Gardening news, notes and trivia for this week.

Building a hobby greenhouse can be "blissfully complicated," says Dorian Winslow of Womanswork. Watch as her dreamhouse becomes reality!

Winter’s tough on gardeners. We may be longing to be outside, but we’re stuck indoors while blizzards rage. Or in my less-poetic southern climate, while a thirty-seven degree drizzle drenches the garden for days on end. While Cicero left out a few essentials (music, anyone?), garden books make it much easier to survive dreary weather. We could grab the latest and greatest for inspiration, but why neglect fine classic books available for cheap from the internet or local used book stores?

Look for alternative vegetation to plant and lose the lawn. An excerpt from Your Eco-friendly Yard (2009, Krause Publications).

Pam Baggett's tips for saving now on presents you'll give later.

The damage caused to plants by playing children and pets can be heartbreaking. Here's how to protect them.

These plants stand up to trampling by children, pets and other garden perils.

Are you mystified by botanical Latin? Here’s how the universal system of naming plants works.

Instead of buying seeds next spring, harvest your own this summer and fall. Pam Baggett tells how.

Gaps in the summer garden? Pam Baggett tells how to fill them without emptying your wallet.