Green is the buzzword across the country right now. Whether it’s recycling plastics, changing to energy-efficient light bulbs or using nontoxic cleaning products, everyone seems to be looking for ways to lessen their impact on the environment.

One area in which it’s easy to see immediate results is our yards. By gardening more ecologically, we can reduce pollution, create wildlife-friendly plantings and conserve water. It’s just a matter of being smart in the yard.

Water gardening has become very popular in the last 20 years. Many homeowners have installed small ponds or water features to grow a wide variety of plants and to enjoy the ambiance that water provides.

But you don't need a large yard or tons of time and energy to build a water garden. If you don't have the time, money or ambition to create a large water feature, you can build a water garden in a tub.

In a world that worships the new, sometimes older is better. For me, that's true with tomatoes. While modern hybrid tomatoes look great and are very productive, the old heirloom varieties have the taste and look of "real" tomatoes.

What's an Heirloom?

Heirloom tomatoes are those varieties grown prior to World War II. They often are regional varieties from around the world that have been passed down within families.

When you read the descriptions of where to plant your new tree, shrub or perennial flower, invariably you see words such as “fertile, well-drained soil” and “full sun.”

In an ideal plant world, all soils would be rich in organic matter and well drained, and the locations would be sunny and protected from wind. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t describe my yard. I do have some full sun locations, but those sites are exposed and windy.