grow Cuttings

QuestionCan you tell me how you start cuttings? I tried to make rootings from butterfly bushes in soil but they die. Should I use the soft branches? or the hard woody stems. Pull all the leaves off? or leave a few?

question

Questionhow do you prevent disease and keep the roses healthy? AnswerCarmen, the best defense for a Rose is to keep it healthy and spray it for fungus and blackspot BEFORE symptoms appear in the spring. Healthy Ro

roman chamomile

QuestionI hail from Scotland where my parents enjoyed a garden with roman chamomile planted as a maintenance-free, fragrant ground cover. I am wondering if that type of ground cover would do well in sout

mertle tree

Questioni just bought a mertle tree and planted it in good soil with a mixture of a little manure and my native soil the leaves are turning brown what should i do thanks derrek AnswerDerrek, The only think to do is

perennials in the winter

QuestionI would like to bring some of my annuals inside for the winter, such as daisies and violets - will they continue to thrive inside in good light? I live in southern NH. Thanks AnswerAh, the heart of a true

Trimming lavendar?

QuestionI have a rather large lavendar plant in one of my beds. It bloomed nicely, and now the flowers are dried. Is it safe now to trim the plant back, and if so, how far? Also, is it possible to move a small porti

Cally Lillies

QuestionI live in Georgia and bought some Cally Lillies back in the Spring and planted them in a flower bed in our backyard. They were about 2 feet tall when I purchased them. They did beautifully for ab

Black Eyed Susan

QuestionI am wondering how much to water my recently potted Black Eyed Susan plant. I have somewhat of a black thumb and it is already drying up (the flowers that is) I water it every day...what else can

Perenials for Fall

QuestionTom, Thank you for your time. I wanted some suggestions for some lower price August-September/November perenial plants and flowers to brighten up my flower bed. My day lilies are starting to die

Annabel Hydrangea

QuestionI live in zone 4 in west central Wisconsin. Ive a Annabel Hydrangea that 8 years old and is a beautiful plant. Every March, I cut it back to 6 above the ground. The problem every year - the huge round

discoloured leaves

Questionthanks for your advice, spring starts here 1st of Sept, so we have just started ,although our temps are in the mid 20s. We dont ever have the extremes of weather as you do, rarely getting below 15 durng the

long border with am sun

QuestionTom, Could you suggest 7 or 8 specific perennials for shady areas that you think are good low maintainence choices. Perhaps I could build around groupings of these. Thanks again, John -----------

Types of perennials

QuestionHi - A friend split some of her perennials and gave them to me. Im not sure where to place them, what type of exposure they need and how high they will grow. They are Camelion, Guara, Blanket Flo

clamatis flowers

QuestionThis is in reference to a clamatis vine. After the blooms have died shoud they be picked off and discarded or left on? Thank you AnswerHi Jeanette, cut those dead blooms off lickity split with a sci

Bittersweet vine

QuestionThank you -- it had occurred to me that this bittersweet may need a mate though I wonder -- as I dont believe my mother had more than one vine -- (she knew about pairing as she had two elderberry shrubs and

Calla Lilley

QuestionI have about a half dozen of calla lillies growing in a small flower bed in the front of my house. This is the second year for them,where the flower was there is a green bulb looking seedy thing, should I wa

making a chamomile bench

QuestionI would like to make a chamomile bench but donot know how to start.Can you advise me please? AnswerStonesmith Garden Vessels (www.stonesmith.com/benches_1.html) posts its catalog on the internet at its webs

Maintenance of black eyed susans

QuestionIs this true for most perennials? I also have day lilies etc. ------------------------- Followup To Question - Once the black eyed susans flowers turn brown, do I cut down to the ground or can I jus

what kind of plant?

Question ------------------------- Followup To Question - tom, i stopped at our local plant nursery today, and saw a plant that i absolutely love. However, the place i was at got it from a different nursery

hydrangea bush wont flower

QuestionI have a hydrangea bush that is about 5 to 7 years old. It used to produce huge blue flowers. The last 2 years I have gotten few blooms and this year I got 5 huge blooms back in June and not one since. VERY