As of June 2008, efforts to control weeds without damaging favored plants and other aspects of the lake were continuing.

Cuttings of favored plants could be taken now for rooting and held in a coldframe until proper planting time next spring.

Best solution: Identify favored plants growing in the garden and plan to start fresh with new plants at the new location.

Another common deterrent is to encircle favored plants with a band of scratchy material, like shells, diatomaceous earth or sand.

Although a few favored plants had been uprated, the majority of the original 35 had been shut down.

Fred McGourty, another Connecticut author and plantsman, has had his share of battles with deer and offers in his book, "The Perennial Gardener," this helpful hint: "Careful siting of favored deer-browse plants also helps.

Instead of that usual "can't wait for spring look" some of the most favored plants like holly, azalea and rhododendron, have brown leaves, some of them curled back.

Ashes, sand or other gritty substances around the bases of favored plants does discourage slugs from crawling to them.

They could smell the favored plants through snow, from a long distance, and their hooves were adaote digging down through deep snows if they needed to.

It is one of the favored plants of honeybees in early spring in the southwest deserts of North America.