Posts Tagged ‘Spring’
Leyland Cypress – Poor Watering
Q: I planted 4 Leyland Cyress trees last spring. By late summer one had turned pale green with droopy branches. The branches eventually turned brown and died. The landscaper who planted the trees replaced the tree in late fall. The...
Annuals – Determining Light Levels
Q: What do the term “partial sun” mean when planting annuals and shrubs. I never know what will work. Can a plant that says “shade” take morning sun, but not afternoon sun? And can a plant that says sun handle...
English Ivy – Killing
Q: I have a large mass of ivy and it is in terrain that keeps me from mowing it. Would you please recommend an available spray and how to most effectively use it to kill the ivy? A: It’s not...
Jacaranda Tree – Growing conditions
Q: About 7 years ago my son was in the Peace Corps in South Africa. On his return he presented me with a pot with a Jacaranda tree seed. I have placed the tree outside each year from late May...
Giant Resin Bee – Carpenter Bee Foe
Q: Each spring I battle with carpenter bees in my log home. However, starting each July, I see somewhat smaller bees, lighter in color, entering the circular holes left by the carpenter bees. They don’t seem to be worsening the...
Cranefly Orchid
Q: I wonder if you could help me identify the plant in the attached picture. It came up under a wax myrtle in our front a couple of years ago. I first thought it was a type of ginger –...
Chrysanthemum – Fall and Winter Care
Q: Our church recently put out one hundred mums in pots for our dedication. Someone told me that these cannot be planted in a garden. We hate to throw away that many mums. Can they be successfully transplanted to a...
Gardenia – Getting Continuous Blooms
Q: I’m originally from Chicago. My ‘August Beauty’ gardenias, are doing fine but I would like to get more than one bloom period from them each summer. When the bloom is spent, is it proper to pluck the brown bloom...
Japanese Maple – Watering Properly
Q: My mother has a Japanese maple which did very well after being planted in the fall of 2000. However, over the last two weeks, the leaves have begun to curl and dry and subsequently fell off the tree. She...
Ceanothus – Growing Information
Q: I would like to grow ceanothus and wonder whether you have had any experience with it. A: Horticulturist Mike Dirr says his camera almost imploded when he saw a sky-blue ceanothus in Edinburgh. There are dozens of other ceanothus...
Stings – Avoiding (and the only rude gardener I’ve ever met!)
Q: Q: My name is Ann, and I really need your help! I am trying to plan some landscaping for my front yard and backyard and around the front sidewalk and around my brick mailbox. Normal people would have no...
Bermudagrass – Killing for a Garden
Q: I want to start a vegetable garden in a pasture with bermudagrass. I want to go ahead and plow it up now and add some leaves and compost to sit over the next few months, but feel I need...
Alphabet Gardening – Plants with “U” and “X”
Q: I am planting an alphabet garden with my son. We are choosing plants with common or scientific names that begin with each letter of the alphabet. However, we are stuck with the letters “U” and “X”. Do you have...
Henbit – Identification
Q: I thought this was henbit but the leaves are furry purple/magenta besides being green. Do you know what this sort of invasive plant is? A: No question here…it’s henbit! This broadleafed weed sprouts in October and becomes rampant in...
Mahonia – Identification
Q: We found a couple of these growing under the pines on our property. Any idea what it might be or how it could have gotten there? One is about five feet tall. A: When I was ten I found...
Ginger lily
Q: I received a clump of ginger lily which I planted like an iris. There isn’t any foliage in winter. Is it dead or just dormant? A: Ginger lily (Curcuma and Hedychium species) is usually hardy in Atlanta, although a...
Amaryllis – Fall Care
Q: I have an amaryllis in a large pot with potting soil. How should I care for it? A: You can keep the amaryllis in a pot if you like but it probably will not bloom again, particularly if you...
Gardening – Teaching to Middle School
Q: I have taught high school physics and chemistry for the last 5 years but this year I am teaching 7th grade science. Soon I’ll be teaching a unit on the plant kingdom. Do you have any ideas to stir...
