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For Green (or Brown) ThumbsWeb sites offer lots of tips for those who do it themselves -- and don't.I'd be the first to tout the beauty of flowers and plants, and I've yet to find supermarket produce that comes close to tasting as succulent as a home-grown tomato or ear of butter and sugar corn. But when it comes to growing all this stuff myself? Fuhgetaboutit. Hey -- even when I water my plants every six months like clockwork, they still seem to meet an untimely end.So what's a brown thumber like me to do? A couple of possibilities come to mind: One, find good information on how things really grow, and two, hire somebody else to grow it for me. Luckily, both options are relatively easy to accomplish online.A good place to start is at area extension offices of The Ohio State University and Penn State University. David Goerig, horticulture extension agent at the Mahoning County Extension Office in Canfield, says the extension offices in both states were established as a result of signing of the Morrill Act in 1862, which created land-grant colleges in every state. Many of these extension offices, including those in the five-county region, now have Web sites that offer oodles of helpful information -- as well as links to lots of other related sites.If you visit the Mahoning County office (http://mahoning.osu.edu), be sure to click on the "Ohioline" link, then on the "Yard & Garden" button. Here, the amount of information is almost overwhelming, covering everything from flowers to fruit to pest and weed control.While you're there, scroll down the page under the "Newsletters" section and visit Buckeye Yard and Garden Online (or you can reach it directly at http://bygl.osu.edu). During the growing season, what goes into this newsletter is compiled via a weekly conference call among several area extension agents, including Goerig. Much of the information here is linked to more in-depth fact sheets on the various topics.The sites of other extension offices also are virtual treasure troves of information on horticulture, gardening, food and nutrution. You'll find the Trumbull County office at http://trumbull.osu.edu; Columbiana is http://columbiana.osu.edu. Similarly, offices in Mercer and Lawrence counties can be found at http://mercer.extension.psu.edu and http://lawrence.extension.psu.edu, respectively.Of course, you also need things to plant; for this, you might check out some of the many nurseries and greenhouses that live in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys such as the Boardman-based Elliott's Garden Center (www.elliottsgardencenter.com). Elliott's, which specializes in bulk mulch, decorative stone, processed topsoil, trees, shrubs, and, they says, the "best mulch in town."At Inglis Greenhouse, also in Boardman (www.inglisgreenhouse.com), you can look at colorful and fast-downloading photos of a wide variety of annuals ranging from Ageratum to Violas. Accompanying charts tell how big many of the plants and flowers will grow, how much light they need and where they can be planted to best advantage.Once it's planted, you'll need the proper tools to care for it. For these, you might try Do-Cut Sales & Service Inc., which operates stores in Canfield and Warren (www.docut.com). There's no shortage of equipment here -- the company offers more than 70 brands of power equipment for home and business from Black & Decker to Stihl to Weed Eater.As much as you love your plants, trees and shrubs, though, bugs and other critters love them even more. That's when it's good to know an exterminator, like Hersh Exterminating Service Inc., Warren (www.hershfirst.com). From carpenter ants to spiders to wasps and bees, this family owned company -- now headed by David Hersh, son of founder Martin Hersh -- has been in the business of getting rid of unwanted pests since 1946.If you really want to protect your yard -- and your privacy -- summer can be a great time to add a decorative fence, whether it's around a garden, a deck or your entire property. In North Lima, Homestretch Fence (www.homestretchfence.com) specializes in maintenance-free vinyl fences and decks. A variety of styles are offered for residential use, and the company, started in 1993, will create customized designs and sizes for you as well. If you have a question or want more information, you can fill out a form online to ask that a representative contact you."