Vol. 19, No. 19

Feb. 10, 2000

Newsletter will help local gardeners welcome spring

Birds, bugs, beans and bulbs are some of the topics featured in Garden Check, a newsletter published for the home gardener by UD Cooperative Extension. Praised by readers as “the best gardening guide,” Garden Check offers up-to-date information on everything from planning a garden to combating turf disease. The eight-page newsletter, published 10 times a year from March through October, is written by specialists in horticulture, entomology and plant disease. It is the only gardening publication to give advice based on current conditions in this area, including lawn diseases, drought and insect invasions. Its popular column “Things to do This Month” provides timely advice on topics such as pruning, garden sanitation and weed control. Garden Check readers also keep abreast of current offerings through its listing of Master Gardener workshops, horticultural activities and related publications. Garden Check offers information on integrated pest management, a system emphasizing preventive care and minimal pesticide use. Many issues highlight one beneficial insect, including a picture and in-depth discussion of its benefits and how to attract it to a garden. Reader surveys have indicated that subscribers have made environmentally sound changes in their gardening practices. Many claim they are using pesticides more carefully and are reducing watering needs by using techniques recommended in Garden Check articles. A subscription to Garden Check is $17.50, and a sample copy is available upon request. To subscribe, send a check– payable to University of Delaware–to Garden Check, Cooperative Extension, 910 South Chapel St., Newark, DE 19716-1303. Include a complete mailing address and zip code. For inquiries, phone Judy Magee at 831-1067 or send e-mail to <judmagee@udel.edu>.