Q: How many times per year should one redo the mulch in flower beds, and what time of year is best? — M.P., Houston A: Maintaining a 2- to 3-inch blanket of organic mulch year-round is a good idea.

NewsWorks reader Judy is redoing a sidewalk garden, and she wrote in to ask for some recommendations for hardy plants that would have some endurance and enhance her streetscape. We’ve got some answers ...