You worry that spring is here and you won’t have any plants left in your garden because of the deer, slugs and snails? To discourage the hungry nuisances, crush eggshell and scatter them on the leaves of the nibbled-on plants and around the border. Deer hate the smell of egg and snails and slugs can’t run over the jagged corners of the crushed shells.

Either lack of fertilizer or too infrequent feeding is one of the reasons for lack of blossoms. Most growers use a "soil-less" potting mix with little nutrient content; this requires using a dilute fertilizer solution each time the plant is watered.

Peters 12-36-14 is our recommendation. Mix 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water and use this mixture each time you water.

Cover the dirt in the pot with plastic wrap so it does not spill out. Turn the pot upside down and gently swish it in a tub of warm soapy water. Let the foliage dry and then swish it again in a tub of clear water. Move the plant to a cool location; mites thrive in dry heat and lack of humidity. Mites can be quite pesky during winter.

To ward off curious rabbits, cats, dogs, deer and raccoons from your garden, place two cotton balls soaked in vinegar inside empty pill bottles, poke a few holes in the caps and burry halfway in the soil near the nibbled-on plants. The plastic canisters will retain the scent for weeks. Replace as needed.