Some gardeners shy away from growing plants in containers because of endless "failure" stories buzzing in their heads. Container plantings are not difficult, but you do need to keep these few things in mind: selection of the pot, type of planting mix, and watering needs. These are the three main variables differentiating growing plants in the ground from growing them in containers.

Plants in containers can often suffer from dehydration, especially in the summer months of the year. Water them frequently, especially if your container plant is a water-thirsty fellow. A drip system can save time, plus save all the water that's wasted when you go from plant to plant with a hose. In very hot weather, containers seem to dry out almost as soon as they're watered. It's not only the heat; dry air literally pulls moisture out of the soil, right through the sides of porous pots.

So we need to be mindful of the types of containers that we love to have in our gardens and adjust our watering according to their needs. For example, terracotta pots are probably the most porous of the clay pots. This porosity allows the soil to dry out more quickly.

Glazed pots are next in line. The glaze on the outside of the pot actually helps to keep moisture in, at least more than a non-glazed clay pot would. Large and/or thick cement containers probably fall in line together with the glazed pots.

Finally, there are plastic and some of the new composite material containers. These materials do not 'breathe' at all, except at the top exposed-soil surface area. This container will hold the moisture far longer than terracotta.

Now, this watering rule must also take into consideration the type of potting soil that you have used and water needs of the plant in your container. Drought-tolerant plants will like a pot that dries out quickly. But perhaps a water-needy plant would not be so happy.

The soil mix itself should breathe. It should be light and airy, which can be accomplished by adding perlite or sponge rock. We want our potting soil to have this capability of "breathing"; however, this will also cause us to be more vigilant about watering.

If you let your potting soil dry out too much, the next time you water, even though you see water coming out of the container at the bottom, the water has really only taken the path of least resistance...along the outer margins of the soil, along the inside edge of the pot. You think that you have watered, but you have only "shown the water" to your poor dried-out plant.

If this happens, you will need to leave the water dripping into your container for a long enough time to "rehydrate" the potting soil. If the container is small enough, dunk it into a big bucket of water and let it sit there until you hear happy sounds from your plant—or at least until you can see your plant has perked up! Then remove it and let it drain as normal—you don't want to risk root-rot either.

Container gardening is a wonderful way to add splashes of plants and color in all areas of your outdoor rooms, and for those with only small patios, container gardening is the only way to go. Just be mindful of the water needs -- pay attention to the container type, the soil type, and especially the needs of your plants.

Spider mites are common pest problems on many plants around yards and gardens. Spider mites, like all mites, are not insects. They are related to spiders and therefore fall into the class of arachnids, which have eight legs, not six.

These tiny creatures cause injury to foliage as they feed, bruising the cells with their small, whip-like mouthparts and ingesting the sap. Damage to the foliage gives a speckled appearance to the damaged tissue sites. They also leave a cottony web material between leaf stems.

Spider mite infestation tends to occur during periods of dry, hot weather and hit plants that have not been well watered. A good lesson to learn from this would be to keep your plants healthy and watered at all times, especially when hot, dry weather strikes your gardens.

But if you still have spider mites, even after your best precautions, what can you do?

Fortunately, the spider mite, like other pesky bugs on our plants, has several natural predators. One important one is the ladybug larva. Other less well-known predators of the spider mite are pirate bugs and predatory thrips, or even predatory mites.

Another easy physical control is simply to spray them off the foliage with water. Sound familiar? That is also a treatment for aphids, mealybugs and other garden insect pests. If the natural predators haven't come to the rescue, or the improvement of plant health and water control techniques is not solving the spider mite problem, talk to one of us and we will further direct you to a spray oil or miticide product. For example, if you have mites on your tomatoes, sulphur dust will work to kill the spider mites.

But remember, if you decide to use an insecticide or miticide control, first double check for the beneficial insects coming in to gobble up the mites!

Go into the Nature or Garden section of your local bookstore and you should be able to find Mac's Field Guide to Garden Bugs. It is a two-sided laminated card, 7 x 11 inches. (There are four different regional cards: California, Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast.) One side contains sketches and descriptions of the "Good Garden Bugs" of the region and the other side contains sketches and descriptions of the "Bad Garden Bugs."

This informational card provides the common name, size, habitat, and food needs of the bugs displayed. You will learn that the "Good Garden Bugs" are the predators eating many of the "Bad Guys" on the reverse side. Every gardener should have one of these field guides. Tuck it into the front flap of your favorite gardening book.

Ladybugs, praying mantids, lacewings, microscopic wasps, mealybug destroyers, dragonflies, damsel bugs, many different beetles, centipedes, and robber flies -- the "Good Guy" list goes on and on. Some are predators to very specific pests. For example, the lady beetle loves aphids and other small insects; the mealybug destroyer eats mealybugs and aphids; but others on the list eat any soft body insects, and some are simply general predators to all insects.

Gardeners, this handy field guide will help you distinguish who is your "Garden Friend" and who is your "Garden Foe" in the world of insects. It is a great, must-have resource, along with your other garden books.

Belgian indicas are shade-loving azaleas originally designed for greenhouse sales, not garden shrubs. Their popularity in our homes spread into our gardens, and today there are varieties that are excellent for landscape planting - known for their lush, thick foliage. In late winter through spring, these azaleas are covered with beautiful semi-double or double blossoms.

We have many varieties of Belgian indicas.

Shade gardens with these azaleas can be simply magnificent. We offer a wide variety of companion plants to your Belgian indicas that will allow you to create a wonderful shade garden -- in the form of a formal garden, casual garden or woodland garden, depending on your plant selections and design.

Consider having several trees in your garden as well. For example, the Japanese maple, a small-scale tree for a limited size garden, will love the shade and bring beauty throughout the year. And whatever your style, Belgian indicas are a wonderful addition to your shade garden.