By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Let's Talk Plants, the monthly newsletter of the San Diego Horticultural Society, has great tips and stories in it every month.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, consider subscribing even if you don't live anywhere close to San Diego.

Here's a few examples from the September issue:

.  To sprout seeds of carrots, parsley, and parsnips sprinkle them in prepared soil, pour a kettle of boiling water down the seed row, cover the seeds with potting soil, and pat the seeds down. This boiling water trick isn't for all kinds of seeds, just for carrots and their relation.

(Tip courtesy of that trusty old pro, garden writer Pat Welsh)

Other tips from Welsh:

.  The best gopher trap is the Black Hole brand.

.  Use worm castings to get rid of giant whiteflies.

.  Horse manure is the best fertilizer, and it is best used in fall.

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Did you know hooded orioles love grape jelly?  And especially Welch's?  That's something else I learned from Let's Talk Plants this month.  Wild Birds Unlimited sells a bird feeder, shown here, that has little wells for the jelly.  According to SDHS member Linda Lawley, hummingbirds, goldfinces, sparrows, and house finches love the jelly, too.  Even bees.  She's having to replenish her feeders daily and buys the giant economy size from Brand X.  The birds don't seem to mind going generic, says Lawley.

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And a quote I liked:

"The best way to garden is to put on a wide brimmed strawhat and some old clothes.  And, with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell your husband where to dig."

From Anderson's La Costa Nursery's monthly garden tips column.

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If you got the newsletter, this month you could have also picked up a great new salsa recipe, read a book review of Barbara Kingsolver's new book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, discovered whether or not selenium is an essential nutrient for plants as well as animals, and and learned a lot about smart timers from a landscape contractor.