Climbing plants add an extra dimension to a garden. They make use of vertical surfaces such as walls and fences, making them more attractive features; the surfaces also increase the overall amount of growing space, particularly valuable in small gardens. Proper support and training are essential.

A wooden trellis is a popular choice for supporting a climber on a wall; it should be treated with a plant-safe wood preservative. Attach wooden battens to the wall and then screw the trellis panel onto the battens or attach it with hooks and eyes. This enables the trellis and climber to be removed carefully when wall maintenance is necessary.

An alternative support is horizontal, plastic covered wires stretched taut between screw eyes every 6 feet along the wall in rows 18 inches above each other and screwed in firmly. Loop the wire through the eyes, twisting it at each end to secure it. Tension the wire by turning the vine eye with pliers.

Train the shoots of the plant as they grow, aiming to cover the support evenly. Tie the shoots in place with raffia, soft garden twine or plastic-coated metal ties, taking care not to tie them too tightly - make a figure-eight loop with the tie to avoid damaging stems.

Several climbers are particularly attractive when allowed to scramble through the branches of trees and shrubs, but avoid very vigorous varieties which will smother their host. A classic combination is Tropaeolum speciosum (flame nasturtium) growing through a dark conifer.

There is a tendency to regard all insect life in the garden as potentially harmful to plants, but not all insects are bad news - some are real allies in the fight against pests. It's important to be able to recognize who your friends are, because most insecticides are not so discriminating, and spraying and killing any natural predators will make the problem worse.

Beetles
Although some beetles are pests, there are many useful species. These include ground beetles, which live on the soil surface, hunting out insects, slugs, and worms during the hours of darkness; rove beetles such as the scorpion-like devil's coach horse; and the familiar ladybugs.

Capsids
Yes, some capsids are well-known pests but there are other species which are definitely helpful to gardeners. The best known is the predatory black-kneed capsid that helps control aphids and red spider mites on fruit trees. Similar in appearance to capsids are anthocorid bugs, another useful ally, especially on fruit.

Centipedes
Golden brown centipedes scurry over the soil in search of prey - insects, their eggs and larvae, along with small slugs and worms. They are often confused with millipedes (a pest) but millipedes are darker, have more legs that form a thick fringe down the sides, and roll up into a ball rather than running for cover when disturbed.

Hoverflies
Hoverflies could easily be mistaken for bees at first glance, though their method of flight is quite different - they hover almost stationary in the air, then make short, sharp darts forward. When they are at rest it's evident that they only have one pair of wings, unlike bees and wasps that have two. The larvae of the various species of hoverfly are very small, but most are efficient predators of aphids and other soft-bodied insect pests.

Lacewings
Lacewings are very delicate insects with pale green, almost translucent bodies, large, lacy wings and very long, constantly moving antennae. Both the adult lacewings and their larvae eat aphids; the larvae are rather insignificant, long-bodied creatures that are pale brown. Lacewings are found all round the garden, and are often attracted by lighting into houses at night.

Ladybugs
Nearly everyone can recognize ladybugs, but perhaps not so many could identify their larvae. While the adults are almost universally regarded as harmless, their small, armadillo-like, blue and orange larvae are likely to be treated with more suspicion, and are often destroyed "to be on the safe side."

Both adults and, more particularly, larvae feed on large numbers of insect pests, especially aphids. A single larva can consume up to 500 aphids in its three-week life. Before emerging as an adult ladybug, the larva pupates, and the yellow pupa may be mistaken for a Colorado beetle, which it superficially resembles. Ladybugs are most commonly red with either two or seven black spots, but they may also be black with red spots, yellow with black spots and black with yellow spots.

Wasps
Wasps, as everyone knows, sting, and at the end of the summer they are a real nuisance, feasting on ripe fruit, and ruining picnics and outdoor meals. Leaving aside this antisocial behavior, for the rest of the year they are a definite asset to gardeners because they collect all manner of soft-bodied grubs and insects to feed to the young wasp larvae in the nest. Other, less highly visible wasps are also extremely useful - several species are parasitic, laying eggs in the bodies of insect pests that hatch out and slowly consume their hosts. Ichneumon wasps are some of the best known, though rarely recognized in the garden. They have long, slender bodies and are not brightly colored like the common wasp.

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Cymbidiums need dividing when they overcrowd their containers or get too heavy to carry.

• Water plants well before dividing them.
• Use a can cutter or sharp knife to cut off the plastic container. If the plants are in a wooden tub, remove the old container with a hammer, and discard it.
• Use a large kitchen knife kept for gardening to cut between the pseudobulbs (the bulblike structures growing above ground) and down through the roots. Aim for at least three productive pseudobulbs and four or five back bulbs per division. (Back bulbs are fully grown pseudobulbs that once bore leaves and flower spikes but now are bare. They act as storage containers for the remainder of the plant.)
• Trim off all roots that are diseased, damaged, or simply messy. In all, you should remove about one-third of the roots.
• Optionally, soak the divisions in a solution of 1 quart bleach to 10 quarts water for ten minutes to kill any fungus or rot. Air dry them.
• To replant, choose plastic containers that have plenty of holes in the bottom and are the next size larger, or approximately 4 to 6 inches wider than the top of the root ball. (Oversized containers slow growth.)
• Hold the plant so that the bottom of the pseudobulbs is level with the top of the container. Fill around the roots all the way to the top of the container with a commercial soil mix recommended for cymbidiums like Gardner & Bloome Orchid Mix, or with a homemade mix, such as 2 gallons pathway bark, 2 gallons ground nitrolized wood shavings, and 1 gallon commercial sterilized potting soil. It's important to make sure the roots are completely covered with soil mix but the pseudobulbs are totally above ground. (If the pseudobulbs are buried, they'll rot.)
• Water the cymbidiums thoroughly after planting, keep them in semishade, and wait two or three weeks before starting to fertilize

Arbor Day was the idea of one Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician. Morton thought Nebraska's landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself by planting orchards, shade trees and wind breaks on his own farm, and he urged his neighbors to follow suit. When he became a member of Nebraska's State Board of Agriculture, he proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees.

Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by Gov. Robert W. Furnas of Nebraska on March 12, 1874, and the day was observed April 10, 1874. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. Morton first worked to improve agriculture in Nebraska. He then did the same for the whole United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day.

In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska to other states. Today all 50 states celebrate state Arbor Days with dates that vary in keeping with the local climate — from Hawaii's first Friday in November to Alaska's third Monday in May. The National Arbor Day of the last Friday in April was chosen because many of the states celebrate theirs on that date.

Arbor Day is also now celebrated in many other countries, although they have different names and often weeks instead of days. For instance, it is called 'Greening Week' in Japan and 'The Tree-loving Week' in Korea. Planting a tree is a good idea anywhere in the world!

For the homeowner, National Arbor Day is a great day to look over the trees on the property and plan for the future. Check your trees for damage, disease and pests. Think about planting a new tree as a windbreak, for shade, or just for looks. If you are a parent, National Arbor Day is a great opportunity to share some family activity, by choosing a tree and planting it with your child (or children). If you have no space to plant a tree, consider a small, slow-growing tree in a pot — or give a tree as a gift to someone who needs some trees on their property.

Helianthemum nummularium (Cistaceae)
Sunrose. From the Greek helios, meaning sun, and anthemon, meaning flower, to describe the flowers that open only in bright sunlight. A superior drought resistant Mediterranean closely related to rockroses. Produces a low, spreading mound of small leathery green-gray leaves. Excellent choice for water challenged beds and borders. Combines perfectly with western arid zone natives as well as others from southern Europe: lavenders, salvias, rosemary and others. Performs well in containers. Individual blooms are short-lived, but appear continuously from April to June.

Shear plants lightly after blooming to encourage fall flowering. Provide full sun and only occasional water. Once established, the sunrose is useful tumbling over dry rock walls or backyard planters, on banks, in rock gardens and in perennial plantings. Hardy to 0°F.