On the Homefront

World of gardening

Daniel J. Hinkley isn't content to fill his garden with common plants. That's why he's traveled the world in search of the unusual.

Hinkley, founder of Heronswood Nursery in Warminster, Pa., chronicles some of those adventures and shares his finds in "The Explorer's Garden: Shrubs and Vines from the Four Corners of the World."

The book is part plant guide, part travelogue. Chapters focus on specific plants or plant groups and relay tales from his journeys, along with information on a plant's hardiness, cultivation and propagation.

Hinkley also addresses his plant-collection procedures and standards to assure readers he's taken pains to avoid introducing pests, diseases or invasive species.

"The Explorer's Garden" is published by Timber Press and sells for $39.95 in hardcover.

Design it yourself

Sometimes what's available in stores just doesn't do it for you. "You Design It, They Print It," KarmaKraft.com's digital fabric-printing service, allows you to upload your fabric-design ideas and drawings, and create personalized fabrics that you can use to make clothes, bedding, curtains, pillows, accessories and more.

Choose from a large selection of fabric bases and have the company cut and sew your fabric to your specifications. No minimum or maximum orders required. Corner Lots

No-cost tips to help defend homes against summer break-ins:

• Secure all windows, including those upstairs, and cut tree limbs away from second-story windows.

• Remove objects that might allow access to your home, such as ladders or trash cans that could be used to enter a window or scale a fence.

• Prevent hiding places for intruders by trimming bushes to expose branch structures.

• Illuminate entries; install motion lights.

• Install easy-to-read and illuminated address numbers so emergency personnel can locate your home without difficulty.

• Never leave a key hidden outside. Burglars know all the best hiding places.

• Install peepholes and ask to see identification from service and delivery people.

• Install deadbolt locks on exterior entrances.

• Take care when disposing of product packaging, so that you aren't "advertising" recent, high-dollar purchases.

• Make sure smoke detectors work or consider adding monitored detectors.

• Keep emergency information by the telephone. Make sure houseguests know where emergency numbers are located.

To read more on home security, visit Protection One Inc.'s Web site at http://www.protectionone.com. It's time to . . .

Take cuttings from your azaleas and other woody ornamentals for propagation. The tender new growth has reached the semi-hardwood stage, which is ideal for rooting cuttings. Clip 4 to 6 inches of new growth, and dip the cut end in rooting hormone. Place the cutting in a small pot with a moist, well-drained medium and cover with a clear plastic bag. Place the pot in the shade. Your cuttings should root in four to six weeks.

Richard Nunnally's
gardening Q&A, D5