Have you married your love of gardening with your love of technology yet? (Farmville doesn't count!)

Is it being a bit presumptuous that you even have a love of technology? Well maybe this will act as an introduction for you.

There are a number of applications on the market for your smart phone or tablet that cater to the backyard gardener that you might find useful. All these apps will work on universal platforms.

• Garden Plan Pro:A large plant database and calendar will help you identify what you would like to plant and when to plant it. Crop rotation help and weather information for your area makes this an essential for both the casual and the serious gardener. A bit pricey at $7.99
• Garden Compass Plant and Disease Identifier: When preparing to start a garden, it is essential to know what you are planting. If you are not sure, simply take a photo of a plant and Garden Compass will tell you what it is. There are over 1,000 pictures, as well as the ability to share your photos over social networks. This app is free.
• Garden Minder: This app features built in how-tos and reminders for vegetable gardens to ensure that you will plant your largest harvest to date. There is also a handy journal for you to keep pictures and take notes in. This app is free.

This is the time of year to prune Camellias.

They will soon have finished blooming whether they are Japonicas or Sasanquas. If they have grown too tall or lanky they can be pruned just like any other woody shrub.

Open up dense overgrown interiors to allow air good circulation. Cut back any watersprouts that shoot straight up from branches. Cut stems flush with cross branches so that you don't leave any stubs that will end up dying.

Step back and check your work occasionally and always aim for a balanced and symmetrical plant.

You can also feed your camellias with a food specified for acidic plants, mulch them and then just let them grow all summer until it time for them to bloom next fall and winter.

This is the best time of year to plant citrus and avocado trees if you have been considering adding one to your yard. There are a variety to choose from that do well in our climate, but the best idea to help you narrow down your choices is to take into consideration the location where you are going to plant the tree.

Then go to a reputable nursery and have a discussion with someone there who can help you choose a tree that will grow to the right size for the location you have. Keep in mind that without pruning, even though a tree is called a dwarf, it still may grow to be twelve or fifteen feet high.

Citrus and avocado trees will need at least 8 hours of sun a day and a good source of water. Avocado trees are notoriously messy and like to have the leaves they shed in the late winter left on the ground to act as mulch.

Do your homework to make sure that the time and effort you put into planting a new tree will pay off with lots of rewarding fruit in the years ahead.

Although it can happen any time of year, most bees swarm in the spring. When bees swarm, they are looking for a new home and they are very docile because they are loaded with honey.

If they are hanging on a tree limb, they're just tired. Give them their space and they will usually leave within a day or two after they've had their rest. 

If they don't leave after a few days, or if they have taken up residence inside a structure, you will probably want to contact a beekeeper for bee removal services.  Bee removal services to homeowners and commercial sites are part of a beekeeper's business, so you should expect to pay a fee to have a swarm removed.

Do give the bees every chance, since bees are an important resource and shouldn't be needlessly exterminated. Here's a link to more information on local bee removal services:
http://uccemg.com/General-Gardening/?uid=4&ds=548