We have a new pergola and I want to plant vines that can climb up the outside posts, wind around the top, has blooming flowers and comes back each year. What would work best?
I also have a tree that I have rehabilitated and it is starting to return. However, there are several dead branches that need to be trimmed. Do you trim them, or could you recommend someone?
Dead branches can be trimmed off a tree anytime of the year. You can phone your local extension office for tree trimmer recommendations. Phone Jefferson County Cooperative Extension (502) 569-2344 for suggestions.
Passion flower (May pop), Clematis and Trumpet Vine are all good choices for your pergola. Enjoy your garden.
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I need to move a sweet bay magnolia that has been in the ground about 7 years. When is the best time to move it and do I need to do anything special when I move it?
Spring and fall are both good seasons to dig and transplant landscape trees and shrubs. I'd move it now so it has a chance to settle in before hot summer weather arrives. Try not to damage too many roots during the digging process. The more of the root mass you can move, the less stress your magnolia will suffer and the faster it will re-establish in a new part of the garden. Be sure to plant it at the same soil level as it was growing before and don't forget to water it well after the move to help settle the soil. Best wishes with the move!
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Hello..
I have several pots of either plants with bulbs or rhizomes.
I keep the pots OUTSIDE all summer.
In the fall, can I just bring the pots in and leave the plants
IN THE POTS? OR, DO I HAVE TO DIG OUT THE BULBS AND DRY THEM AND PUT IN PEETMOSS?
It would be alot less work if I could just keep the plants in their original pots.
Thanks, Dorian
I just leave mine in the pots and store them that way. You can cut off the dead foliage once it withers away and simply store the pots and bulbs as is. When you take them outdoors and begin watering again, they will sprout right on time.
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HI,
I HAVE A LONG SOIL EDGE ALONG MY GARAGE THAT IS ONLY ABOUT 16 INCHES WIDE. IT IS QUITE SHADY, BUT GETS SOME AM SUN.
WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE TO PLANT THERE IN A NARROW SPOT?
I HAVE SOME CONE FLOWERS AND LYTHRM THERE NOW AND A FEW HARDY LILLIES. I NEED 1-2 PLANTS THAT ARE VERY HARDY AND ABOUT 2-3 FT. TALL.
THANKS SOOOO MUCH FOR ALL YOU HELP!! Dorian
Hostas are naturals for shady areas; Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley) with white, scented flowers; Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Hearts) provide arches of heart-shaped flowers; Coral bells (Heuchera) provide some of the best foliage colors for shady spots; a final suggestion is ginger (Asarum canadense). Enjoy your garden!
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HI,
I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PATCH OF ALLYSUM. HOWEVER, THIS YEAR THERE ARE SEVERAL ANT HILLS IN IT. I TRIED PUTTING SOME BLEACH ON THE HILLS, AND OTHER PEST KILLERS TO NO AVAIL.
DO YOU HAVE A HOME REMEDY? OR WHICH STORE PRODUCT IS GOOD?
IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN USE THAT WILL KILL THE ANTS BUT NOT MY
ALLYSUM COMING UP>? DORIAN
For the most part, ants do not cause any serious problems in gardens. Exceptions to this are the species that bite or protect aphids. Ant hills in flowerbeds and lawn areas can become a nuisance, however, as can ants that come indoors when foraging for food, returning to outdoor nests. If you have ant colonies that you wish to control, there are several things you can do. A good least-toxic method is the use of boric acid baits. Boric acid baits can eliminate some ant colonies in about one week. The trick is to not kill the ants at the bait station, but to get the ants to carry the boric acid back to the nest, poisoning the members of the colony that never leave the nest. Most ants feed either on sugars or on protein, fats, or oils. To see which type you have, place small dabs of jelly and peanut butter (not mixed) where ants are seen and watch which food they are attracted to. If they are attracted to the jelly, you can make a boric acid bait by mixing one-half cup jelly, such as apple jelly, with 1 1/4 tsp boric acid powder. Punch several holes in the lid of the jar, then screw the lid on tightly and seal with tape. The holes should be large enough for the ants to pass through to reach the bait. Place the bait jar on its side where the ants will come in contact with it. If the ants are unable to gain footing on the jar lid, you might want to scratch the surface with sandpaper or a pebble. If the ants are attracted to peanut butter, use that for your bait rather than jelly. If you find many dead ants around the bait station, which ever bait you use, lower the amount of boric acid in the mixture. If you are still finding live ants after a week to 10 days, increase the amount of boric acid. Although boric acid is of very low toxicity, it is best to place bait jars where children and pets cannot reach them.
Best wishes with your alyssum.
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I have several peony and \\
I think you can still safely move your plants this spring. They may pout after being moved but they'll still have the remainder of the spring and all summer to establish themselves in their new homes. I'd amend the soil with compost prior to planting them and be sure to water them well after you've finished transplanting. Best wishes with your plants!
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I have three big what I think are ornamental (they bloom but don't produce any fruit) crabapple trees on the south side of my house. They bloom beautifully and smell great this time of year but shortly after the blooms fall the leaves begin getting infected and as the spring and early summer progress they brown and fall in larger and larger numbers. By August/September the trees are practically bare. One of the trees has also grown over the house so I'm ready to replace them. The area is sunny most of the day and slopes gently away from the house. What kind of tree would be a good replacement? I'd like something that blooms in spring, is disease resistant and easy to maintain. I'd also prefer something that won't get too big or sprawling.
You can use a preventative fungicide such as Captan on your crabapples to keep them from developing the scab disease that defoliates them each summer, and you can prune back the overgrown crabapple so it's not encroaching on the house. If you'd rather not work with your crabapple trees, you'll want to be sure to remove the roots of the trees - otherwise they will sucker and sprout up in the most inopportune areas of your yard!
Some replacements to consider are ornamental plum (purple leaf plum has an upright growth habit), or eastern redbud tree, Shadblow or Siberian Pea Shrub.
Best wishes with your landscape!
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i live in a \\
The New York City Department of Parks has compiled the following list of salt tolerant plants:
Amelanchier arborea- Common serviceberry; Amelanchier canadensis- Canadian serviceberry; Aronia arbutifolia- Red chokeberry; Aronia melanocarpa- Black chokeberry; Baccharis halmifolia- Groundsel tree; Cephalanthus occidentalis- Buttonbush; Clethra alnifolia- Sweet pepperbush; Gaylussacia baccata- Black huckleberry; Ilex glabra- Inkberry; Iva fructescens- Saltmarsh elder; Lindera benzoin- Spicebush; Myrica pensylvanica- Bayberry; Prunus maritima- Beachplum;
Rhus copallinum- Winged sumac; Rhus glabra- Smooth sumac; Rhus typhina- Staghorn sumac; Rosa carolina- Pasture rose; Rosa virginiana- Low pasture rose; Salix discolor- Pussy willow; Sambucus canadensis- Black elderberry; Vaccinium angustifolium- Lowbush blueberry; Vaccinium corymbosum- Highbush blueberry;
Viburnum dentatum- Southern arrowwood ; Vitis labrusca- Fox grape; Arctostaphylos uva-ursi- Bearberry ; Cakile edethula- Sea rocket; Eupatorium album- White thoroughwort ; Hibiscus moscheutos- Marsh mallow; Lathyrus maritimus- Beach pea;
Lechea maritima- Beach pinweed ; Limonium carolinianum- Marsh rosemary; Maianthemum canadense- Canada mayflower; Oenthera biennis- Common evening primrose; Opuntia humifusa- Eastern prickly pear; Solidago sempervirens- Seaside goldenrod;
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii- New York aster; Ammophila brevigulata- Beachgrass;
Distichlis spicata- Saltgrass ; Juncus gerardii- Blackgrass; Panicum amarum- Bitter panicgrass; Panicum virgatum- Switchgrass ; Schizachyrium scoparium- Little bluestem ; Scirpus maritimis- Seaside bulrush; Scirpus pungens- Common threesquare ;
Scirpus robustus- Saltmarsh rush; Scirpus validus- Soft stem bulrush; Spartina alternifolia- Smooth cordgrass; Spartina patens- Saltmeadow grass; Spartina pectinata- Prairie cordgrass.
It's such a comprehensive list that I'm sure you'll have an attractive garden inspite of the salt~
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I've had groundcover (jupiter)in a bed for years and I've decided to remove it to plant and flower garden. problem is I've been cutting down with the lawnmower then tilling over the past couple of years only for it to return. what can I use to completely remove the roots and all without killing the soil so I can plant a flower garden.
Sounds like it's time for an herbicide application. You can use Round Up to kill the vegetation. When the jupiter is dead, rake it out of the bed, roots and all. If you miss some of the underground roots with the herbicide, they may sprout and you'll need to spot treat them. I wouldn't plant anything until you're sure the jupiter is dead. Round Up is a vegetation killer that will be transported down to the roots of the weedy plant but it won't move in the soil. As long as you rake out the dead plants and roots, the soil won't retain any of the chemical. Read the label - I think there's a 3 week waiting period after using Round Up and before planting in the bed. Good luck with your eradication project!
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Do I pinch the first blooms on the cucumber plant?
You can pinch them off or you can just leave them alone - they will fall off on their own in a day or two. It sounds as though you know that the first flowers on cucumbers and squash plants are male and will not produce fruit, but as your plant matures it will develop both male and female flowers. I tend to just leave the blossoms alone. They will fall off on their own. Hope you have a great harvest this summer.
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