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Annuals/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Wilting Petunias | 12/5/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: Good Morning I live in southern Victoria, Australia. We have a similar climate to coastal ... A: The yellow-and-black Spotted Cucumber Beetle ('Diabrotica undecimpunctata') prefers Corn and ... | ||
| Storing geraniums over the winter | 10/22/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I was wondering if I could take my two outdoor pots,each containing a spike and three geraniums,into ... A: It looks like you have some good, healthy plants growing in that container. I don't blame you for ... | ||
| Storing geraniums over the winter | 10/21/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I was wondering if I could take my two outdoor pots,each containing a spike and three geraniums,into ... A: Not sure what "spike" you are growing there, but the Pelargoniums (I presume) certainly can be held ... | ||
| Flower Identity | 10/8/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I took this picture of this flowering plant at the Farm Science Review in September. (Central Ohio) ... A: Nick, Isn't it a beautiful flower? I love that it has several colors. This is a Lantana. In Ohio it ... | ||
| Devil Claw seeds | 9/21/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I'm thinking about planting some Devil Claw seeds in my garden to come up next year. Will the birds ... A: Wait till the seed pods turn tan but before they open. You can tie netting around them to catch the ... | ||
| Devil Claw seeds | 9/21/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I'm thinking about planting some Devil Claw seeds in my garden to come up next year. Will the birds ... A: I think the seeds should overwinter in Georgia, but who knows what birds will do or not do? I've got ... | ||
| Lonicera sempervirens | 9/17/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I have a plant I have identified as Lonicera sempervirens. I am asking your advice because the ... A: William, Some forms of this honeysuckle bloom repeatedly on new growth, and you clearly have one of ... | ||
| Winterizing Boston and asparagus ferns | 9/10/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: will they do well in an home (vs professional) Oklahoma greenhouse. Or should I cut them back, put ... A: Boston Fern ("Nephrolepis exaltata") and Asparagus densiflorus Sprengeri are entirely different ... | ||
| Zucchini | 9/9/2011 | Mike Mascio |
| Q: I have a healthy looking zucchini plant but the squash grows to about 6 inches and then stops ... A: When young vegetables shrivel, discolor, or rot and fall off the vine prematurely, it is usually an ... | ||
| fountain grass | 9/1/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I have purple fountan grass in urns on either side of my steps. I planted them about two months ago, ... A: Patricia, I think that most grasses get better established when planted in the spring or early ... | ||
| fountain grass | 8/31/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I have purple fountan grass in urns on either side of my steps. I planted them about two months ago, ... A: Patricia, I agree that this a one of the most beautiful plants! In my experience, browned leaves on ... | ||
| fountain grass | 8/31/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I have purple fountan grass in urns on either side of my steps. I planted them about two months ago, ... A: I'm going to be honest, here: This is going to be tough. Without knowing (you leave really no clue ... | ||
| Question | 8/24/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: Does the seeds get mature before the Devil Claw Seed pods do? Just wondering. Any ideas? A: Prince, Since the seeds are in the claw seed pod, they are not mature until the pod is. Usually seed ... | ||
| gerbera daisy | 8/19/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: i bought 6 gerbera daisy plants some are in pots and some are in the ground. it takes anywhere from ... A: I don't know what's in those pots you're using, but if the growing medium is well drained, and your ... | ||
| sunflower | 8/18/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I grow a few mamouth sunflowers every year.This year I have one that has one flower on top and about ... A: You see this question pop up every once in a while. I've seen all kinds of explanations -- ... | ||
| persian shield plant | 8/5/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: could you please tell me if this plant will survive the winter outside or is this a plant that has ... A: First the bad news: Shade-loving Persian Shield (aka 'Strobilanthes dyeranus' to botanists) sheds ... | ||
| marigolds | 7/29/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I have been growing marigolds from seed for a number of years. 3 or 4 years in a row I saved the ... A: Eastern Europe... A foreign soil I am not, unfortunately, familiar with. But I love a challenge. ... | ||
| marigolds | 7/27/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I have been growing marigolds from seed for a number of years. 3 or 4 years in a row I saved the ... A: There are a bloom-less summer landscapes in many parts of the country, all collateral damage arising ... | ||
| Hydrangea | 7/23/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: My hydrangeas have bloomed beautifully..but now some or most of the flowers are losing their color ... A: Hydrangea problems? Blame them on global warming. If you've been suffering through the ... | ||
| hydrangea flowers | 7/16/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: my hydrangeas in Lido Beach had wonderful, colored blossoms until recently. Now some of them have ... A: Hydrangeas are susceptible to several common ailments. Do these photos resemble any of the symptoms ... | ||
| Petunia | 7/11/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: My husband bought me a Petunia plant. The problem Im having is my Petunia is dying. I dont know why. ... A: Heather, Be sure you're not overwatering. Yellow leaves can be a sign of root-rot, caused by too ... | ||
| Asparagus plumosus | 7/9/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I just bought this plant for indoor use, small (+/-) 3" pot and upon investigating how to care for ... A: Wallflower, Usually people don't worry about males and females in regards to houseplants as they ... | ||
| petunias | 7/7/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I 'm a novice gardner, learning as I go. I have had petunias the last couple of years in window box, ... A: The advantage of "the beer thing" is that you can see the evidence. Keep me posted on whether you ... | ||
| petunias | 7/5/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I 'm a novice gardner, learning as I go. I have had petunias the last couple of years in window box, ... A: Angela - and I hope you will followup again, because I love a good question, and this is one of ... | ||
| purple foundtain grass | 7/2/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I hope your experience covers this. Lowe's didn't have but one large purple fountain grass ... A: In a perfect world, all flowers finish blooming and invest enormous sums into generating seeds. You ... | ||
| petunias | 6/30/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I 'm a novice gardner, learning as I go. I have had petunias the last couple of years in window box, ... A: Angela, without a better description of the "little black things" located in the center of the ... | ||
| Purple Fountain Grass | 6/28/2011 | Mike Mascio |
| Q: I hope your experience covers this. Lowe's didn't have but one large purple fountain grass ... A: You can absolutely divide it. Just take a sharp spade and splice right through the middle of the ... | ||
| purple foundtain grass | 6/28/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I hope your experience covers this. Lowe's didn't have but one large purple fountain grass ... A: Your Pennisetum setaceum is a perennial ornamental Fountain Grass hybrid, sold in some venues (like ... | ||
| Growing Wave Petunias from seed | 6/15/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: We grew some wave petunias from last year's seeds and they have grown beautifully but aren't ... A: Kay, Where did you get the Wave seeds? Hopefully you got them from a reliable seed company, not ... | ||
| climbing new dawn roses | 6/9/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: My new dawn climbing roses...3 and 4 years old...are already above my first floor gutters. They are ... A: Cheryl, New Dawn is a vigorous climbing rose. It's natural tendency is to grow lean and lanky, and ... | ||
| Flowers in Coco Basket Dying | 6/3/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I live in northern Georgia and I recently purchased (from my local Home Depot) a beautiful hanging ... A: Petunias are tough, drought-resistant tanks in the Summer garden. Play your cards right and you're ... | ||
| Something is eating the plants | 5/30/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: My sister called me this morning from Oklahoma City with a plant question. she lives in an ... A: Years ago, I had a rooftop garden in the heart of Brooklyn. Mid-spring, I planted, and I awoke at ... | ||
| Why are my petunias are dying? | 5/28/2011 | Mike Mascio |
| Q: I bought several flats of wave petunias for our annual beds. Planted and fertilized them the next ... A: There are two possibilities. My first suspicion is that you fertilized the plants too soon. After ... | ||
| Petunias | 5/22/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I planted petunias this year in circular bed around a bloodgood red maple. They get enough sunlight ... A: Petunias are beautiful flowers that positively glow off the ground. In addition, White Petunias emit ... | ||
| petunias | 5/21/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: they are going to tops very sparse A: Karen, I'm not sure what you mean that they are "going to tops." If you mean that they are only ... | ||
| Petunias | 5/20/2011 | Long Island Gardener |
| Q: I planted petunias this year in circular bed around a bloodgood red maple. They get enough sunlight ... A: Fear not - Petunias are a hot-weather mid-summer superbloom that pales in rain and the raw, gray ... | ||
| Under the porch flowers | 5/14/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I have several coconut wall baskets under a cover porch that is against the back wall. What kind of ... A: Jeanne, So called air-ferns are usually just plants that have been preserved so that they stay ... | ||
| Under the porch flowers | 5/14/2011 | C.L. Fornari |
| Q: I have several coconut wall baskets under a cover porch that is against the back wall. What kind of ... A: Jeanne, If the area is bright then you could use any of the begonias. Angel Wing begonias have pink ... | ||
| Annual Geraniums with a lil' frostbite | 5/11/2011 | Mike Mascio |
| Q: I started a bit on the early side for planting my geraniums and since the weather in RI is ... A: The frostbite will set them back 1-2 weeks, but they should be just fine. I always recommend waiting ... | ||
| Full sun flowers | 5/6/2011 | Mike Mascio |
| Q: We always have flower arrangements in our back yard and it is usually in direct sun. Just wanted to ... A: Choices as to what to grow are a personal choice based on specific preferences, including color, ... | ||
Annuals
Answers by Expert:
Long Island Gardener
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.
Experience
I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.
Publications
Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.
Education/Credentials
B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.
Awards and Honors
I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.
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