Have you ever eaten an apricot right off the tree? A sun-warmed, glowing orb of velvety smoothness? You close your eyes, sniff that fruity, ripe aroma and take your first juicy bite.

Spider mites are common pests in landscapes and gardens and can be found on ornamental trees, shrubs, fruit trees, vegetables, and even on houseplants.

The joys of living in rural areas are the peace and quiet, clear air, open spaces and wildlife. With this joy often comes the frustration of watching wildlife eat prized plants.

Deer can wreak havoc on a garden or landscape. Gardeners are always looking for deer-resistant plants.

Deer can wreak havoc on a garden or landscape. Gardeners are always looking for deer-resistant plants.

Aphids are soft-bodied insects with long slender mouth parts adapted for piercing stems, leaves and other soft plant tissues.

Voles, also known as meadow mice or field mice, damage a wide variety of plants by gnawing on roots, stems, trunks, leaves and seeds.

Butterflies require both host plants on which to lay their eggs and provide food for the caterpillars plus nectar plants which feed the butterflies.

Plant a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes of flowers for bees. Their favorite colors are blue, purple and yellow.

Venus Fly Traps are easy to care for, but they do have a few quirks you should know to help them thrive.