Q:Appears to be being eaten by something. saw green caterpillar like insect on leaves of brussel sprout young plant. Other plants doing fairly well.See holes in a few other leaves,but somethings descimating my Brussell Sprout plants. Please help.

I don't know where you are but here in New Zealand that green caterpillar is from the white butterfly. Under the leaf you will find an egg attached. Here, we dust the plant with a product called deris dust and that kills the caterpillar soon after hatching. The white butterfly lands on cabbages too but they don't like lettuce. If you boil a lettuce and strain off the juice, you can spray your brussell spouts with the juice and that should keep the butterfly away. Only draw back is that if you water the garden or it rains you have to spray again once the plant has dried.

Q:I saw a wonderful thistle today in the park: tall (taller than me, at least 6'9 or maybe even more), strong, leafy, with huge mauve flowers and these dewy leaves. A common thistle. I am in love. So, I wondered: what is the best way to grow the same-like, big, tall, strong thistle on my garden patch? I have nothing against little thistles, but I'd like mine tall. Please, give me the tips, especially from your personal experience. And I would have preferred it to be organic, or, if it's not possible, nearly so. What should I do?

how okorder /...maybe Shaw. it is scottish for the guy who lives by the thicket. the scottish people adopted the thistle as their sign when it alarmed them to an attack by pricking the guys sneaking up on them and making them yell.

Q:Does your ego require a lot of maintenance?

Not at all.....I don't believe in ego.....I believe in self-respect,self-confidence and pride. My pride is another issue....i can be stubborn when it comes to family!!Reeeeeaaally stubborn ;p Otherwise, i'm also very rational and good at swallowing my pride when it gets in the way.....

Q:i shop at lilian vernon and fingerhut....but are there any other catalogs that offer that type of stuff for your home,car and garden?

Lakeside Collection has a nice variety and low, low prices on home and garden , gadgets and other stuff. I always enjoy looking through this catalog, although I don't always buy. Ginny's is mostly home and garden and has an easy-to-get choose and charge plan. Seventh Avenue is affiliated with Ginny's and has similar items. Collections Etc. has a lot of fun, seasonal items, most things are less than $20. There are tons more catalogs available but these are some of the ones that I enjoy. Google 'catalogs' for lots more choices.

Q:We are moving to a town house, it's so nice, so happy, the only thing is there is no space for a garden BUT we have this huge patio that I could have 2 big planters filled with flowers!Can you please give me some tips as well as flower suggestions for the planters? I'm in NW Pennsylvania so no tropical flowers unfortunately. I love Impatients and marigolds, tho!

Petunias are reliable container plants. Impatiens will do fine in a container and so will Marigolds, Begonias, Coleus, Million Bells, Sweet Potato Vine. Most any annuals that you find in a garden center will perform nicely in a container. Just be sure to match the plant with your surroundings, just as you would in a garden. That is, if it's a sunny area use sun loving plants and use shade lovers in low light. And, if you get bit by the plant-loving bug like me, you will wind yourself having more than just two planters. I tell myself every year: no more container plantings! Yeah, right. You can plant bulbs in those containers now and have blooms in the spring: Daffodils, Grape Hyacinth, Tulips, Crocus. I get carried away with my planting ;) Sorry so long: look around at containers that are professionally planted, both at garden garden centers and in public places like municipal buildings or on Main Street. This mightl give you inspiration for the plants you want.

Q:I need a website that will give me a bed room that i can change the color and stuff around on.Thanks

Better Homes and Gardens has a really good website. Use the create a room tool.

Q:I keep seeing real estate I want to buy and they say they have a quot;garden tubquot;. what is this?

Ideas4landscaping is a digital downloadable assortment of 300 stage-by-phase guides, themes and video tutorials and contains over 7250 high resolution pictures for those persons who are seeking for inspiration and suggestions to boost their landscaping needs. The package comes as a Computer CD ROM as well. Full with photos and effortless diagrams, this program will make you seem like an expert in this world of landscaping in front of your buddies and family.

Q:does anybody sell home and garden party stuff? do you think there stuff is not as good as it was 4 years ago?

I am a Designer for Home and Garden Party. I personally think that over time the quality of our products have gotten alot better. I remember the things that I had gotten from just hosting parties from about 6 years ago to now. Believe me--alot better. I must say I absolutely love our products--you could not ask for better quality---and our stuff comes with a guarantee + our stoneware and bakeware have warranties on them. Was there a specific item you were thinking about, or just referrring to them all in general? If I could be of any further assistance--let me know. Thanks.

Q:What are the garden decoration notes?

The design and construction of the balcony garden should pay attention to the systematicness. We should have the concept of aesthetics, simulate nature, and plant species as much as possible

Q:How much will a bathroom makeover add to my homes value?

It all depends on what kind of makeover you actually do .... and if it's done well..... If you cast your mind back to the eighties - just about everyone wanted an 'avocado' (green) or 'champagne' (beige) or 'Rose'(pink) bathroom suite (bath, sink, toilet) and followed that colour scheme throughout out in their bathroom .... today most people would shy away from a property with a bathroom suite like these......fearing the cost of replacing it....