Economically speaking, 2008 was a year that many would love to forget. Words like 'recession', 'fiscal meltdown' and 'bankruptcy' have been used excessively in the media - if someone recorded a tag cloud for media offerings I'm sure these would be in large, bold font.

Fortunately, we're gardeners and whether or not another bank crashes it doesn't affect our hobby - unless our life savings are tied up in said bank, that is. For the majority of us, we can tinker around our yards with very little concern for the financial problems plaguing the Dow Jones, the Euro and the sub-prime loan market.

So, I wanted to remember 2008 the way it should be told, the way a gardener might see it. A summary of 2008's best posts from Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas was the obvious conclusion.

January 2008

• 18 Awesome Garden Water Fountains
• Decorative Pebbles: Finite resource raping developing nations
• Blossom-end Rot: Why does it happen to my tomatoes?
• 21 Skills Every Gardener Should Have
• Frangipani cuttings: How to grow
• Coastal plants show their secrets

February 2008

• Useful facts on ladybugs
• How to care for your Bougainvillea
• Hydrangea flowers are our soil's litmus paper
• Growing Garlic One Season at a Time

March 2008

• How's going green, going?
• Jesus: The Ultimate Gardener (Easter Special)
• How to make hanging flower baskets
• What could be the worst thing to find in your garden?
• The many benefits of sheep manure

April 2008

• 21 of the World's Best Topiaries
• Where to find FREE rocks for your garden
• 51 things to do in the garden in 20 minutes or less
• A list of vegetables to grow in your garden veggie patch
• Start a beautiful flower garden for less than $5
• Baby Calf grows inside Award-Winning Giant Pumpkin (April Fool's Day Post)

May 2008

• Make Potpourri from your garden
• 21 Tools Every Gardener Should Have
• Would you have a NUDE statue in your garden?
• Why solar garden lights won't keep you up at night
• Growing herbs for cooking

June 2008

• Planting avocado seeds: A step-by-step guide
• 3 easy steps to growing perfect tomatoes
• Keeping Mosquitoes out of your Rain Barrels
• Are you a Garden Starter, Finisher or Maintainer?

July 2008

• Vegetables that MUST be organic
• Pruning rose bushes: Is there a correct way?
• 13 natural plants for headache relief
• Organically ridding fruit flies from your precious fruit
• Starting a DIY Vertical Garden
• The secret of human hair in the garden

August 2008

• Create a Keyhole Garden
• Why most garden statues suck...and how to fix them
• 10 Benefits of growing a Palm Tree
• Butterfly Facts: What do Butterflies eat?
• Thyme management: An herb for every occasion

September 2008

• How to use magazine gardens for inspiration
• Tips on how to buy trees
• Front Yard Makeover
• Is it okay to re-gift plants?

October 2008

• Recession-Proof Gardening
• How to care for a bromeliad plant
• 10 Reasons New Plants Die
• How to: Soak well installation
• The Life-Cycle of a Gardener
• 11 Garden Paths and Pathway Ideas

November 2008

• Is Free Mulch Worth It?
• The reuse of potting soil debate rages
• Repotting plants the easy way
• Flower bulbs: planting for spring
• How to grow potatoes

December 2008

• How to prepare the garden for a rental inspection
• Growing herbs indoors
• Is garden insurance worth it?
• How to care for a Rhododendron plant
• DIY Garden Brick Edging