Garden Tools: tips, resources and reviews for gardeners

• Only eat flowers that are positively identified to be edible.
• Not all flowers are edible, even some served as a garnish in restaurants.
• Do not eat flowers that may have been sprayed with pesticides, such as from a florist, nursery, or from the side of a road.
• Eat only petals, not pistils and stamens.
• If you suffer from asthma or allergies be cautious when eating flowers.

• www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/04702.html
• rps.uvi.edu/CES/gf20.PDF
• www.dripworksusa.com/design.html

• Eco E-Rase (also sold as Detur), a jojoba oil spray that smothers mildew spores;
• Citrall Organic Lawn and Garden Fungicide derived from Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle), native to Australia;
• Rose Defense made with Neem oil, which is not so new, but is still unfamiliar to many gardeners.

Go online to Cornell University for a fact sheet on powdery mildew http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/powdery/powdery.htm

Many plants outgrow aphid infestations with no harm done. But sometimes aphids do cause permanent damage to tender shoot of young plants. If action must be taken, soft-bodied aphids can be killed by common non-toxic ingredients found at home. Here is a recipe for a spray from The Frugal Gardener by Catriona Erler (Rodale, $27.95):

• 1 garlic bulb
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
• 1 quart water
• 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

Don't despair if verticillium wilt lives in your garden's soil because there are many resistant plants. A few verticillium-resistant trees include Apple and Crabapple, Mountain Ash, Ginkgo, Sweet Gum, Katsura, Douglas Fir, Arborvitae and White Oak. A long list of susceptible and resistant trees, shrubs, perennials and vegetables.

There is some evidence that broccoli (chopped up new shoots worked into the soil) can act as a soil fumigant, if added to the soil before planting. Studies were done by Krishna Subbarao at University of California, Davis, and showed reduced incidence of wilt in cauliflower crops where broccoli had been planted and its residue added to the soil.

Verticillium wilt is making an appearance now as trees and shrubs begin to leaf out. Maple trees are especially susceptible. The sudden wilting and death of one or two branches in an otherwise healthy looking tree is the one obvious symptom. If this soil- borne disease attacked early in spring, tree branches may not have leafed out at all. Cutting into an affected branch typically reveals dark streaks. Control is difficult, but sometimes a tree can be preserved for a few years by cutting out the diseased wood and eliminating environmental stress such as drought. Make sure to disinfect pruning tools between cuts to avoid spreading the fungus. No fungicides for verticillium are registered for homeowners in Washington. For more information read Washington State University Cooperative Extension online article.