I saw the first cucumber beetles of the season in my garden today. If you're seeing these guys in your garden, here's how to control cucumber beetles before they make a mess of your cukes and other cucurbits.

We've expanded to two worm bins at our house, and I couldn't be happier with the amount of vermicompost that they produce. Setting up a worm bin is a quick, easy project, definitely worthy of some time this weekend!

I have both a manufactured worm bin, the Worm-A-Way, which I like a lot; and a bin my husband made out of a small plastic storage bin. To be honest, I don't see much difference between the two in terms of how much compost is produced or conditions inside the bin.

Composting worms, or red wigglers, are found easily on the internet, but you may find them in some nurseries or, if you're really lucky, a local bait shop.

My strawberry plants are blooming like mad right now, and I am looking forward to a bumper crop. However, I'm sure that the birds in my neighborhood are looking forward to it just as much.

The first couple of years I grew berries, I lost a good number of them to hungry birds. I'd tell myself that there was plenty of time to protect them, and it never failed that the strawberries would attain that first, beautiful blush of pink, and the birds would beat me to them.

The key, of course is to have a Berry Defense Plan in place before you need it. I've written an article about humane ways to protect berries from birds. Among the methods listed, netting is my favorite because it's the most fool-proof. But if you have just a strawberry pot or hanging basket and don't want to bother with netting, many of the other methods in the article are worth a shot. My mother-in-law recycles old party streamers to protect her small blueberry patch, and she has pretty good luck with it.

What's your favorite method for protecting berries from the birds? Or do you just assume you'll be sharing your crop with them?

One of the most frequent reasons people give for why they haven't started a garden (even though they'd like to) is that they kill plants. They say that they've killed every houseplant they've ever owned (including the "unkillable" ones that everyone else seems to grow just fine) and that they're convinced they have a black thumb.

Guess what: I still kill plants. I kill houseplants (usually from neglect when my schedule gets away from me.) I kill the occasional vegetable or herb plant in my garden (veggies from neglect, herbs from too much love.)

As long as you garden, you'll kill plants. Sometimes it will be because life got crazy and you forgot to water. Sometimes the squash vine borers or flea beetles will be more than you can contend with. And sometimes, the powdery mildew on your squash plants just gets out of control. It happens. But it's just a plant, and there is an upside to it.

The Bright Side of Plant Death

Here's the thing about killing plants. With each plant that dies under your care, you learn more about how NOT to grow that plant. It took killing two rosemary plants before I understood how to water them properly, and another two before I was able to successfully overwinter one inside (they die during the winter here if you don't bring them inside.) I've lost rosebushes to black spot because I didn't react quickly enough, and pumpkin vines to powdery mildew for the same reason. Losses like these teach you that vigilance is essential; that it's easier to deal with disease problems right away than to wait even one more day and be forced to deal with a bigger problem. I've lost whole crops of mustard greens to flea beetles. In fact, that happened as recently as last summer.

And I'm sure this year will be no different. There will be challenges, and I may even kill a plant or two. The only thing to do in these situations is to consider it a learning experience that puts you on the fast track to becoming a better gardener, pull the plant up, and move on. The number of plants you kill will decrease as time goes on and you learn more about your garden and the plants you grow there. Until then, let go of the guilt and fear. Try gardening anyway, and just see where it takes you.