At some point all gardens need editing, and perennial beds can seem particularly overwhelming - especially if you’re doing it on your own. Here are some ways to make it a little easier.

All is not sweetness and light in my garden this spring. Boxwood blight has crept into four hedges of Boxwood sempervirens ‘North Star’ that outline my front beds. At first they just looked mildly stressed, but it was more than that! Blight is really hard to diagnose. Here’s how I finally identified it and what I did.

If I only had one piece of gardening advice to give this spring, it would be to test your soil - in particular the PH. Simply put, PH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Here’s why it’s important.

I trudged up to the attic and hauled out the bags of outdoor lights I stowed away last year. When I plugged them in half the strands didn't work - others are totally dead. What the heck? Many of them were brand new last year. Is this some kind of a Chinese plot to keep us all buying more?

We'll never know for sure, but instead of tossing them aside and buying new ones - find out how to fix them.

In my head, I feel about 25, but each spring, my garden brings me back to reality. I’m not a kid anymore. My aching back, knees and feet remind me that I’m growing older along with all of my plants – only they look better and complain less. Want some ideas on how to make changes? Check out my review on Toni Gattone's new book 'The Lifelong Gardener: Garden With Ease And Joy At Any Age.

Ek! I can hardly get down the path. Around mid-summer, gardens can get out of hand quickly. What was lush in June suddenly looks overgrown, tired and sloppy. It's too early in the game to let the garden go down the tubes!  Here's how to perk it up.

No matter how often or well you shear a hedge it will slowly expand in height and width over time. When it starts getting out of hand, it's time to bite the bullet and do some hard pruning. 

Does your garden need a little help? Start from the ground up by feeding the soil. Quit getting rid of your leaves, spent grasses and other garden debris and use them to nurture your plants.

Need a little help getting going on those weeding jobs? It's all in how you think about it. Take a look at some strategies that work for me.

Sometimes things just get out of hand in the garden and you have to divide some of those overgrown plants. If the thought of endless digging wears you out, try taking an ax to a few of them.

Are you sick of moving hoses around and looking at stuff like this? Time to have a little fun!  Read about a couple ideas I came up with using materials that were kicking around the tool shed and barn.

Early garden maintenance is an opportunty to identify and fix problems and plan for future performance. It helps to know the reasons behind what you're doing so that you know what to look for when you're out there slaving away.

If you're itching to get started with your gardening chores, start pruning! Early spring is a great time to prune because you can see what you're doing and you don't have to worry about stomping on your other plants.

If you're looking for a boxwood you don't have to baby, read about how admirably Buxus sempervirens 'North Star' performs under adverse conditions.

No matter when you do it, cleaning up the garden is a lot of work and it's messy. Is there an easier way to get rid of all the debris you accumulate? Here's an idea worth trying.