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All projects and procedures in this book have been reviewed for safety; still it is not possible to overstate the importance of working carefully. What follows are reminders for plant care and project safety. Always use common sense.

■ Always use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures in this book.

■ Always determine locations of underground utility lines before you dig, and then avoid them by a safe distance. Buried lines may be for gas, electricity, communications, or water. Contact local utility companies who will help you map their lines.

■ Always read and heed tool manufacturer instructions.

■ Always ensure that the electrical setup is safe; be sure that no circuit is overloaded and that all power tools and electrical outlets are properly grounded and protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GCFI). Do not use power tools in wet locations.

■ Always wear eye protection when using chemicals, sawing wood, pruning trees and shrubs, using power tools, and striking metal onto metal or concrete.

■ Always consider nontoxic and least toxic methods of addressing unwanted plants, plant pests, and plant diseases before resorting to toxic methods. Follow package application and safety instructions carefully.

■ Always read labels on chemicals, solvents, and other products; provide ventilation; heed warnings.

■ Always wear a hard hat when working in situations with potential for injury from falling tree limbs.

■ Always wear appropriate gloves in situations in which your hands could be injured by rough surfaces, sharp edges, thorns, or poisonous plants.

■ Always protect yourself against ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Inspect yourself for ticks after every session in the garden.

■ Always wear a disposable face mask or a special filtering respirator when creating sawdust or working with toxic gardening substances.

■ Always keep your hands and other body parts away from the business end of blades, cutters, and bits.

■ Always obtain approval from local building officials before undertaking construction of permanent structures.

■ Never employ herbicides, pesticides, or toxic chemicals unless you have determined with certainty that they were developed for the specific problem you hope to remedy.

■ Never allow bystanders to approach work areas where they might by injured by workers or work-site hazards. Make sure all work sites are well marked.

■ Never work with power tools when you are tired, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

■ Never carry sharp or pointed tools, such as knives or saws, in your pocket.