Garden Tours are the "field work" for both the serious and the curious gardener, and the lookey lou, as well. It's the annual opportunity to sneak a peak at other people's work product and be a bit nosey. It's also the best opportunity to learn what works and what doesn't without enrolling in a junior college horticulture program. Mark the calendar, break in some new walking shoes and get ready to meet new people and have fun.

June 10th is the annual fundraiser for the Highline Historical Society. The Highline Garden Tour includes gardens in several cities in the south Seattle Highline area, including Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac. Last year's gardens were stunning and this year is shaping up to be even better. A tour sponsor, The Lazy Gardener will be at one of the gardens to dispense pearls of horticulture wisdom. So, bring your questions and your questionable plants.

In July, the touring season gets into full swing with the West Seattle, White Center and Federal Way garden tours. Tune into The Lazy Gardener for details ahead. If you know of community garden tours and/or plant sales, please send them to the email listed with this column.

With warmer, settled weather finally in place, it's time to get the vegetable garden in full gear. Warm weather crops such as beans, corn, squash and such should be planted now. Successive plantings of quick maturing crops like beans and spinach will keep nutritious and healthy veggies on your table all summer long. Get the kids to join in by reserving a row of easily grown crops for them - radish, bean, chard.

Tender (read tropical) ornamentals and houseplants can also go into the garden. Houseplants should be given two weeks of shade outside to get used to the higher light levels - otherwise, they will burn and be disfigured. A shady area under tall trees or an eastern exposure will work. Bring them into the appropriate situation for each after they are acclimated.

Some common houseplants will do just fine outside year 'round. Take the opportunity to cut down on the clutter from over-wintering and impress your visitors with unexpected garden specimens.

Q: I have a small urban lot and live near a real gardener. He's always out there planting this, adjusting that. I look at my own neglected yard and am discouraged. When I do even a little yard work, I'm exhausted and give up long before it's done. My biggest concern is plants getting large - they make me nervous. What can I do to compliment my neighbor yet avoid my own yard?

A: How refreshing to have someone admit to disinterest in taking care of their property while admiring the efforts of others. The truth is indeed rare.

Many people seem to have fears of large plants. Though smaller yards may be some of the motivation behind breeding dwarf varieties, surely fear of being engulfed is also a motivator. This leads to the incorrect notion that small gardens should contain only small plants. Doing that will result in just plain "blah". Including at least one interesting or statuesque plant gives focus to a design of otherwise dwarf specimens. Of course, one could substitute a 'statement' piece of art or a large, fine pot as a focal point. Since were talking gardens in this column, try a big plant first.

Another issue in this question is a psychological one. A situation a trained therapist might call chlorophyllaphobia, or "fear of chlorophyll" (the stuff that makes plants green). Symptoms of FOC are boring yards, tiny plants, too many flowers/too little foliage, red bark everywhere, and broad expanses of unplanted dirt. FOCers are not necessarily bad people, they just see gardening as a chore rather than a creative outlet.

That's the foundation of this column - Lazy Gardening. It's not work when you know the tools, techniques, and timing so that you can spend more time sitting back and admiring the results. Basking in the glowing comments of yet unredeemed FOCers has got to be rewarding.

Have a gardening question for Stephen? Contact him at Lazy.gardener@comcast.net