PAUSE THE PAMPERS
Still the queen of salve
After a hard day of rose pruning, weed pulling, dirt stirring, dog bathing or even computer pounding, it’s a relief to slide those tired but triumphant hands into a slather of Queen Bee’s Butta hand cream. The tangy fragrances of lemongrass and lavender will lift your mood without annoying the scent-sensitive around you. Our jar? Still at the office, because we can’t bee without it. $20 at .
BRANCHING OUT
Pruning lore, distilled
From Aaron’s beard to Zelkova serrulata, “The Pruning Answer Book,” by Lewis Hill and Penelope O’Sullivan ($14.95, Storey Publishing) has your cutting question covered. For example, lilacs: Trim the spent blossom clusters (but those long-stemmed sprigs you brought in the house may reduce next year’s bounty). Spirea? The method depends on the species. Plus a ton of other advice, handily indexed and charted — and in a size that fits in a sweatshirt pocket. Susan Clotfelter
