Home > Lawn & Garden > Home Gardening > A Guide to Louisiana-friendly Landscaping - Louisiana Yards & Neighborhoods [Image: La Yards and Neighborhoods] This handbook provides helpful ideas, information and techniques to create and maintain a more environmentally friendly landscape. You will learn the basics of designing a landscape using carefully selected plants suited to Louisiana growing conditions. $12.00 + tax. You can order this book from our online store, by using the Order Publication link below. Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide [Image: Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide] Use this guide to plant a successful vegetable garden. The information has been developed after considerable research and practical experience. Enjoying Ornamental Ponds in Louisiana [Image: Cover image for Enjoying Ornamental Ponds] This publication outlines some of the options for design, operation and maintenance of ornamental ponds and discusses basic environmental requirements of fish and plants commonly grown in these ponds. 20 pages. Full color. (PDF Format Only) Mow Like a Pro [Image: rutted turf] Varying your mowing pattern can cause you to spend a little more time mowing, but the result will be a greatly improved appearance in your turfgrass.  more articles... Success with Summer Tomatoes Louisiana summers are a tough time for tomatoes to set and hold fruit. The heat causes irregular flower growth in most cultivars, and the result is poor fruit set, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske. Trimming And Edging Mechanically Compared With Herbicides [Image: herbicide drift] There are two ways to trim and edge turfgrass around sidewalks, flower beds, trees, buildings, etc. You can trim the turfgrass mechanically with a string trimmer and/or an edger, or you can use a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate (Roundup® and similar chemicals). String Trimmer Safety And Maintenance [Image: string trimmer] As with any power tool, string trimmers are capable of causing injury if not used in a safe manner. String trimmers will last much longer and give more trouble-free service if used and maintained properly. Selecting And Using A String Trimmer [Image: curved shaft string trimmer] A string trimmer is a useful addition to almost any gardener’s toolshed. Selection And Use Of Hedge Trimmers [Image: electric hedge trimmer] Hedge trimmers are perhaps not as popular now as a few years ago. Many people now realize that it is healthier for plants to be selectively pruned rather than sheared. Nevertheless, there are some situations where shearing plants to shape is appropriate. A hedge trimmer is usually the best tool for the job. Turf Edgers [Image: stick edger] Turfgrasses grow fast and aggressively in the South. If not edged back regularly, Southern turf will grow right over sidewalks, driveways, flower beds, etc. Be careful with late fall and winter lawn care (Distributed 11/17/09) November and December begin the bleak time of the year for warm-season turfgrasses in Louisiana. Most turfgrasses should be dormant or at least close to this stage. Use of a Rotary Garden Tiller [Image: deep tillage with rotary tiller] Whether you buy, rent or borrow a tiller, you will find that it has a wide range of uses. It can be a general purpose garden tool. Selecting a Rotary Garden Tiller [Image: hand-held rotary tiller] The right rotary tiller can make the job of gardening much easier, but if you choose the wrong tiller for the job, it can make your job more difficult. Rotary Tiller Safety and Maintenance [Image: air filter] To get the best performance and longevity from your tiller you need to properly maintain it. You also need to be aware of some of the dangers involved in using a tiller, and take steps to protect yourself and others. Click for more information...