some color.

It is all pretty confusing, but for the most part, a good calendar solves any problems in knowing when to celebrate. If you are in the nursery business, however, the roving nature of this holiday keeps you on your toes. Easter lilies are a very popular nursery crop. There is something rather inspiring about these trumpet-shaped, white blossoms. The association with the holiday is very strong and it is already in place. It is just a matter of providing the prettiest lilies at just the right time to greet that Sunday morning. People get very excited about Easter lilies during the couple of weeks before Easter and are eager to purchase them. However, the day after the holiday, interest and sales become pretty much defunct.

In planning gardens beds, gardeners often wonder how to create a beautiful scene without having to spend day and night there -- sleeping bags and all. If only there were a way to make gardening stay done. What if you could plant the garden once and the plants would just stay put, grow nicely and look good pretty much forever?

While sometimes it may seem easier to leave branches alone rather than take a chance on making a wrong cut, now you can learn the skills you need to make the right cuts on your fruit trees with pruning demonstrations tomorrow.

Well, actually, no. Those aren't geraniums. They are actually pelargoniums, a plant that originates in the northern hemisphere and has been nicknamed geraniums.

I went to a demonstration farm in south Florida a few years back where I was introduced to a broad range of fruits I had never seen, heard of or imagined. Prior to that, I had no clue that such fruits existed. They were offering samples of these fruits and I found they had delightful flavors. One of my favorites was the star fruit (carambola), which is an oblong yellow fruit with deep lobes. Cut it crosswise and it forms perfect five-point star slices. Besides its taste, it was quite a novelty.

Ah, Valentine's Day. While it's not an official holiday, it's a popular one that brings rapture to the hearts of lovers, nevertheless. Chocolate and flowers, cupids and kisses are the order of the day.

Last Monday I attended meetings on urban trees and tree care with members of the Utah Community Forest Council and International Society of Arboriculture, Utah Chapter. It sounds very official because it is.

With very cold weather the order of the day outside, it is time to focus on gardening inside. We are not referring to those silk plants that grace so many homes these days. While they are attractive and care is painless -- requiring only a little dusting from time to time -- healthy plants growing indoors carry a peaceful charm and elegance.

In last week's article I wrote about how to deal with hungry deer that insist on making meals (multiple meals) of plants in your yard. Although there are deer repellents out there and some may encourage the deer to move on, most are not highly effective. Hungry deer can overcome many deterrents.

Santa was here Monday night. You couldn't miss the evidence he left, as we have cleaned up enough wrapping paper and boxes to attest to that. He came with his reindeer from Rudolph through Blitzen, but the evidence Santa left didn't come from the reindeer -- they are much too polite for that.

Something about pine boughs bring life to the winter season. They are special because of the spiny needles that refuse to go dormant to oblige the sharp coldness of the winter season. That green demands attention against a winter backdrop. Then there is the wonderful outdoorsy scent they release when they are brought indoors.

"But the hue of his every feature

As a child, I was always in awe of the very large trees that would find their way to the spot of honor on Main Street. Everything about it seemed bigger than life in my eyes. It must have required a crane to lift such a big tree into its spot. The lights were colored light bulbs -- the size that fit the light sockets in homes and the balls looked to be a foot in diameter. To me it was amazing and a sign that Santa would certainly be able to find his way to Tooele. No doubt he could see it as a beacon from the sky.