My wife and I spent a week in early August doing day hikes on the Appalachian and Long Trails in Vermont. We were part of a group of twelve strangers who were like-aged and like-minded. We also had a lot of fun.

The Appalachian Trail, as most of you know, runs from Georgia to Maine with a run through Pennsylvania just west of here. The Long trail, which was established before the Appalachian Trail, runs across Vermont from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border.

We had two accomplices, a leader and a sweeper.

Fortunately the leader was our age, so the pace, though not necessarily kind, was doable. The sweeper job was to prod those who lagged in the rear, I guess. I managed to stay close to both of them on occasion.

I could wax long on the plants and critters we saw but will let it suffice to say just three things. The trail in Vermont offers a wide range of elevation and the plant life reflected the different environments this creates. Second, they do not have the deer pressure that exists in Pennsylvania and the lowland forests were much more dense. Third, the occurrence of native woodland plants exceeded even what I remember in our forests when I was a child.

What I found most interesting was that the sweeper was a Certified Organic Gardener. Her message was quite simple; if you donšt want to need to spray, don't spray. I use the rest of the article to explain that last sentence.

I asked about whether she used beneficial insects. She then talked about releasing ladybugs and watching them immediately fly away. Her comments on beneficial nematodes was that taking them to the garden at 3 am when the temperature was 67 degrees and light showers were promised was not her cup of tea.

That confirmed my belief that beneficials in today's home garden is a waste of money. Maybe in the future the technology will get us there, but we're not there yet.

She claimed that most of her clients were happy with the organic approach and most were rather successful. She said her worst nightmare was a client who hired her as an organic consultant along with other consultants who sprayed regularly. Any spraying upsets the balance necessary for organic success.

Mulch and compost are also key factors in going organic. The commercialization and increased availability of compost is on the near horizon and the research overwhelmingly suggests it will change the way we garden.

When pinned down, she said her best weapon in the pursuit of an organic landscape was plant selection. Native plants, of course, played a major role, but there was also lots of room for non-natives.

The key was that plants that need constant spray are not part of an organic garden. Roses and fruit trees are two quick examples in our landscapes. There are others. If you wish to go organic the first step is to spot and eliminate the high (spray) maintenance plants.

I escaped the garden for a walk in the woods, or did I?