By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

The best thing about staffing a Question and Answer booth at Sunset Celebration, which I just did last weekend, is how much you learn.  Especially when you are sharing the space with Master Gardeners and other garden writers.  We all brought different kinds of experience, different areas of expertise, and different favorite reference books.  So, if one of us didn't have the answer to a question, someone else usually did.  And we all learned a lot.

For instance, I learned about a great tool for blasting away whiteflies and aphids I was not familiar with from San Mateo County Master Gardener Maureen Ullery.  It's called the Bug Blaster.  It's a nozzle that creates a 360-degree flat spray pattern.  You attach the nozzle to a water wand and deliver water at full-pressure.  The pattern of the spray lets you get right into the center of plants, blasting adult insects, eggs, and larvae off the undersides as well as the tops of plants. It cleans off powdery mildew and sooty mold, too.

It works great on aphids, whitefly, and other soft-bodied insects, says Ullery, and it doesn't harm your foliage.

"But you might get as wet as your plants," says Ullery.  "I haven't figured out how to use it and stay dry without wearing a raincoat," she said, making us all laugh.

While I have the chance, I would like to express Sunset staff's appreciation for all the Master Gardeners who helped us man the Garden Question and Answer booth at Sunset Celebration.  They were a great group.  Helpful, informative, resourceful, enthusiastic, fun.   Thank you all.  We loved your company.

Betsy Shelton, San Mateo County
Robert Weissman, Santa Clara County
Dahlia Wood, San Mateo County
Sally Pyle, Santa Clara County
Chris Stanek, San Mateo County
Romie Georgia, Santa Clara County
Maureen Ullery, San Mateo County
Kathleen Heckler, Santa Clara County

We also want to thank Candace Simpson of the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners who organized this volunteer effort.