Outside of the easily-identified blueberries and strawberries, the world of berries can be very confusing. You have blackberries, black raspberries, red raspberries, and yellow raspberries. And don't forget boysenberries, loganberries and marionberries, which are all closely related. How do you tell them apart? Berries whose core stays intact are blackberries. Berries that lose the core and resemble a thimble are raspberries. But then...a few berries are a cross between the two!

The similarities don't stop there. All bear fruit on two-year-old wood, except for the ever-bearing raspberries that also fruit on first year growth. These are also called two-crop raspberries because they bear a late summer or fall crop on the first year growth and a second crop the following spring on the two-year-old wood.

Different types of wood? What's that all about? Ok, it may help clear up a lot of confusion about blackberry and raspberry culture if one remembers that after flowering and fruiting, any cane that bore fruit dies back to the crown. All the new growth will rise out from primary buds just below the soil line.

Now here's the good news, blackberries, raspberries and any other favorites will thrive in most locations and soil types, but good drainage is desirable with most varieties. Just give them some room to ramble because they do like to spread out. As far as cold-hardiness goes, raspberries tolerate very cold temperatures better than blackberries.

Most berries like being fed at blooming time, with a follow-up feeding in early fall after the plants have finished fruiting. Just use a well-balanced fruit food. They prefer staying moist, and should be watered regularly if rainfall is insufficient.

The new canes that grow out each spring will not bear fruit until the following summer when they are two years old. After harvest, the two-year-old fruiting canes will start to die back and should be removed as close to the ground as possible without injuring the new canes.

In mild climates berries can be trained to stakes or trellises in late summer or early fall, after the fruiting canes have been removed. In colder climates, the canes should be left on the ground over winter--making them less likely to be damaged by cold. The ideal time to "spring train" is after the danger of freezing weather and before the leaf buds begin expanding.

We have berry plants that grow well in our local area. The bottom line is that all berries are easy to grow and they taste great. So don't stress about all your different choices. Just plant some berries and enjoy!

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations we know of were ancient Greek spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods. But those were in honor of one particular mother. England's "Mothering Sunday," begun in the 1600's, is closer to what we think of as "Mother's Day." Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

In 1907 Anna Jarvis started a drive to establish a national Mother's Day. In 1907 she passed out 500 white carnations at her mother's church in West Virginia--one for each mother in the congregation. In 1908, her mother's church held the first Mother's Day service, on May 10th (the second Sunday in May). That same day a special service was held at the Wanamaker Auditorium in Philadelphia, where Anna was from, which could seat no more than a third of the 15,000 people who showed up.

By 1909, churches in 46 states, Canada and Mexico were holding Mother's Day services. In the meantime, Ms. Jarvis had quit her job to campaign full time. She managed to get the World's Sunday School Association to help; they were a big factor in convincing legislators to support the idea. In 1912, West Virginia was the first state to designate an official Mother's Day. By 1914, the campaign had convinced Congress, which passed a joint resolution. President Woodrow Wilson signed the resolution, establishing an official national Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.

Many countries of the world now have their own Mother's Day at different times of the year, but Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, and Turkey join the US in celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. Britain still celebrates Mothering Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent--but they now call it Mother's Day. By any name, and at any date, it's a special day to honor a special person.

Having trouble thinking of a gift? Why not do something a little different for Mother's Day? Instead of giving her a bouquet of roses, plant her a rose garden! If she already has a rose garden--add to it! If she lives in an apartment, consider a potted rose plant--many roses will do quite well in containers (ask us for suggestions).

Why give one bouquet that will soon fade away, when you can give years of pleasure from living roses instead?

When planting a new garden, perennial or otherwise, get ready to get your hands dirty! Yes, you will need to prepare the soil. Before putting all your new plants into the ground, this is your best opportunity to loosen the soil, break up the clumps (especially if you have clay soil), and remove rocks. Next, add organic matter by mixing a good amendment together with your native soil. This is the perfect time, prior to planting, to add in an organic starter fertilizer. Be sure to work rock phosphate or some other source of phosphorus down into the root zone. Phosphorus, an essential nutrient required by plants, is primarily responsible for healthy root development and fruit and flower production. This nutrient does not move well in the soil, so now is the time to put it where it is needed.

Few gardeners pay attention to the pH level in their perennial garden. Though most perennials prefer a pH of about 6.5, some, including dianthus, salvia, linum, and gypsophila, have a distinct preference for more alkaline soils. Others prefer a more acidic soil. If you are interested in the pH of your soil, do a soil test before you begin. We sell pH kits. and the test is very simple to do. Your soil is an entire complex ecosystem below ground, with possible variability in the pH within only a few feet. So check random areas of your new flowerbed to obtain a complete "pH picture" of the soil. If your soil is highly acidic (below 6.0) or highly alkaline (above 7.0), you may need to consult with us about pH adjustors to add to the garden before your planting.

Keep newly transplanted perennials watered for the first few weeks. Water deeply to saturate the entire root ball and establish good contact between the roots and the surrounding soil. It is during this time period that you might not see much above-ground growth. Know why? Because the roots of the new plantings are busy getting established. This is a good thing. No need to fertilize beyond that starter fertilizer--not yet, anyway!

Once your new plants are carefully planted: Mulch, Mulch, Mulch. That's right, put a 2-3 inch layer of garden mulch, small bark or forest products, cocoa mulch or shredded leaves around them. This will blanket the soil and keep the newly planted roots warm, as well as help with moisture maintenance and keep weeds to a minimum.

As your new perennial flowerbed begins to grow and bloom, bloom and grow, then you will know it is a good time to feed with. This will help to promote good plant health and increased blooms.

Sick plants attract bugs like a magnet. If your plants look stressed during the growing season, or if you see disease or insect damage, feed your plants with a quick-release organic fertilizer (try a blend of seaweed and fish emulsion). If this doesn't help, begin again with a new plant. Your garden will thank you!

Perennials last for a number of seasons, but they don't last forever. Some may seem to want to last forever, but they have lost their beauty. If a plant performs poorly, try moving it to a different location. If it still is not happy, send it to the compost pile! Since there are so many outstanding perennial plants to choose from, you should not make do with poor performers.

When designing a perennial garden, think about how you will be able to access your plants to weed, deadhead, or divide them. Perhaps your bed is narrow (up to 3 feet), in which case, you can reach from the edge of the garden without a problem for these chores. If your garden is wider than this, plan a way to access your plants without trampling them and compacting your soil around the plants. This may mean a stepping stone path through the middle, or at least to those unreachable plants. Created at the back of a border, a walkway will be hidden during the growing season, but will make the bed accessible.

And don't forget to mulch.

Memorial Day, originally called "Decoration Day," was first celebrated on May 30th, 1868, to honor those (Union soldiers) who died in the American Civil War (the South had their own memorials at that time). After World War I, the day became one to honor all Americans who died fighting any war. But why the poppies?

Poppy seeds lie dormant in the soil, and heavily turning or digging up the soil causes them to sprout. Poppies have long been noted for suddenly 'popping up' on battlefields and in graveyards.

Major John McCrae, a Canadian, wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" the day after the burial of a young friend and student, after seeing the poppies in the cemetery where his student had been buried.

Makes a great Mother's Day breakfast or brunch, and it's easy enough that the kids can help make it.

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 12 slices sandwich bread
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pinch salt

Step by Step:

• Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with melted butter.
• Spread any remaining melted butter over bottom of dish.
• Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over melted butter.
• Arrange bread in two layers over brown sugar mixture.
• Beat eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl; pour over bread.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Serve warm, with your favorite French toast toppings.