Spiders, and other fall issues

RE “Special Issue: Fall Gardens” [Oct. 6]: I very much enjoyed the gardening issue, a blessed departure from the usual grandiose palaces that are owned by people with more money than most of us will ever see in a lifetime.

Gardens, however, are different. Even the most ornate landscaping can be created over time with a small budget. I am particularly intrigued by the emphasis these days on the use of native flora.

I was also interested in the article about spiders. I am terrified of them on general principles, poisonous or not, and have been afraid to go into the backyard ever since I got an e-mail from a neighbor about the horrors that ensue from the bite of the brown recluse. It was a great relief to read that those little devils don’t live here.

JOAN M. PETERSON

Culver City

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CONGRATULATIONS on the fall gardens edition. Your story on garden tools was especially informative and attractively presented.

But what about container gardening tools for those of us confined to smaller urban spaces?

I’m still trying to find the perfect scoop for filling pots and adding top dressing. And I’d recommend the use of a ceramics wheel to ease the job.

RICHARD HARRIS

Signal Hill