I think this time of year is Mother Nature's little joke on us gardeners. We are all just itching to get out there and do stuff, the bulbs are coming up through leaf litter and dead perennial stems, the whole works looks an awful mess yet we KNOW that waiting a few more days is the best plan of action. Good luck to you, if you're able to resist. And congratulations if you actually cleaned things up enough last fall that you can work at a leisurely pace.

I heard recently from Kathy Renwald (Host of HGTV's Calling All Gardeners and Gardener's Journal) that the Vineland Research Station in Vineland, Ontario is celebrating its 100th Anniversary next year. In preparation they are trying to locate ornamental plants introduced by Dr. Frank Palmer, specifically:

• Chrysanthemum 'Vesper'
• Juniper 'Vinespire'
• Gladiolus 'Vida'

CONTEST DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2005. Please read the Full Contest Rules before entering. NOTE: rules allow one entry per e-mail address. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.

Once there, select your plant hardiness zone if you know it, then scroll down near the bottom of the page and click the box beside "Deer Resistant" or "Rabbit Resistant", listed under Plant Uses and Characteristics. Then hit Search. A long list of names will appear. Each of these leads to thumbnail descriptions, and these in turn to full plant profile pages that you can bookmark or print out for later reference.

The Advanced Search can also help you find a list of candidates for your colour schemes, for specific sites such as shady or sunny and dry locations and much, much more. The Advanced Search is the most widely used part of our website!

Another excellent place to find information on discouraging deer is the Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Their site has lists for deer-resistant woody landscape plants, perennials and also strategies for dealing with deer in existing plantings or planning gardens in regions where deer are a problem.

QUESTION: "I live in the country and would like to move some ferns from the nearby woods on my property into my garden. When is the best time to do this?" Kathy -- Bracebridge, Ontario

ANSWER: It should be fairly straightforward to just dig up the emerging ferns and move them to the garden. Do this in the spring before they put on much growth, just as the fronds show and begin to unfurl from their initial fiddlehead shape. The other option would be to wait until early fall. Try and get a good-sized rootball for best results and choose a similar location in the garden so far as sun/shade exposure, soil type and moisture.

Bear in mind, when moving wildflowers of any kind (including ferns), that if the particular species is rare at the site it's best to leave the plants alone. Moving them could result in death with no (or very few) plants remaining in the wild to reproduce, and you don't want to be the reason for local population extinction. With a really common species it's not as touchy an issue when plants are dug and moved from private property -- yours or another owner's property with appropriate permission. Digging plants from the wild is not something we encourage or particularly condone, unless development is about to encroach and destroy the area in question. Use common sense and always leave plenty of plants behind to continue the population. Consider other methods instead of moving, such as gathering seeds and starting them yourself. Container-grown native plants are becoming more and more available, and these nearly always settle in beautifully.

• Don't be in a big rush to "do things". The obvious, such as trimming back dead perennial tops, raking up leaves and debris is all fairly harmless. But with shrubs and other woody plants, it's best to leave them alone for a season so that untimely pruning doesn't remove their flower buds. Most shrubs have a very specific time of year for pruning and haphazard guessing is not the best approach. Avoid digging until late spring, since many bulbs and perennials will still be dormant. Nothing is sadder than spearing a forkful of unknown bulbs chock full of promise.
• Get to know new gardening friends and neighbours. Knock on doors, or join your local horticultural society. These people are always glad to help newcomers to become successful gardeners in their new home. If your garden is just loaded with new surprises (new to you), why not throw a garden party and pick the brains of your new acquaintances while they are there?
• Invest in some inexpensive plant labels. These don't need to stay in the garden forever, but they will be very helpful while you are learning all of the new plant names. Consider making a map of the garden as a backup. Dogs and children love to pull out labels!
• Take photos when mystery plants bloom. Maybe your grandmother will be visiting in the middle of winter and she can tell you what the plants are. Digital photos are even better, because you can e-mail them to friends for help.
• For gardens that are seriously full of obscure and wonderful plants that you don't know, bring in the experts! Consider getting in touch with your local MASTER GARDENERS. Master Gardeners are trained volunteers with the goal of helping home gardeners to become better gardeners. They must put in a certain number of volunteer hours per year, and doing garden visits is a fun way for them and for you. To find a Master Gardeners organization near you, head to GOOGLE and try a search on the words Master Gardeners plus the name of your state or province. Most regional groups have their own website with contact information.
• Take samples of mystery plants to your local garden centres and nurseries. Chances are good that their resident experts can identify things for you, particularly if they are in bloom.
• Visit local botanical gardens, municipal parks and other places with plant collections that are clearly labeled. Take along a notebook.
• If you have mystery perennials, by all means contact us through the Ask an Expert link on the top of this newsletter. Describe the plant as best you can, and if you have digital photos, mention this as well. Once we reply to your question you can send the images to us, if needed.

Our best-selling book, the Perennial Gardening Guide (4th edition, March 2003) is a handy reference used by gardeners across North America — written by John Valleau, horticulturist for Heritage Perennials®. Available at your local Heritage Perennials® Dealer.