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Annuals/Questions Answered by Expert C.L. Fornari
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Flower Identity | 10/8/2011 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 ... | |
| fountain grass | 9/1/2011 |
| 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 |
| 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 ... | |
| Question | 8/24/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| Petunia | 7/11/2011 |
| 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 |
| 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 ... | |
| Growing Wave Petunias from seed | 6/15/2011 |
| 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 |
| 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 ... | |
| petunias | 5/21/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| Under the porch flowers | 5/14/2011 |
| 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 |
| 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 ... | |
| Sunflowers | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: I am writing an essay in my Eng Comp class on How to grow Sunflowers. I live in Phoenix, AZ and want ... A: Laurie, Sunflowers are easy to grow and are best when grown from seed. You plant the seed in the ... | |
| cypress vine spider mite problems | 3/28/2011 |
| Q: I currently have three cypress vine seedlings, and they are covered webs of spider mites. I am sure ... A: Antony, Since cypress vine is a tender annual it can be vulnerable to insecticides or other sprays, ... | |
| flower bed around porch design and wood bees | 3/28/2011 |
| Q: Hey! I have a 100 yr old home which has a large porch. Im in search of suggestions on the types of ... A: Jamie, Your house looks very colorful and festive - nice photo! Here are my thoughts about your ... | |
| Flower Seeds | 3/9/2011 |
| Q: I am from India and presently the winter season has gone and Spring has set in. Please advise me how ... A: Sanjaya, Some plants are easier to save seeds from than others, and you may not get the exact same ... | |
| Deep freeze in AZ and bogenvia | 2/25/2011 |
| Q: Should I cut them down or wait until spring? I know they are a hardy plant and will come back. I ... A: Janet, At this point I'd wait because it might just be the leaves that got zapped. The stems might ... | |
| Devil Claws | 1/10/2011 |
| Q: I planted Devil Claws here. Did I naturalize them for my area or not and how would I naturalize them ... A: Prince, Sorry for the delay in answering your question - I've recently had surgery and have been ... | |
| project | 12/31/2010 |
| Q: i need help on the double color flower experiment.have you herd of it?if so,can you help me? A: Christine, You'll have to give me more information. Are you breeding flowers with more than one ... | |
| Putting Devil Claws seeds in Freezer | 11/6/2010 |
| Q: I put my Devil Claws seeds in a ziplock bag and stored them in the freezer here for next year. Will ... A: Prince Yes, we're talking about the same plant. hook 'em, or hookum, is another common name that ... | |
| Putting Devil Claws seeds in Freezer | 11/5/2010 |
| Q: I put my Devil Claws seeds in a ziplock bag and stored them in the freezer here for next year. Will ... A: Mr. Avalanche, Can I call you Prince? :-) I'm assuming that we're talking about Proboscidea ... | |
| Petunia's Growth | 11/3/2010 |
| Q: ) Im doing an advertising assignment for university, and i need to know how long it takes for a ... A: Mykelle, A petunia plant takes 12 to 13 weeks from sowing a seed until it begins to bloom. Once ... | |
| maintanance | 10/31/2010 |
| Q: I recently moved into a house that has a front lawn that was taken care of by professional ... A: Dave, The worst problem for Japanese Maples is heavy snow loads that cause branches to break off or ... | |
| hibicus | 10/1/2010 |
| Q: when is best time to divide and replant and how do you divide A: Tom, You don't say what type of hibiscus you have - if it's a hardy hibiscus, the type that die to ... | |
| Betulia plant | 9/22/2010 |
| Q: I live in Milton Keynes Bucks & have a Betulia in a large pot. I would like to know how to look ... A: Christopher, Like most begonias, this plant doesn't live through very cold weather. Once your ... | |
| verigated impatiens | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: I have been planting varigated impatiens inside for quite a few years. This year the blossoms appear ... A: Violet, Hopefully I'm understanding what you're saying, and if not, let me know, OK? I think that ... | |
| What is this | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: This has been sprouting up in several areas of my garden. Can you tell me what it is? A: Pat, This looks like Agastache foeniculum - common name anise hyssop. Although the variety called ... | |
| Over wintering King Tut grass | 8/22/2010 |
| Q: We live in Alaska where the winters are very long and dark, but we would like to try to over winter ... A: Andy, King Tut and other papyrus are easy to overwinter indoors. If it's already in a pot, keep that ... | |
| care of plant | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: I judt purchased a lisianthus. It is a pretty purple flower. I have never seen this plant before. I ... A: Judy, Yes, a Lisianthus is a beautiful plant when it's in bloom. It is an annual, and grows well ... | |
| begonia cormes | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: How do i make last years begonia cormes germinate A: Brian, I'm assuming that you just found them and that they're all dried up at this point, is that ... | |
| Hydrangia color change | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: One year ago, I planted a pink hydrangea. This year the plant has huge royal blue flowers. It is ... A: Mary, This type of hydrangea changes from pink to blue because of the pH of the soil. You can alter ... | |
| Ivy Geranium Trouble | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: I live in Southern California and I have been trying to grow Red Ivy Geraniums from 2 separate ... A: Rosie, There may be a couple of things going on here... First of all, have you been fertilizing ... | |
| deadheading petunias | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: Is there a way to keep petunias from getting leggy? Seems to happen even when pinching off. Have ... A: John, You've undoubtedly noticed that petunias only produce flowers at the ends of their stems. The ... | |
| what is my climbing vine | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: I live in michigan and i bought some flower seeds and the flower that grew looks nothing like the ... A: Rosie, Without seeing the plant it's kind of impossible to guess. It could be a gourd, or a pumpkin, ... | |
| impatience or petunia | 7/22/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how to know recognize a "petunia" and how to recognize an "impatience". I am ... A: Rich, An easy way to remember it is that petunias have trumpet shaped flowers and impatiens have ... | |
| bogenvia's | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: When is the right time to cut back and how much should you cut back my bogenvia. When we moved in ... A: Bud, Bougainvillas bloom best if they are a bit "stressed" and yet fertilized. I think you're ... | |
| purple fountain grass | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: I bought two small penesetum rubra plants today for containers on my porch, (with ivy planted around ... A: Patricia, Yes, this is a lovely plant, but they are indeed annuals for you and I. You have to live ... | |
| Deadheading Gazania's | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: I live in Northern California near Eureka and have my Gazania's in pots. I deadheaded one to just ... A: Rebekah, Sorry for the delay in answering - this question must have been delivered to my spam folder ... | |
| petunia disease | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: i have 4 beautifull petunia plants...each one of them on a cement pot.. they growing hudge and look ... A: Riccardo, It could be powdery mildew - that would cause what you're seeing, and it's hard to fight ... | |
| wave petunias | 7/6/2010 |
| Q: I live in Middletown, CT. I have been planting purple wave petunias in the front of my house for at ... A: Kathy, First of all, the brown spots may or may not be related to the yellowing leaves. It's always ... | |
| Dahlias | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: I moved my dahlias that were over a foot tall and doing great to a bigger space in the yard and now ... A: Tracy, Moving any larger plant in hot temperatures is always risky because you cut their roots and ... | |
| cutting back petunias | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: My petunias in hanging pots are getting very leggy and are not producing as many blooms as the ones ... A: Louise, It depends on what kind of petunias you have. If you have regular petunias, you'll want to ... | |
| trailing blue Lobelia in windowbox | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: In April I finally got around to purchasing a windowbox for my front window and some ... A: Gavin, Trailing Lobelia is kind of a heartbreak plant, unless you live in Alaska. First it breaks ... | |
| Black spot on roses | 6/25/2010 |
| Q: CL: What is the best way to get rid of Black spot on roses. This is by the far the best year for ... A: Pat, Yes, it has been a good year for these plants - the Hydrangeas in particular are stunning. ... | |
| What if my Zucchini doesn't flower? | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: I am growing my first garden. I have planted 6 Zucchini. Only 3 of them had flowers. The flowers ... A: Jackie, My first question would be if your zucchini are in full sun - these plants need at least 6 ... | |
| fungus on begonias | 6/21/2010 |
| Q: have a bed of Gin dark leaf begonias, found two this morning with very deformed thick white spore ... A: AmyDaniel, The way you describe it makes it sound more like a slime mold to me than a fungus. Why ... | |
| growing zuchinni | 6/17/2010 |
| Q: Do you need more than one zuchinni plant to produce. I have a small container garden. Every year I ... A: Germaine, You don't need more than one to produce although since these are bee-pollinated, the more ... | |
| Petunias | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: I have used fertilizer on my petunias in past seasons once per week yesterday after applying ... A: Chris, Could it be that you mixed the fertilizer a bit stronger than normal? Fertilizer burn causes ... | |
| Petunias dying | 6/13/2010 |
| Q: We have a garden in front of our house that we planted earlier this spring. The petunias we planted ... A: Louise, Are they in the front of the bed where they get the brunt of the sprinkler system, and does ... | |
| geranium | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: !! i just wanted to ask you about process of getting new colors in geranium... many companies ... A: Ahmed, No bother at all. You've hit on one of the obstacles of plant breeding. The timing is tricky ... | |
| Marigolds | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: I have something eating the leaves on my marigolds, the veins of the leaf is left so it ends up ... A: Connie, The most common pest to eat marigolds is slugs, but sometimes earwigs munch new plants, ... | |
| impatients in flowerboxes | 6/2/2010 |
| Q: our impatients are dying in our flower boxes, they seem to rot at the root. at first we thought too ... A: Impatiens are great flowers for boxes facing NE - Let me ask a few questions that might answer why ... | |
| bacopa | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: I have several large pots of a spike surrounded by 3 geraniums and two bacopa plants for contrast. ... A: Barbara, Hmmmm - hard to say why the Bacopa isn't doing well. Have you had very hot weather? In my ... | |
| what to plant near a west facing wall and wet feet | 5/25/2010 |
| Q: i live in Dallas and i would like to plant some flowering plants in an area where it gets late ... A: It sounds like Cannas are the plants for you - they'll stand the water, and have colorful foliage ... | |
| Dianthus turniing brown | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: I have some dianthus surrounding a mail box which I planted about 6 weeks ago. They did very well ... A: Michael, If it's the flowers only that are turning brown, they are probably at the end of their ... | |
| King Tut | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: To overwinter King Tut, do you cut it back? Do you knock all of the soil off before placing it in a ... A: Monty, I'm assuming that you've had it in a pot over the winter, and it has some growth that is ... | |
| Petunias | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: I have recently recieved a potted petunia, two varities. The larger plants have leaves that feel ... A: Beverly, Many petunias feel sticky as this is the natural make up of the plant. The only time a ... | |
| annual hibiscus | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: I recieved a annual hibiscus for mothers day. I live in northeastern Ohio. It is in a pot. about 2 ... A: Renee, This tropical hibiscus is grown as a novelty (hence the braided stem) not as a long-lived ... | |
| Large zinnias | 5/8/2010 |
| Q: I successfully grow lovely large zinnias from seed every year. However, on the other side of the ... A: Maryanne, Are you sure that the sun is as strong on the other side of the walk? Have you looked, ... | |
| betulia | 5/5/2010 |
| Q: I have recently been bought a Betulia plant. Could you please tell me if this plant is better in a ... A: Liz, Yes, put it in a pot that is at least 8" in diameter - a clay pot would be best as it is ... | |
| betulia | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: I have recently been bought a Betulia plant. Could you please tell me if this plant is better in a ... A: Liz, This is a beautiful type of Begonia, and like other Begonias it does best in part shade. If ... | |
| Mini Daffidols | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: I bought a mini daffodol pot plant for my kitchen and the leaves are still green but drooping ... A: Natasha, If you've been watering the plant, it could be one of two things. If the plant is ... | |
| wave petunias | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: indoor seed planting from previus plants.Third time planted and we get two lovely green leaves and ... A: Rick, You don't say what these plants are, so that makes it hard to help. If they are grown from ... | |
| It Is Imperative I Save This Plant!!!! HELP! | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: This past Easter I received a beautiful luscious plum colored "mini mum" from my dearest friend, ... A: Amanda, I understand that a plant can come to symbolize a person, and since caring for plants is ... | |
| dying petunia sprouts | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: I started all the seeds in jiffy cups and have already transfered them all to bigger pots just over ... A: Erica, Your first problem is that all these sprouts are different plants, and you've got several ... | |
| western flower thrip resistance | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: I have gardened for 25 years and worked a number of years in a garden center/nursery. I am stumped ... A: Susan, Yes, you are correct that thrips are attracted to lighter color flowers. This is particularly ... | |
| Devil Claws | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: Is it too early to Plant Devil Claws seeds in North Ga in Zone 7 or is it ok to plant the seeds? ... A: Prince, There are a couple of plants that are commonly called Devil's Claw - if you're talking about ... | |
| Sweet Broom | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: I bought a Sweet Broom and did not realize it was not getting enough water. I have corrected the ... A: Tita, I'm assuming that you planted Cytisus spachianus, which is also called Sweet Broom. These ... | |
| growing geraniums | 4/10/2010 |
| Q: In my fathers greenhouse I found 3 rather sorry looking geraniums that he had brought in at the end ... A: Yvonne, You have a good chance at saving them. I know people who actually over-winter geraniums by ... | |
| geranium | 4/3/2010 |
| Q: !! i just wanted to ask you about process of getting new colors in geranium... many companies ... A: Ahmed, No need to apologize - I volunteer here because I'm happy to help people such as yourself, ... | |
| geranium | 4/2/2010 |
| Q: !! i just wanted to ask you about process of getting new colors in geranium... many companies ... A: Ahmed, You can pollinate plants any time they are in bloom - no special months. Yes, if you keep one ... | |
| whisteria | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: I HAVE A HEALTHY WISTERIA ON A TRELLIS @ MY GARAGE BUT IN THE TEN YEARS IT HAS BEEN THERE IT HAS ... A: Johnny, Wisteria are famous for not blooming for the first 12 to 16 years of their life - the best ... | |
| geranium | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: !! i just wanted to ask you about process of getting new colors in geranium... many companies ... A: Ahmed, I'm glad you're curious about how new plants come into being! What plant breeders do is the ... | |
| planting on a hilside Calibrachoa | 3/24/2010 |
| Q: I have a sizable hillside which I would like to plant something which will be low to the ground and ... A: Cindy, Calibrachoa is hardy above 20 degrees but it does not do well in the heat. It usually stops ... | |
| Pansy Bugs | 3/18/2010 |
| Q: I live in Oregon, and I am growing a little under 900 pansies (in pots) this year in my greenhouse. ... A: Hannah, You might have flea beetles, or the black bugs you see flying might be fungus gnats and ... | |
| Geraniums and Fuchsias | 3/17/2010 |
| Q: yOU HAVE RECENTLY REPLIED TO MY QUESTIONS ABOUT MY gERANIUMS HAVING, I THINK, BOTRITYS RECOMMENDING ... A: Vilma, Here in the US anyone can buy Serenade in any garden center - ask at your local garden center ... | |
| Geraniums and Fuchsias | 3/14/2010 |
| Q: I have been taking geranium and fuchsia cuttings now for 30 plus years and never come across my ... A: Vilma, I'm not familiar with Systane, so don't know if it's effective with Botrytis or not. Does it ... | |
| Geraniums and Fuchsias | 3/14/2010 |
| Q: I have been taking geranium and fuchsia cuttings now for 30 plus years and never come across my ... A: Vilma, My initial thought would be Botrytis blight, the most common geranium disease in a ... | |
| prolonging daffodil blooms | 3/13/2010 |
| Q: Is it possible or advisable to prolong the blooms of minature daffodils by putting them in the ... A: Yes, the longer you can keep them cool the slower they will be to open. Don't let them go completely ... | |
| Lilac blooming | 1/28/2010 |
| Q: Fornari, With general warming trends and changes in weather patterns, do you know when in the year ... A: Liza, Lilacs usually bloom in May, but pinpointing it more than that is difficult. Even if global ... | |
| Please help!!! | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: I am writing from India,the winter temp righht now is appx10degree centigrade max and 2 degree min ... A: Putting the plants indoors at night when it's coldest would be most effective if you can do so. I ... | |
| Please help!!! | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: I am writing from India,the winter temp righht now is appx10degree centigrade max and 2 degree min ... A: Arpana, I'm so sorry you're having unusually cold weather. That's happened in the United States too, ... | |
| watering plants with hot water | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: what is the reasoning for hot water killing plants? what happens scientifically? A: Emily, The hot water destroys the cells of plant roots, just as the steam or boiling water in a pot ... | |
| Frostbitten full-sun impatiens | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: Sadly, my eleven lovely big full-sun impatiens were hit with a surprise overnight frost in the high ... A: Tricia, If you use synthetic fertilizers you could use Peters, Miracle Grow or Bayer - or whatever ... | |
| Frostbitten full-sun impatiens | 12/11/2009 |
| Q: Sadly, my eleven lovely big full-sun impatiens were hit with a surprise overnight frost in the high ... A: Tricia, The weather has been weird, hasn't it? The other day it was warmer in Boston than it was in ... | |
| Sunflower leaves | 10/27/2009 |
| Q: The leaves of my sunflower plants are turning brown and are translucent. I am a novice, south ... A: Gretchen, Fungal problems might turn leaves brown, but they usually do this in a spotty manner, not ... | |
| impatiens | 10/23/2009 |
| Q: Do you think that I would get better knowledge on how impatiens grow if I grow them outside or ... A: Dean, Like many plants we grow as annuals in the northern states, Impatiens is prone to whitefly and ... | |
| Habanero Pepper Plants | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: Why does my Habanero plant; which is in a pot indoors, after being outside in ground, only have one ... A: Shawn, It's pretty hard for peppers to bear fruit indoors, and if it was in the ground first, then ... | |
| Injured impatiens | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: Can you suggest any way to save this poor New Guinea impatiens? A photo is attached; it was taken ... A: Jean, First of all, you aren't a real gardener until you've killed plants. Secondly, since you're ... | |
| gerbera pruning | 10/4/2009 |
| Q: I had 2 gerbera daisy plants given to me in spring, planted outside for summer, they did very well. ... A: Vicki, You must have a green thumb - not everyone can keep these plants alive! As long as the ... | |
| insects in soil of potted impatients | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: There are loads of tiny insects, (they look like brown ants, some with wings) in the soil of my ... A: Marilyn, They might be termites... check out this website to see a drawing of an ant and a termite, ... | |
| Impatients | 10/1/2009 |
| Q: I love impatients and live in Temecula, CA = can I plant them now in full sun and will they survive ... A: Betty, Impatiens don't do well when the temps dip below 50 degrees, so even if your temperatures ... | |
| Saving Annuals From Winter | 10/1/2009 |
| Q: I have several annuals that I do not want to lose this winter. How can I save my impatiens, Moss ... A: Shirley, You don't say where you live, but I assume that you, like me, garden where the frost will ... | |
| getting seeds from annuals | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: i would like to get seeds from the bachelor button plant but am not sure how. can i just take the ... A: Carol, You can collect seeds from your bachelor button plant by waiting till the seed pod turns sort ... | |
| lunaria plants | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: was wondering if you would be able to tell me when is the best time to plant lunaria seeds. Its also ... A: Carol, You can scatter Lunaria seeds any time, even now. Know that they will germinate in the ... | |
| marigolds | 9/20/2009 |
| Q: I have a Marigold Border Mix box that I bought at the store I planted it earlier in the summer I ... A: Shannon, Yes, it's too late in the season to plant seeds - you don't say if it's a box of seeds or ... | |
| Iris dying back after blooming | 9/20/2009 |
| Q: We bought a home a few years ago, and I've been trying to identify the few plants in the yard. At ... A: Dana, I think what you are describing is Neomarica gracilis, commonly called walking iris. Check ... | |
| Bulbs | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: L., I am planting a few bulbs outside now, daffodils, tulips and a few others. Could you advise me ... A: Kenneth, You'll want to water them right after planting, partly to settle them in, and partly to ... | |
| UNKNOWN PLANT IN MY YARD | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: I HAVE WOODS IN MY BACK YARD AND I HAVE SOMETHING GROWING THAT LOOKS LIKE A KIWI WITH THORNS..BUT ... A: Jodie, There are two plants it could be. You can "google image" these and see if this is what you ... | |
| Mandevilla Diplandenia | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: My friend in San Diego has a mandevilla dipladenia growning on a trellis - it's beautiful. I live ... A: Linda, Mandevilla vine is very heat tolerant but needs regular watering in hot temperatures - I'd ... | |
| Getting a euphoria "Diamond to bloom" | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: Whaaa! I need your help! I can NOT get my Diamond frost plant to bloom. I have been growing it in ... A: Barb, I haven't seen this problem before - all I can suggest is the following: This plant likes it ... | |
| Need help identifying/caring for plant! | 9/6/2009 |
| Q: I feel really silly for this, but I've been having what I think is a problem with these two plants ... A: First of all, you have a Polka Dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya). This plant does best in bright ... | |
| sweet potato plants | 9/6/2009 |
| Q: Is there any way you can use these as a housplant and bring them outdoors next summer? A: Martha, They don't make great house plants (white fly!) but you can dig up the tubers and store them ... | |
| overwintering | 9/6/2009 |
| Q: I heard that you can dig up your sweet potato plants put them in a dry dark area in your home and ... A: Susan, Those SPV's are looking pretty darn nice now, aren't they? Yes, you can dig up the tubers and ... | |
| Insects destroying annuals | 9/2/2009 |
| Q: My hanging baskets were blooming beautifully, until the middle of August, when they all at the same ... A: Elizabeth, Sorry for the delay in answering this - I just got back from being away. Usually small ... | |
| wave petunias | 8/30/2009 |
| Q: In your answer to Donna in June of 08: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Annuals-706/2008/6/PETUNIA.htm you ... A: Joe, Wave petunias occasionally make seeds but you can't grow new Wave petunias from those - they ... | |
| Care of a new plant | 8/21/2009 |
| Q: What is the care instructions on the palnt named PURSLANE? Is it a shade plant or will it tolerate ... A: Lana, I'm not clear if you're looking for such a product or have found/seen one and want to know how ... | |
| Care of a new plant | 8/21/2009 |
| Q: What is the care instructions on the palnt named PURSLANE? Is it a shade plant or will it tolerate ... A: Lana, Purslane is a type of Portulaca. You'll want to plant it in full sun. It will need watering ... | |
| geranium | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: What is the name of this thing that is destroying my newly potted geraniums from the bottom up? ... A: Linda, Have you seen it? Does it look like a worm? Without seeing it I can only guess, but here are ... | |
| petunias | 8/19/2009 |
| Q: I have small round black seeds on my leaves, what are they. Also, I noticed that my petunias are ... A: Sherry, Do these small black things crush easily? If so, they are aphids. This would account for the ... | |
| Petunia Ferteizer | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: Fertizer wave petunias one a week but with what type? Liquid? Good for other plants?I live in Oregon ... A: Bobbie, Fertilize Wave Petunias every other week - be sure to water them before fertilizing (don't ... | |
| New Guinea Impatiens | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: Live in Washoougal Washington. Have one potted - Is it possible to save it through the winter ? We ... A: Darrell, I understand that at this time of year when that plant is looking fantastic that you hate ... | |
| hydrangeas | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: My hydrangea plants started to get a brown spot on the stems and leaves and eventually the leaves ... A: Sandra, This is a leaf spot fungus - usually hydrangeas only get this if they are constantly ... | |
| daisies | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: I planted what I believe are shasta daisies last year. Each season the come up healthy and green ... A: Cindy, Are they getting hit with water frequently? That can cause what you see. Even drift from lawn ... | |
| Flowering quince | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: Re: your answer to a question posted 5/26/2007... I just read your post as I too am from NH - a ... A: Teresa, Quince is one of my favorite shrubs - bone hardy, and such color in the spring! Quince is ... | |
| IMPATIENTS | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: WHAT IS CAUSING THE YELLOW LEAVES ON MY IMPATIENTS---I HAVE LOTS OF BLOOMS, AND THE FLOWERS LOOK ... A: Eloise, The aswer depends on how many yellowing leaves you have. If there are a few (less than a ... | |
| picking zuchinni | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: How do I know when to pick zuchini? A: Owen, You pick it based on the size you like to eat. In general, most people pick the zucchini when ... | |
| My petunias are dying after only a few days of planiting them! | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased pink, white and purple petunias to put them in window boxes. This is my first ... A: Lizeth, Be sure that the metal boxes have holes in them... if they don't, they will hold water and ... | |
| My petunias are dying after only a few days of planiting them! | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased pink, white and purple petunias to put them in window boxes. This is my first ... A: Lizeth, First of all, know that some plants wilt after planting them because the process of taking ... | |
| hydrangas | 7/23/2009 |
| Q: how and when can i prune my hydrangeas? A: It’s the question I’m asked most frequently on GardenLine: “How do I prune my hydrangeas?” The ... | |
| hydrangea | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: I have 3 hydrangea plans that get very tall (about 3-1/2 feet, lots of green large leaves but very ... A: Victoria, Did you not get my reply about this sent yesterday? Since you asked this as a followup to ... | |
| hydrangea | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: how do I keep my petunias from becoming leggy? ANSWER: Keeping petunias attractive all summer ... A: I'm assuming that you have the blue or pink "mophead" type of hydrangeas. Most of these bloom from ... | |
| petunias | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: how do I keep my petunias from becoming leggy? A: Keeping petunias attractive all summer begins with knowing which variety you have so you can treat ... | |
| zinnias | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: in a pot, what kind of care do they need. I water them nad the leaves are dry and the flowers (red) ... A: Natalie, Zinnias are from Mexico, so what they like is sunny, hot and a bit on the dry side. What ... | |
| Sunflowers stopped growing | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: Since early June, I have planted numerous RED and WHITE Sunflower seeds. They are outdoors in full ... A: Alicia, The hot temperatures may be causing this, but shallow, frequent watering might also ... | |
| Red Geraniums | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: I must be doing something wrong. i live in Oklahoma and this is the second year I have tried to grow ... A: Susan, Here are some of the things that geraniums need in order to keep blooming: 1. At least a half ... | |
| Growing marigolds | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: I have planted marigolds both in the ground in my garden and in pots. The buds are dying off before ... A: Rose, It could be one of several things - I'll give you a list and you can decide which applies to ... | |
| define "deadhead" please (petunia question) | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: The way I understand "deadheading" is to pinch off the shrivelled petunia bloom BELOW the part where ... A: J, Yes, you are correct and your friend is wrong. You deadhead petunias by snipping the stem below ... | |
| spotting on petunias | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: I have little white spots on the blooms of my petunias. What causes this, and what should I do about ... A: Janie, Without more details I'll suggest some possible causes and you can decide if any of these ... | |
| Petunia Problems | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: Why are my purple wave petunias dying? They were full and beautiful two weeks ago. Now they are ... A: Lynne, Brown roots or stems at ground level are a sign of root rot/crown rot. Might you be keeping ... | |
| Double Gerber Daisy | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased a beautiful deep maroon gerber daisy, and I noticed when I got it home that it ... A: Cristy, This is normal for this plant. I don't know if it's a result of breeding particular colors ... | |
| Mandevilla | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: I have a mandevilla dipladenia, crimson sun. When I bought it, the nursery had some that were ... A: Scott, You don't say how long it's been in the new pot, or where you live, so I'll just list a few ... | |
| Jasmine | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: I LOVE jasmines and live in Long Island, NY now. Where is the best place to grow one now. I'd prefer ... A: Gabriela, There are many types of jasmines. Most are not hardy on Long Island, so grow those in pots ... | |
| growing anuals from seed | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering how to get the flowers I grow from seed to stay relatively short and have thick ... A: Ryan, Plants grow leggy because they are not getting enough light. They reach toward the light. Did ... | |
| geranium color change | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a geranium of the mounding annual variety that I purchased from a home improvement store ... A: Meredith, I suspect that the color change has more to do with the change in light than anything in ... | |
| problems with petunia blossoms | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: The blossoms that make it to opening are wilted looking with white or black on the edges of the ... A: Debbie, It could be a fungal problem but usually the cause of such fungal problems is that the ... | |
| Stalk breaking from roots | 6/15/2009 |
| Q: I just potted a flower that my neighbour gave me. I know very little about gardening but thought I ... A: Carol, Without knowing what this plant is it's impossible for me to say. However, with most plants, ... | |
| Miniature Dahlias | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: I have planted some miniture dahlias that came in the little divider trays at a nursery. The same ... A: Maxine, Dahlias - small and large - do best when they are watered from below - if the buds get moist ... | |
| Annuals - Question | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: It is called Torenia hybrid (Summer Wave Blue). One prong was slightly wilted when she gave it to ... A: Maxine, The good news is that if you clip this wilted branch off, it will have no effect on the rest ... | |
| annual-container plant | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: I have a New Guinea Impatient Plant that was beautiful for about one week. I live in upstate NY and ... A: Alice, Yes - the night temps you are having will cause New Guinea Impatiens to sulk and turn yellow. ... | |
| impatiens | 6/13/2009 |
| Q: I live in West Central Texas. One month ago (May) I planted impatiens in two identical planters. At ... A: John, People used to think that you needed a fertilizer with a high middle number in order to get ... | |
| impatiens | 6/12/2009 |
| Q: I live in West Central Texas. One month ago (May) I planted impatiens in two identical planters. At ... A: John, The problem with wetting the leaves of any plant is that this creates the perfect conditions ... | |
| mulching a flower garden | 6/12/2009 |
| Q: My wife planted some bulbs in our flower garden last weekend (she said about 1/2" to 1" of dirt over ... A: Ryan, The best thing to do would be to wait until the bulbs sprout, then apply the mulch so that it ... | |
| impatiens | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: I live in West Central Texas. One month ago (May) I planted impatiens in two identical planters. At ... A: John, Your instinct to move them so that they get more sun was a good one. Although Impatiens do ... | |
| Dahlia Woes | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: .. I live just north of Atlanta, GA and I have a question about my dahlias. I purchased a couple ... A: Because the moistness of the soil depends not only on the temperatures but on the type of soil you ... | |
| Dahlia Woes | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: .. I live just north of Atlanta, GA and I have a question about my dahlias. I purchased a couple ... A: ChiTownDivaus, Brown buds and leaves can be caused by any of the following, or a combination of the ... | |
| supertunia priscilla | 6/5/2009 |
| Q: I live in Michigan. My supertunia priscilla in a hanging basket is not making many blooms. The ... A: Janet, First of all, I would stop fertilizing when you water. I know that the directions tell you to ... | |
| green bumps/lumps on Habanero plant | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: L my 2 months old Habanero plant started develop some green small lumps (about the size of pencil ... A: If when you squash them you see "green syrup" I think that it's aphids - look with a magnifying ... | |
| green bumps/lumps on Habanero plant | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: L my 2 months old Habanero plant started develop some green small lumps (about the size of pencil ... A: Tomer, Thanks for the pictures - they help, but unfortunately they are a bit out of focus so I'll ... | |
| carnation seedling wilting | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: My carnation seedlings have been outside for at least a month and it had no problems. But just a few ... A: Kate, You don't say where you are and how warm the weather is, but carnations (all Dianthus) grow ... | |
| Lantana - Cutting and re-rooting | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: I live in Arizona and have a number of lantana plants. One, in particular, is growing like mad. I ... A: Dale, Lantana is a woody plant in your area, and these type of plants usually don't root in water. ... | |
| Petunias | 5/20/2009 |
| Q: I planted petunias from seed in March. I now have LARGE green leaves (like lettuce) but not flowers. ... A: David, If you used a fertilizer that was very high in nitrogen (the first number on a fertilizer ... | |
| tropical hibiscus | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: One of 4 bought at Home Depot is not doing well. The leaves are drooping about as much as possible. ... A: Johnny, Since I don't know what part of the US you are in, and you don't say if the plants are ... | |
| annuals next to lavendar | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: I live in southern WI and have recently planted lavendar along my sidewalk. I would like to put ... A: Cheryl, You're right in thinking that the impatiens would need more water - especially since I'm ... | |
| Lobelia | 5/17/2009 |
| Q: Why are my blue lobelia flowers turning baby blue almost white. Is it a lack of sun? I live in zone ... A: Julie, Are the flowers that are fading the old ones? Usually this happens as the flowers age, but ... | |
| coleus plant care | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: I just splurged and bought a huge beautiful dark coleus plant for my patio. I accidentally left it ... A: Ginny, If you pinch off the most damaged leaves, or even cut the stems back by up to five inches, ... | |
| King tut Papyrus | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: i have attended a garden show and one of the many plants mentioned was King Tut. I have finally ... A: Alexandra, This plant won't live through the winter where you are, but it will be pretty all summer. ... | |
| Verbena Tapien | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: My verbena tapien, violet blue, have been in the ground for a year. We live in northern California ... A: I think that watering three times a week is too much - this plant is prone to mildew, and dislikes ... | |
| hardy mums | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: I live in New Jersey.Last spring I planted some beautiful purple mums.I took them out of their pots ... A: Diane, They will bloom again later in the summer or early fall. Here is what to do now: at the end ... | |
| problem with Habanero plant | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: i think i have a problem with my Habanero plant. i planted it about 2 months ago, on March 20. it ... A: Sulfur and sodium aren't complete fertilizers. Go to a good garden center and ask for a fertilizer ... | |
| Annual | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: We are having a discussion here at work. Some say the best time to plant annuals is Mother's Day ... A: Lynn, Since I started my gardening in Wisconsin, and frequently visit my mother, who is a great ... | |
| problem with Habanero plant | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: i think i have a problem with my Habanero plant. i planted it about 2 months ago, on March 20. it ... A: Yes, compact soil can stunt the growth of plants. The sun and heat sound perfect for peppers, so we ... | |
| problem with Habanero plant | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: i think i have a problem with my Habanero plant. i planted it about 2 months ago, on March 20. it ... A: Tomer, Is the plant in full sun? These peppers need at least 6 hours of dead-on sun including the ... | |
| Sunflowers | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: I'm growing Sunflowers for hobby in norway and this time of year can either be cold (45+) or as high ... A: Thomas, Although both are pretty important, the sunlight is crucial. Given a choice I'd place them ... | |
| Hybrid tea rose "Blue Girl" | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: In Iowa I got a Lilac cutting that was 4 in. tall. This is the second year in the ground. It's 26 ... A: Ray, Hybrid teas are the pickiest of roses, but here are some of the ways to be successful: 1. ... | |
| Petunias | 5/9/2009 |
| Q: Browning of the stems in the center of the plant. What do I do? Tag said they like lots of sun and ... A: Joan, This may be the natural way the petunias grow, fertilizer burn, or not enough water. I'm not ... | |
| Planting depth for Marigolds | 5/8/2009 |
| Q: My forty or so marigold seedlings, planted inside under lights, are very leggy. The roots are ... A: No, you can't plant the stems of marigolds deeply like you can tomatoes. You can cover up those ... | |
| Deadheading Geraniums | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: Can you please explain the proper way to deadhead geraniums? Do I remove the entire stem or just ... A: Carol, When deadheading any plant the important part to remove is the area just under the flower ... | |
| King Tut | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased several King Tuts. They are approx. 6' high and I have them in pots with ... A: Marsha, Any of those bent papyrus stems that are bent should be cut down at ground level. If you ... | |
| shaded window boxes | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I just moved into a house in Westport, MA and have window boxes that are in full shade. What do you ... A: Although your choices in full shade are fewer than full sun, there are a number of plants that would ... | |
| How To Get Bougainvilleas to Bloom | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: I live in Katy, Texas and have 5 potted bougainvilleas that do very well in terms of maintaining ... A: Mary, Frequently Bougainvillea bloom better in pots because they are root bound and that slight ... | |
| tidal wave petunias | 5/2/2009 |
| Q: I have no experience with flowers before. I planted wave petunias from seed. After about a month ... A: Ryan, A picture is worth a thousand words! Thanks for sending this - enormously helpful. You have ... | |
| tidal wave petunias | 5/1/2009 |
| Q: I have no experience with flowers before. I planted wave petunias from seed. After about a month ... A: OK - I thought there were more leaves on each stem right now. With only a single leaf on each wait ... | |
| tidal wave petunias | 5/1/2009 |
| Q: I have no experience with flowers before. I planted wave petunias from seed. After about a month ... A: Ryan, The important things to know about this type of petunia are these: 1. They bloom at the end of ... | |
| Getting more of Moms Easter Lillies | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: First I have to say that my thumb is greasy NOT green due to my love for cars and Hot Rods. But I ... A: Barry, If you transplanted the lilies in 1999 and they are going strong, you must have some green ... | |
| How to tell if flowers are getting enough water... or too much | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: I planted a flower bed for the first time 2 days ago. It includes the usual suspects from a big-box ... A: Rachel, A few things might be going on here. First of all, Impatiens do best in morning sun or ... | |
| Ivy for balcony | 4/27/2009 |
| Q: My concern is having an annual survive Chicago winters. Do you think if I insulated a large enough ... A: Kelly, I think that you want a perennial, not an annual. Annuals don't live through the winter, and ... | |
| Lilacs | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: In Iowa I got a Lilac cutting that was 4 in. tall. This is the second year in the ground. It's 26 ... A: Ray, Small shoots from lilac bushes usually take between three and five years to begin flowering, so ... | |
| How much sun | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: How much sun does an Easter Lilly require? Do they need more shade or can they be in direct sun? A: Sandy, Easter lilies need as much sun as possible - they can be planted in full sun. After your ... | |
| Plants for northern exposure with clay soil | 4/15/2009 |
| Q: I live in western mass. I am looking for plants that will do well in a northern exposure with soil ... A: Trevor, I'm assuming that since you prefer indigenous plants you're looking for perennials or ... | |
| wave petunias | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: what is the difference between misty lilac and silver wave petunias, also I was reading that you ... A: Debbie Besides the color, Misty Lilac is shorter than Silver Wave. You can see photos of Silver ... | |
| full sun container annuals | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: I PLANT A VARIETY OF ANNUALS IN FLOWER BOXES, IN FULL SUN, EACH SPRING. (PETUNIAS, MARIGOLDS, ... A: Gail, Since I don't know where you live and the details about your climate (how hot it gets or ... | |
| New Guniea Impatient | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: I received a hanging basket New Guinea Impatiens for Easter. I live in Pa. near Phila. I left it ... A: Mary, If only the top leaves, or some of the leaves were frosted the plant will recover. You can try ... | |
| Impatients | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: I am from Florida and now I live in Raleigh, NC - two questions 1. I planted my petunias this past ... A: Yes on covering the petunias - although they are a bit more cold hardy than most summer annuals, ... | |
| pinching back seedlings | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: Would like to know how to fill out nasturium seedlings They have 2 leaves. Advice on pinching? A: Camille, If those are the first two leaves it's far too early to pinch back - when plants grow from ... | |
| petunias | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: L. I have planted maybe 60 petunias in a plastic starter kit bought at Home Depot. They are now ... A: Don, Since the pods are probably small, it's best to have only one plant growing in each one. In the ... | |
| annuals | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: I would like to know what kinds of annual that i can plant in a shady area in front of my house in ... A: Noreen, There are several annuals that are fantastic in shade. The first, and most popular, is ... | |
| Elephant ears | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: I. Fornari, I have a question about a plant called elephant ears. I planted 4 bulbs and I think ... A: Vicki, I have always planted my elephant ears with the pointy side up - sometimes it's hard to tell ... | |
| border shrubs | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: Unfortunately, I know very little about gardening in general, but since purchasing a new home my ... A: Tracey, Is the border for the patio? I'm assuming that it is. I don't know of any plants that ... | |
| celosia | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: i planted celosia seeds 2/17/09 and today some are doing good and some are not. the ones that are ... A: Jason, You are describing "damping off" you can see an article about it here: ... | |
| geranium | 3/1/2009 |
| Q: I have been broadcasting powdered iron over my geraniums in my greenhouse as I raise them from ... A: Bob, If none of the garden centers in your area have it, try one of these three websites: ... | |
| RE: Verbena | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: We have some lovely red and purple verbena throughout our landscape that was planted by the previous ... A: Mary, My guess is that this verbena is looking very sad right now - it might even have died back ... | |
| petunias | 1/4/2009 |
| Q: I have ben growing petunias for the pst many years in balcony containers but find that after the ... A: Sanita, Geraniums are a more long lasting plant, and deadheading them is pretty simple. Did you use ... | |
| Is my king tut papyrus dead? | 12/18/2008 |
| Q: I have a king tut papyrus i recieved last summer. I moved away and split it in half for my aunt. I ... A: Michael, Well, you wouldn't see any growth at this time of year, split or not, because the plant is ... | |
| Datura seeds | 12/16/2008 |
| Q: Lots of lovely moonflower bushes would solve one of the problems in our front yard. I see seeds ... A: Sara, Usually seeds will germinate if they are older but you'll get fewer that sprout. How the seeds ... | |
| Ground Ivy | 11/4/2008 |
| Q: About a third of our backyard is ivy. It was planted about 12 years ago. Is it ok to mow it to try ... A: Patricia, Whew! When I saw that the question was about ivy I was afraid that you were going to ask ... | |
| Cutting back Hibiscus | 10/25/2008 |
| Q: I have a potted Hibiscus that I would like to move in to our shed for the winter. Do I need to cut ... A: Bob, All experts seems to think that I didn't answer this and I'm not sure if I did... so if I ... | |
| Dragon tree | 10/24/2008 |
| Q: I'd seen this picture on the Internet of a braided dragon tree! it was beautiful!!! i just recently ... A: Kristen, You would cut where the bottom leaves are - then strip away all the lower leaves - leave a ... | |
| New Guinea impatiens | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: I have some beautiful New Guinea impatiens that are still flowering and budding. It's getting cold, ... A: Marion, It's so hard at this time of year because our annuals look fantastic but they will soon be ... | |
| transfering annuals inside for the winter | 10/16/2008 |
| Q: can i dig up my spikes (espigas) and keep them inside in a big pot for the winter A: Yes! These plants over-winter beautifully in front of a sunny window. Dig them now and pot them up ... | |
| betunia | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: We had one of these was given to us in early June.It has been outside in our "wonderful English ... A: John, As far as I know there is no plant that is called a betunia, but I think that you have one of ... | |
| Asparagus Plumosus | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: I have found an asparagus, which my father r.i.p. may have planted in the hothouse of garden, not ... A: The plant is going dormant now - cutting it won't kill it so don't worry. you can try making the ... | |
| Japanese Maple in trouble | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: I have a few questions about my Tamukeyama Japanese Maple. Thee tree looked healthy when I bought it ... A: Ananth, You don't say where you are, but in general Japanese Maples do overwinter well in large pots ... | |
| ant on plants | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I live in Lasveggas. I just bought 3 Petunias, 1 Dahlia and a Potato plant(in an diffrent area) on ... A: Michelle, If you have sugar water you'll have ants. No way to discourage ants but not butterflies I ... | |
| Japanese Maple in trouble | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I have a few questions about my Tamukeyama Japanese Maple. Thee tree looked healthy when I bought it ... A: Ananth, If Japanese Maples dry out they are prone to leaf scorch, which as you describe starts from ... | |
| Plants and Butterflies | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I live in Lasvegas,Nevada and today i just bought new plants Red, White,puple Petunias, an orange ... A: Most parts of the country see Monarchs that fly though as they migrate to Mexico or Central America. ... | |
| planting in the shade this Fall | 9/27/2008 |
| Q: Do you have any suggestions about a flower I can plant in front of our building in the shade under ... A: Ron, There are a number of pansies that are now sold in the fall that are perfect to plant now in ... | |
| Impatients | 9/21/2008 |
| Q: I have four pots of inpatients on a bakers rack by my back door, morning sun afternoon and evening ... A: Barbara, If these are on a rack then it's doubtful that it is an animal such as a rabbit. Look at ... | |
| impatients | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: I have a huge impatients plant and would like to bring it into the house. Can impatients survive in ... A: Peggy, It is really tempting to want to save all of our summer annuals at this time of year because ... | |
| snap dragon flowers | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: my friend has some beautiful snap dragons, and they are the low ones. according to one answer on ... A: Linda, There are indeed SEVERAL types of snap dragons. Some are hardier than others and without ... | |
| gerber dasies | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: Should I cut my Gerber daisies back for the winter. If so when and how close to the ground do I cut ... A: Kathleen, Just cut off any wilted or dried flowers and their stems, but if the foliage is green ... | |
| juncus "afro" | 9/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in zone 5 and wonder if it is possible to save this annual by overwintering it inside. This ... A: When overwintering Juncus you don't want to keep it as wet as you do papyrus but it's still pretty ... | |
| purple fountain grass | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: We live in Tracy, CA. We have several of these plants and in the last week about 3 of them have ... A: Debbie, Have there been heavy winds lately? You don't mention if these are newly planted or ... | |
| Betunia | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: You wrote Date: 9/17/2006 Subject: Betunia Question Early this summer I bought a potted plant for ... A: Jean-Marie, As far as I know there is no plant that is a cross between a petunia and a begonia. I ... | |
| indentify flower | 9/5/2008 |
| Q: This flower was among a group of seedlings given to me. Each has a single stem with smooth leaves ... A: Leah, Without a photo it's pretty hard to guess what you might be talking about, but my guess, based ... | |
| Impatiens | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: This year I have planted over 100 Impatiens, I have given over 50 plants away, I have been away and ... A: Paul, Plant viruses cause the entire plant to be distorted and perhaps yellowed - they don't cause ... | |
| Pots | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: Can you suggest some plants for outdoor pots that don't require a lot of watering? ANSWER: Charles, ... A: SInce you're in the Atlanta area you can use any of the plants I mentioned including the agaves, ... | |
| Pots | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: Can you suggest some plants for outdoor pots that don't require a lot of watering? A: Charles, If you want flowering annuals you can't go wrong with Portulaca - see photos of the Proven ... | |
| My Petunians leaves are so dry, like it is fall?? | 8/19/2008 |
| Q: I have always had petunias on my patio in hanging baskets, flower boxes and etc. This year for some ... A: Donna, Dried leaves can either mean that they did get too dry or that they were too wet. If the soil ... | |
| Clematis | 8/15/2008 |
| Q: This is not the place to post this question but the experts in perennials are either maxed out or on ... A: Patty, The problem with cutting it back now is that you'll stimulate new growth - pruning always ... | |
| Clematis | 8/15/2008 |
| Q: This is not the place to post this question but the experts in perennials are either maxed out or on ... A: Patty, Not to worry - as a "plant nut" I am well versed in perennials, vines etc. It sounds like ... | |
| hydrangea | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I live in central California,yes it's really hot here now.I planted a hydrangea in a varily large ... A: Lou, Two things were probably in play here - as a plant's roots fill the pot the soil tends to first ... | |
| impatients disease | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I am using 18in. plastic pots with a styrofoam plate approx.8in. from the bottom to make the pot ... A: Patrick, I usually see this type of leaf-spot fungus on plants that are getting their foliage ... | |
| hibiscus | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: i just purchased what the tag says is a "pinot noir hibiscus" the only tag on it says the name and ... A: Barbara, The Hibiscus 'Pinot Noir' that I'm familiar with is a hardy perennial in zones 4 through 8. ... | |
| Yellow Petunia Stems and Leaves | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: I have two hanging baskets of petunias which are facing southwest. Every year they look full and ... A: Roberta, If the plants are flowering they are getting enough sun so we know that isn't the problem - ... | |
| petunias | 8/1/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 containers of petunias....they have been beautiful all summer and now the leave and stems ... A: OK - here are some of the other possible causes for foliage turning pale almost white: 1. If the pH ... | |
| petunias | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 containers of petunias....they have been beautiful all summer and now the leave and stems ... A: V, My guess is that the roots of these plants are now down in the bottom of the containers where ... | |
| calibrachoa | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: You mentioned I could take cuttings in September to try to overwinter the calibrachoa. Being a total ... A: You'll need to get some rooting powder or gel at your local garden center or on-line before you take ... | |
| petunias | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: My petunias have gone mad, in the past two weeks we have had a ton of rain and they went from 6" ... A: Dawn, I don't know if you have regular petunias that came in six packs or the Wave or SuperPetunias ... | |
| Sweet broom plant | 7/22/2008 |
| Q: Have sweet broom and it's growing well but needs pruning. How do I root the prunings? Is this ... A: Peggy, Broom is hardy (and evergreen!) in your area and mine on Cape Cod. The best time to prune it ... | |
| calibrachoa | 7/20/2008 |
| Q: I discovered this wonderful flower last year. I have 2 questions: First, I have only used it in ... A: Sheila, Yes, you can plant calibrachoa in the ground but be sure to loosen the soil in a wide area ... | |
| Impatiens In Hanging baskets | 7/18/2008 |
| Q: I just bought a couple hanging baskets of impatiens less than a week ago and they appear to be dying ... A: Amanda, Lift your hanging basket down before you water it and feel the dirt. Is it damp? Next, ... | |
| morning glories | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: I live in Northern New Jersey. Every year for Easter my Dad gives me a hydrangea. I plant it as ... A: Lois, Yes, yellow leaves CAN mean too much water - although if a plant is not getting enough water ... | |
| Mini Supertunias | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: I have mini supertunias in boxes and once again this year some of them have gotten lanky-the leaves ... A: Cindy, I'm assuming that the boxes are in at least 4 hours of strong sun, either in the afternoon or ... | |
| king tut papyrus | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: I just bought 2 King Tut this season and have had them in the ground only 4 days. I went outside ... A: Denise, How frustrating! The chewed plants should grow back, however, so leave the roots in place ... | |
| bogenvia | 7/6/2008 |
| Q: Do they like a lot of sun or not I got mine for Mother's Day and it looks a little sad. I live in ... A: Deb, Unfortunately Bouganvilla are a tough plant to keep in cold climates - they are prone to ... | |
| Petunias in a Hanging Basket | 7/5/2008 |
| Q: I live in Denver, and we have had lots of 90 degree weather. I have a hanging basket of petunias. ... A: Rachel, Have you tried touching the black spots? Do they crush under your fingers? If so, they are ... | |
| New Guin impatients | 7/5/2008 |
| Q: The question about the impatients that wilted after two weeks fit me perfect. I think it is getting ... A: Jean, Glad that the post about New Guinea impatiens was helpful for you too - yes, if a plant has ... | |
| new guinea impatiens | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: I have never grown new guinea impatiens,I live in Calif,bay area. Any help would help. Needs of the ... A: New Guinea impatiens need at least two or three hours of direct sun in order to bloom - places that ... | |
| Impatients | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: I planted my impatients about 4 weeks ago and I just realized that I should have planted them ... A: Jennifer, Yes, you can move these plants successfully at this time of the summer. Water the bed well ... | |
| Verbena hybrid not blooming | 7/2/2008 |
| Q: Earlier this spring I planted a container with Fireball Coleus, Lemon Licorice (helichrysum ... A: Janet, Is the container in at least 5 hours of dead-on sun including the noon hour? This is what ... | |
| dying lilacs | 6/27/2008 |
| Q: We have 3 lilac trees 2 white 1 lilac. last year one branch on a white died and we pruned it off. ... A: Rita, A plant that is dying branch by branch may have a borer, a disease or may be showing symptoms ... | |
| Hybiscus | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: I moved my hypiscus back outside in May and repotted the plant. It has not bloomed at all. What ... A: Ann, Sometimes plants that have been repotted take a few months to "settle in" - from the plant's ... | |
| Pansey Over Summer | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I have had some great luck with Pansies this year. I plant my whole front yard of the house last ... A: Cindy, Most pansies don't make it a full season from fall to fall - they produce many flowers and ... | |
| PETUNIA | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: WHY DO MY HANGING BASKETS GET SO THIN, NOT FULL AND THICK LIKE WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THEM- SHOULD I ... A: Donna, The short answer is yes, you should cut them back. But if I can explain completely, read ... | |
| hygrangea | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: I live in Northern New Jersey. Every year for Easter my Dad gives me a hydrangea. I plant it as ... A: Lois, You either live in a part of New Jersey where the temperatures go down to zero or below in the ... | |
| shade plants | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: I want to plant impatiens around a tree. There is shade all day in the area except during a very hot ... A: The impatiens should work but you should dig a good amount of compost or composted manure into the ... | |
| transplanting lilics | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: A friend offered to give me 2 lilic tress. standing about 5'5" or so and wants me to dig them up. I ... A: You can transplant them now if you are careful to water them regularly for the rest of the summer ... | |
| Gerber Daisies | 6/18/2008 |
| Q: How do you prune the dead flowers? My gerbers are not producing new flowers? Do you prune from the ... A: Barbara, Here is the general rule of thumb for deadheading: If the stem under the old flower has ... | |
| impatiens | 6/17/2008 |
| Q: My impatiens are looking a bit worse for wear eg some of the flowers are going brown around the ... A: Rosa, Impatiens are happiest when they are in morning sun and afternoon shade - is it possible to ... | |
| impatients | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: Why are all my impatients breaking off at the bottom? I keep re-planting new ones, and eventually ... A: Melanee, Dig around the area where some have broken off and see if you come up with a green or ... | |
| morning glories | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: I bought morning glories from a grower at a farmer's market early this spring. I live in west ... A: Lyn, I think that this may be the wrong plant for your growbag... morning glories do best when ... | |
| New Guinea Impatients | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: I bought these flowers to plant in the front of my house which gets the afternoon sun. Even though I ... A: Barbara, If you are in an area where it's very hot, the plants would probably wilt every day for ... | |
| BETULIA'S ORIGIN? | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: i have just bought a Betulia flower and i couldn't find any details of its origin, i have no idea ... A: Ben, I think you are talking about a Begonia called 'Betulia Pink' - This is the information I have ... | |
| blue lobelia | 6/11/2008 |
| Q: can my potted blue lobelia be an indoor plant in the winter? A: Valerie, No, blue lobelia is prone to whitefly and other insects indoors so doesn't do well as a ... | |
| marigolds | 6/9/2008 |
| Q: I live in Ontario, Canada, in a city called Oshawa (about 20 miles east of Toronto). I am in a 1st ... A: Dianne, Well the good news is that if you pinch off the first top flower that all marigolds make it ... | |
| red maple tree | 5/31/2008 |
| Q: I planted a small red maple last year at the end of summer. The tree has grown but has no leaves on ... A: Linda, I don't know where you live, but just about anywhere a tree should be budding out or have ... | |
| Wilted Petunias | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: Two weeks ago I planted purple wave petunias in two window boxes. They have the same soil mix and ... A: Rebecca, Is it possible that the stem of the wilted one got bent either in planting or later? ... | |
| Impatients | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: I am losing my Im "patients" with this hanging basket. It is double inpatients and all of the ... A: Melissa, If the nights are going below 50 degrees this plant will not do well - cold temps make the ... | |
| Daffodils | 5/28/2008 |
| Q: 3 Years ago i planted daffodil bulbs - the first year the flowers were beautiful then last year and ... A: Judy, Here are the things that can cause what you're seeing - you can think about which one (or ... | |
| impatients | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: I just purchased two flats of impatients but because of the daily rainfall, I have not been able to ... A: Marian, I'm jealous! We need rain where I live... Yes, you can cut about a third off the top of ... | |
| petunia problem | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: My hanging petunia plant is being eaten alive. There are little holes on both the flowers and the ... A: Judy, Little black dots is usually the poop of caterpillars - look very closely and you'll ... | |
| impatients | 5/22/2008 |
| Q: My mom has a bunch of impatients she just planted, and she has noticed that something has eaten the ... A: Joyce, The first thing to do is to look very carefully at the plants and even under the pots - ... | |
| gardenias | 5/20/2008 |
| Q: i submitted this question before but did not receive a response. we have some small (about 1/16") ... A: Joe, If you submitted it before it must not have come through because neither I nor AllExperts has ... | |
| Lupins | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: How can I get my Lupins to live year after year? Do I collect their seeds? I made a mistake with my ... A: You don't have to mix in compost - these plants do very well in clay. Where I used to live in ... | |
| Matthiola? Stock? | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: I dont know what type they are, they have double flowers and are a deep pink (like fuchsia), do they ... A: Kumari, This is an annual that I call a "heart break plant" - first it touches your heart because it ... | |
| Lupins | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: How can I get my Lupins to live year after year? Do I collect their seeds? I made a mistake with my ... A: Kumari, Don't worry about planting the Lupins in the ground - because they have a tap root they ... | |
| Impatients | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: I buy impatients at my local home improvement stores (no problem with their plants). I have gotten ... A: Valinda, Impatiens height is determined by three things: 1. Good, loose soil so that the plants can ... | |
| Are Spike plants toxic to Pheasants & Quail | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased over 100 Spike plants with the intent of planting them in a range pen in which ... A: Timothy, Spikes are in the genus Dracaena, and they are not known to be toxic to pet birds, but they ... | |
| Annuals for full sun window boxes | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: I have two box planters attached to my patio railing. They will be in direct sun. My box is about ... A: Carole, Do you mean bloom all summer? If you live in a place where it is warm enough for plants ... | |
| impatient hanging baskets | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: do you have to pick off old bloom to keep the plant growing. how much sun is to much A: Alverdia, Everyone loves impatiens because they produce constant color and they don't have to be ... | |
| Flowers for FULL SUN | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: I live in the desert of Washington state (evergreen state? not here) in a zone 6. I have just moved ... A: Loren, Hopefully you'll be home to water these hangers once or even twice a day - in 110 temps ... | |
| marigold/stem | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: i just had a question about marigolds. I grew tons of marigolds by seed this year and some of them ... A: Dustin, Not sure what you mean by cricked stems unless you are talking about the stem being bent? ... | |
| New guinea impatients | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: My Mother bought me 3 new guinea impatients hanging baskets for mother's day. They are hanging from ... A: Phyllis, Only time will tell if it will recover if cold was responsible...put the back at outside ... | |
| Moon Plant (bush?) | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: I am looking for a moon plant. Not the vine, but the plant/bush. I was hoping you could give me a ... A: Rachel, The problem with common names is that they apply to several plants, so I'm not sure I'll be ... | |
| flower pots | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I have 18 large flower pots/ containers that I plant each year with annuals. I have full sun almost ... A: You're welcome! (BTW, Sometimes this Mandevilla is referred to by its old name, Dipladenia, and you ... | |
| flower pots | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I have 18 large flower pots/ containers that I plant each year with annuals. I have full sun almost ... A: Judith, Slugs would leave a slime trail - can't think of an insect that would leave spots on the ... | |
| flower pots | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: I have 18 large flower pots/ containers that I plant each year with annuals. I have full sun almost ... A: Judith, How are these pots getting watered and where are they located? The symptoms you describe ... | |
| Petunias from cuttings | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: We are in Wisconsin. Have a greenhouse attached to our home and have experience with it. I brought ... A: Steve & Kathy, You're right - petunias SHOULD be a cake walk! I propagate cuttings by the following ... | |
| sunny sunny courtyard | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: I have a courtyard that has west exposure, when I plant flowers in containers in my courtyard, I ... A: Sally, Plants that would do well include the following: Impatiens, New Guinea Impatiens, Angel Wing ... | |
| Privacy Screen | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I really enjoy listening to you on WXTK and reading your posts here. I live in Falmouth and would ... A: Chris, 1. Your desire to have both fast growth and low maintenance are a bit at odds with each other ... | |
| Cabbage plants | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: I would like to know the name of the small shrubs or plants that resemble a head of cabbage. Thanks A: Mary, These are ornamental cabbages and kales. They are annual plants, grown in the spring from seed ... | |
| Merrygolds | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: I started marigolds in January to give away a garden club meeting this month,Everything was fine ... A: Jack, It sounds like you had a fungus - perhaps it came from the pots even though they were cleaned, ... | |
| Annuals | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: I live in NE Ohio and last year was my first attempt at hanging baskets. I like Petunias but I don't ... A: Christine, You deadheaded the correct way, and you fed your plants exactly right! Were the petunias ... | |
| impatiens | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: I live in So. Calif. My sister planted over 50 small impatiens all over the yard, some in ... A: Mary, My guess is that your neighbor is right - even for new plants, watering every day or every ... | |
| Cow Manure | 4/3/2008 |
| Q: L. I live in Falmouth and I am looking for a place to purchase composted cow manure by the yard. Any ... A: In years past a man named Paul Sullivan sold it in bulk...he used to advertise in the classifieds of ... | |
| To pinch or not to pinch | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: An expert on the forum mentioned that some annuals should not be pinched. I grow everything from ... A: Rosemary, You don't have to pinch the dusty miller, Lavatera or the Carthamus...and you're right ... | |
| azlaia bushes | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: when do you plant azalia bushes A: Debi, You can plant an azalea anytime you find it outside in the garden center - spring is probably ... | |
| Quince Bush(shrub?) | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: I am living in the North east, we bought a house with a quince bush for lack of a better term. It is ... A: Ed, Good for you for wanting to clean up this Quince - one of my favorite shrubs! You could do one ... | |
| pansies | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: I live in central OK> A few years ago a landscaper (now out of business) planted some purple pansies ... A: Jo, My guess is that you had Purple Rain Pansies. Although they usually grow 12 to 18 inches, I ... | |
| mini daffodils | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: I bought a mini daffodils plant,the flowers are bright. Now I want to trans plant them. What kind of ... A: Gary, The mini-daffodils that we buy in the stores at this time of year will live from year to year ... | |
| New Guinea impatients | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: What fertilizer is best for new guinea impatients and more blooms? A: Debbie, In order to bloom well New Guinea Impatiens need at least two hours of direct sun - if they ... | |
| petunia | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: I have a problem. i am doing a science project on petunia's. But the problem is that one of them ... A: Shazia, Are there other petunias that are still alive? If so, and you have enough to still do the ... | |
| Hydrangias | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I live in S.C. and have full sun in my yard. Is there any hydrangia that will grow in full sun? A: Margaret, The hydrangea that does best in full sun is the Pee Gee Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ... | |
| easter lillys | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: when,how do you start Lillys to bloom in time for Easter?what temps would be required for a ... A: James, Because different cultivars of bulbs have different growing time it's hard to answer your ... | |
| New Lawn Seeding | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I am embarrassed to tell you - we spoke onSaturday and you told me what type of soil and seed to ... A: Kathleen, Not to worry - I lose papers out of my car ALL the time. In fact, my husband thinks that ... | |
| Cutting back of Hydrangeas for Winter | 11/26/2007 |
| Q: My mother lives in northern OH (zone 4). She has several hydrangeas which did not bloom for the ... A: Paula, You don't mention what type of hydrangeas your mother planted - if they are white flowering ... | |
| impatients | 11/23/2007 |
| Q: Just planted my annual impatients last week. I live in Florida. They look tall and leggy. Should I ... A: Bettye, I'd let them get settled and start root growth for the next week or two, and then cut them ... | |
| Impatiens | 11/22/2007 |
| Q: Relatively new plant grown together with ferns indoors, in mixture of peat moss / potting soil, high ... A: Dry brittle leaves are either a sign that the plant is drying up between waterings, or a sign of ... | |
| transplanting hydrangeas | 11/22/2007 |
| Q: I live in Alabama, south of Montgomery. It is Nov now, and i want to know the best time to ... A: Linda, Now is a fine time to transplant hydrangeas IF you remember to water them deeply every five ... | |
| overwintering geraniums | 11/6/2007 |
| Q: I am in Zone 7-in the mid-Atlantic states. I recently read an article-(maybe Southern Living?) ... A: Pamela, My guess is that whomever wrote this article hadn't done it...plastic bags will make them ... | |
| impations | 11/3/2007 |
| Q: Iam doing a school science experment on impations.what temptaure should we leave the plants outside ... A: Bryan, I'm assuming that you are asking what temperature will kill them, yes? Your temperatures as ... | |
| California Zinnias/white film? | 11/1/2007 |
| Q: L. Fornari, I raised from seed a gorgeous array of giant California Zinnias and they have developed ... A: Jackie, Although I have never known echinacea to get powdery mildew, I can't say that it is ... | |
| Need plant ideas | 11/1/2007 |
| Q: I live in the Philadelphia, Pa area. I would like to plant some plants on top of a 2 foot high ... A: Desgnr, Since there is little soil and it is stone, which will absorb heat, you'll need to plant ... | |
| California Zinnias/white film? | 10/29/2007 |
| Q: L. Fornari, I raised from seed a gorgeous array of giant California Zinnias and they have developed ... A: Jackie, Unfortunately, many Zinnias are prone to Mildew, which is what you are seeing. The good news ... | |
| Impatients Loss of Blooms | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: Our bed of impatients has been beautifull all summer. Recently the blooms have been falling off ... A: Although birds have been known to take flower petals early in the season to line their nests, I ... | |
| Brazillian Coriander | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: I live in VT. and would love to bring in the Brazilian Coriander that I bought this past spring. Can ... A: I'm not familiar with any plant called Brazilian Coriander...do you have a botanic name? I know of ... | |
| geranium | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: I have a gorgeous geranium which I would like to keep for next spring. I have been told two ... A: Patricia, If you want to be SURE to keep it for next year, I'd bring it in the house and put it in ... | |
| Planting mums in flower boxes | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: I went a little mum nuts and bought way too many this year. I have flower boxes on my porch that ... A: Laurie, It's unlikely that there is more than one plant per pot, so you can't divide them this year. ... | |
| Firepokers | 9/29/2007 |
| Q: Looks like you are the only one hanging in there so I direct my question to you and hope you can ... A: Joan, Firepoker, aka Red Hot Poker or Torch Lily (Kniphofia) can be divided in the spring or late ... | |
| Snapdraggons | 9/29/2007 |
| Q: One week ago I planted snapdragons in a bed that gets partial shade. I live in Las Vegas, but the ... A: Julie, I thought I'd answered this for you right away, but now I see that it is still in my mail box ... | |
| Annuals for a Connecticut open deck | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: Our Connecticut third (top) floor condo unit has an 8'x 20' open deck with an ENE exposure, ... A: David, First of all, any of the usual houseplants would do very well on such a deck - you could ... | |
| Petunia | 9/19/2007 |
| Q: I have had my petunias for whole summer. It has been amazing having them, but now, as autumn is on ... A: Agi, Petunias are pretty cold hardy, so they should keep going for you until a hard frost. If you ... | |
| green like caterpillars on impatients | 9/12/2007 |
| Q: What are the green like caterpillars on my impatients. I never had them before. They are eating ... A: Mary, The good news is that there is a product that is a great organic treatment for caterpillars - ... | |
| Bougainvilles | 9/11/2007 |
| Q: A friend of ours gave us this Bougainvillea as a house warming gift. It was doing alright when we ... A: Bougainvilleas bloom best in the low light of winter months, and usually come into bloom after a ... | |
| morning glories | 9/10/2007 |
| Q: I have some morning glories currently growing. I live in Zone 5 (colorado) were I believe they are ... A: Steve, Morning glory seeds will develop just below the wilted flower - the area where the petals ... | |
| Coleus | 9/9/2007 |
| Q: I have a huge Coleus planted in a huge pot outside. Although I have read your method of pinching ... A: Jo, There is no way to be sure you bring no insects in, short of using some pretty toxic chemical ... | |
| hanging petunia pot dried out | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: I live in Wisconsin and have a hanging petunia pot in the entryway of my business. The plant has ... A: Kristin, The best chance you have is to cut the dried stems back by about 1/2 to 2/3 and start ... | |
| impatients | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: I live in Dallas, TX & discovered with this 100+ temperatures I need to water them every day. When ... A: Kathy, Deadheading usually refers to just snipping or picking off spent flowers, and leggy impatiens ... | |
| Rose of Sharon bushes | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: I have 12 Rose of Sharon bushes planted that are going into their 3rd year. They are loaded with ... A: Russell, By drooping I'm assuming you men that the branches are bending toward the ground - yes? If ... | |
| impatiens | 8/11/2007 |
| Q: We live in MA, had windowboxes with impatiens for several years--and they've done beautifully. The ... A: K.B. There are mites that attack Impatiens - mainly Broad Mites. Google Broad Mites Imaptiens and ... | |
| Ground Cover Full Sun | 8/11/2007 |
| Q: What would you recommend for perennial ground cover, drought resistent, full sun, good drainage -- ... A: Mary Ellen, For full sun and sandy soil you could plant Bearberry - this plant is a bit hard to get ... | |
| Mums | 8/8/2007 |
| Q: After reading through all of these different tips about my mums, I have a question for you. What ... A: Julie, The sooner you get the plants in the ground the better able they will be to establish their ... | |
| Mums | 8/8/2007 |
| Q: After reading through all of these different tips about my mums, I have a question for you. What ... A: Julie, The instructions that you got are good in that they remind you to water them once a week ... | |
| purple pod bean plants | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: they are anualls and all other people are on vacation so i'm sorry if this is not your topic. can ... A: Karen, If you are talking about purple beans that grow on bush beans, then yes, they can be eaten. ... | |
| petunias looking fried | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: I have two hanging baskets of petunias and they are beginning to look fried. I water them every day ... A: Sara, Sometimes hanging baskets dry up enough to need watering twice a day - be sure that the basket ... | |
| Overwatering flower garden | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: We had a flood in April where our foundation collapsed and three walls of it needed to be replaced. ... A: Tara, In my experience, many people water too shallowly and too frequently. In fact, I just wrote an ... | |
| What are the little bugs on my flowers | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: I have little white(off-white)microscopic bugs, tons of them, on my annuals. They are leaving a ... A: Denise, Microscopic? Do you really need a microscope to see them? Without a photo I'm stumped. ... | |
| identify plant | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: I bought a hanging plant at walmart and lost the card describing same. Here is a picture of one ... A: Roberta, Photos don't come through on these emails from All Experts - either send me a more complete ... | |
| Snapdragon | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: I planted a bunch of snap dragon's but they are leaning over instead of standing up straight. the ... A: John, My guess is that they are leaning toward the sun...snap dragons like full sun, and although ... | |
| Petunias | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: At the beginning of the summer I purchased petunias and have cared for them in separate pots on my ... A: Anne, When petunias are in their prime, they are a mass of colorful flowers. But some gardeners end ... | |
| annuals -vs- perennials | 7/27/2007 |
| Q: Please tell me the difference between annuals and perennials. I live in Southeast Florida and would ... A: Becky, Perennials come back year after year, and usually flower for anywhere between three weeks to ... | |
| Japanese Red Maple | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I received a Japanese Red Maple potted plant for Mothers' day. I decided to keep it in the pot and ... A: Cheryl, Japanese maples like to be in well drained but MOIST soil...if it drys out in between ... | |
| petunias | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I have 2 pots of petunias on my patio and 1 hanging basket. I live in Albuquerque, NM and the ... A: Marlene, Petunias that are turning brown are either getting too dry, or have fertlizer burn from ... | |
| Sick celosia | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: Last year I bought a purple celosia, which I planted out and it thrived till late oct with brilliant ... A: Maybe the soil it was potted in was the problem, or maybe the pot was somehow different - too little ... | |
| Sick celosia | 7/25/2007 |
| Q: Last year I bought a purple celosia, which I planted out and it thrived till late oct with brilliant ... A: Trudi, I'll list some of the possible reasons for what you are seeing, and you can decide if any of ... | |
| Mutant Flower | 7/25/2007 |
| Q: My wife sent me a picture of sun flower that started growing not planted in front of our house. The ... A: Mike, Although I've never seen a sunflower 15 feet tall, it's possible that under the right ... | |
| impatiens: spotted yellowed leaves | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: My potted impatiens are suffering from spotted yellowish green leaves with black spots with a ... A: Judy, These dots are leaf spot fungus - usually comes when the foliage gets damp frequently. ... | |
| Bougenvillea Question | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: .. I live in Florida and have two nice size Bougenvillea's in my front yard. When we were going ... A: Bougenvillea bloom in spring and fall in most areas. They bloom on the short stems that come off of ... | |
| birds of paradise | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: why are my birds of paradise the flower part turning black? A: Kathryn, Usually if a flower is turning black it is a fungal condition, often caused by frequent ... | |
| potted petunias | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: what does pinching back leggy petunias mean? where do i pinch them? is this the same as deadheading? A: Patty, You are not alone in wondering about this....many people write to me about petunias and how ... | |
| Bogenvia | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: Recently I visited San Diego and saw a very beautiful Bogenvia. I live in southern Ontario Canada ... A: Daniel, This is probably one of those plants you should enjoy when on vacation in Southern ... | |
| New Guinea Impatiens | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: We have a New Guinea Impatient hanging basket on our front porch which has partial sun light. It ... A: If this was the problem, it should improve in a couple of weeks provided you water the plants when ... | |
| New Guinea Impatiens | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: We have a New Guinea Impatient hanging basket on our front porch which has partial sun light. It ... A: Sue, The following can cause New Guinea Impatiens to stop blooming: 1. Too little sun. NG's bloom ... | |
| impatiens - "root rot" | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I have grown impatiens for over 10 years in the same spot. They have always flourished on the north ... A: Gail, You don't say what the watering or rain has been like. Impatiens get rot when the crown of ... | |
| Zuchinni Plants | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: Mr. Fornari, I live in eastern Virginia and have been gardening for a few years. Every year I have ... A: David, Sounds like you have the squash vine borer - the enemy of gardeners through out the country! ... | |
| Petunias | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I have potted petunias that have been growing for about 2 months. Recently I have seen tiny black ... A: Sounds like a fungal condition caused by wet or damp foliage and flowers. Are the plants getting ... | |
| Petunias | 7/9/2007 |
| Q: How often should petunias be cut back and what is the crown? A: Lucinda, There are differences in how Wave and Superpetunias are treated, so I'll tell you how to ... | |
| wilted petunias | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: I have a large pot of petunias that I bought last month. I think it dried out too much and all of ... A: Michelle, You can do two things: First, cut the stems back by about half. You can cut some back a ... | |
| over watered petunias | 7/5/2007 |
| Q: I have some petunias that are planted in hanging baskets. Live in Northern Minnesota. Recently had ... A: Mary, You are doing the right thing by letting them dry for awhile. You might also cut half of the ... | |
| window box | 7/3/2007 |
| Q: I have a window box which faces southeast and gets mostly morning sun. I'm from Minnesota by the ... A: Cindy, Be sure you have used fresh soil in the windowbox every year - that is really important. ... | |
| Dying Merigolds | 7/3/2007 |
| Q: ... I live in Michigan, and this Spring I decided to plant Marigolds in a flower bed around my ... A: Vince, Marigolds are flowers from Mexico, so they prefer long dry stretches...in fact, most plants ... | |
| wave petunias (tidal waves) | 6/19/2007 |
| Q: I have 7 tidal wave petunia plants that are starting to dye and I don't know why, I water them 2 ... A: Jan, It sounds like they are getting too much water - plants need a good soaking every few days and ... | |
| Help with my impatients | 6/17/2007 |
| Q: On mothers day I planted a ton of white, pink and lavender impatients in my flower bed. All of the ... A: I'm sure that the problem is that you are watering them to much. Maybe last year you got away with ... | |
| Impatients and spiders | 6/17/2007 |
| Q: We planted several pots of impatients within the last two weeks. Today when I watered, the pots in ... A: David, Maybe some mama spider decided that the back pots were the perfect place to raise her babies! ... | |
| Sick looking petunias | 6/17/2007 |
| Q: When I purchased these "Wave Petunias" in a hanging basket they were so beautiful and the talk of ... A: Jo, The waves grow long, and as you can see, form flowers at the end of the stems. So the longer ... | |
| Marigolds non flowering | 6/15/2007 |
| Q: I have marigolds that I started from seeds. They are growing and most of tem are about 6"high but ... A: Craig, They just might not be old enough yet, especially if they are large plants. All annuals and ... | |
| Annuals: how to treat | 6/13/2007 |
| Q: 2 questions: 1. I started impatiens from seed, transplanted a week ago. No buds apparent. What do i ... A: Mary Ellen, If your impatiens are still young, there is nothing you can do to hurry the flowers ... | |
| "King Tut cyperus papyrus- annual | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: I live in zone 5 and wonder if it is possible to save this annual by overwintering it inside. This ... A: Blanche, Papyrus are one of the easiest plants to overwinter indoors. If it's in the ground, you'll ... | |
| yellow leaves on petunias | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: I am in North Dakota and planted petunias in my flower bed. I fertilized with a slow release ... A: Susan, Yellowing leaves on petunias can be any of the following situations: 1. Too much water. Most ... | |
| impatients | 6/11/2007 |
| Q: I have several pots of impatients. A friend said I should cut them back/deadhead. How exactly is ... A: Kathy, The beauty of impatiens is that they don't have to be deadheaded! If the plants look full and ... | |
| bouganvillea. etc. in window box | 6/9/2007 |
| Q: Situation: 3 SE exposed window boxes that each have bouganvillea, bacopa and Gerber daisies ... A: Christine, Unfortunately, Bouganvillea do not bloom all summer, so no amount of fertilizing or ... | |
| Petunias - DEADHEAD | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: almost all my new flowers that are starting out seem to be dead.. Why are these not blooming into a ... A: Bill, If the flowers on petunias never open, it could be any of the following reasons: 1. Water ... | |
| who's eating my petunias?!?! | 6/4/2007 |
| Q: We were away for a week and when we returned none of my purple/pink/white petunias were blooming! I ... A: Rosemary, I've seen birds tear the flowers off plants - I suspect that they use them to line a nest, ... | |
| Petunias- Help! | 6/2/2007 |
| Q: I live in Alabama in Huntsville.I have several baskets of hanging flowering/wave petunias. Some of ... A: Jennifer, I'll list some of the causes of the symptoms you see, and you can decide if you think any ... | |
| Petunias | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: I just planted pentunias (red, white, and blue petunia mix) five days ago in my flower beds. I live ... A: Kelly, If your soil is clay it should hold onto water, so you might be overwatering them. Petunias ... | |
| Petunia | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: I have a beautiful hanging basket of red petunia's. Every night I water and pluck dead blooms. I ... A: Jenylle, If the dots blow off, it probably is pollen! Many trees are in bloom now, in most areas of ... | |
| jumpstart my plants | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: My lantana which i know is a perennial is coming back slooooowlywhith no blooms yet. I planted vinca ... A: Jamie, With your compost and top soil the basics should be in place - if you haven't cut the lantana ... | |
| why are they not blooming | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: "Thank you for taking time to read my questions. Most of my flower beds have a mixture of top ... A: Jamie, If you are growing large marigolds that will be at least two feet high, then it's normal not ... | |
| Peony flowers | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: What does Ants do for this flower? I have 4 very old peony bushes that won't bloom so I brought ... A: Heather, It's an "old gardener's tale" that ants help the peonies bloom, but it's not true. Peony ... | |
| Surtido de Verbena | 5/27/2007 |
| Q: I have a small child and was wondering if this plant is poisonous because I have one in my front ... A: Tammy, The name you sent means "Spurt of Verbena" or "Spurted Verbena" - it is not a common name for ... | |
| lady slipper | 5/27/2007 |
| Q: Hello - I found a flower wich looks like a lady slipper = but was told it was not and is rare look ... A: Pete, Without a photo to look at, I'm not sure what you have found...there are, by the way, many ... | |
| Transfering Red Flowering Quince Bush | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: I have a fairly mature red quince bush that I would like to transplant to a new location. It is in ... A: Phyllis, Move your quince (don't you LOVE them?) as soon as it finishes blooming. Be sure to water ... | |
| New guinea impatience | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: I have some new guinea impatience that are losing all their blooms. I have been keeping them ... A: Donna, Unfortunately, New Guinea Impatiens don't bloom well in full shade. Even regular impatiens ... | |
| coleus | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: I bought some coleus and planted them in btw bushes. How do I care for them? Do they like shade or ... A: Coleus will tolerate a good amount of sun, but if they wilt toward the end of a hot day, it's ... | |
| coleus | 5/23/2007 |
| Q: I bought some coleus and planted them in btw bushes. How do I care for them? Do they like shade or ... A: Jackie, The first thing to do is to pinch the very top growth - the tiny leaves at the very top of ... | |
| Petunias | 5/21/2007 |
| Q: I have a hanging basket with deep purple wave or trailing petunias in it. It was doing well, I keep ... A: Michelle, Yellowing leaves can be a sign of overwatering - feel the soil before you water and if it ... | |
| tiger lilly | 5/15/2007 |
| Q: How successful do you think a hanging basket filled with tiger lillies will be? The Flowers should ... A: Megan, Unfortunatly, Tiger Lily is a name given to two different plants...some people call the ... | |
| slugs, slugs and more SLUGS! | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: Oh my! My petunias are under attack. It seems my entire garden is infested with slugs. We have ... A: Kim, There is a great product called Sluggo - it is Iron in a bait form - hurts nothing but the ... | |
| Wilting annuals | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: I seem to have a recurring problem with some of my annual plants. Each year I lose a handful of ... A: Kim, Wilting from newly planted annuals can come from several causes - I'll list them and you can ... | |
| Flowers, vegetables | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: ..I live in Abilene, Texas. I don't what "zone" we are in...but I was just wondering if you could ... A: Julie, You are just about past any danger of frost there - if your night time temperatures are ... | |
| Type of Flower... | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: I seen a beautiful hanging basket with flowers in it - I am trying to get the name of these flowers! ... A: Tracey, Do a google image search of these two names, and see if either of these are what you saw: ... | |
| Annuals for Flower Boxes | 5/5/2007 |
| Q: I live in Connecticut. I am planning flower boxes for windows on the south side of the house. ... A: Joanie, Well, I live on Cape Cod where Hydrangeas are the shrub of choice...in fact, many people ... | |
| lots o' boxes | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: We live on the edge of a lake & have many built-in flower boxes on our 3 levels of deck. Our house ... A: Kim, Lucky you to live on a lake! As you know, the north side of any house is shady enough to limit ... | |
| impatients not flowering | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: I live in Atlanta, GA. About a month ago, I planted 7 flats of white impatients in containors that ... A: Keley, Although Impatiens tolerate a great deal of shade, they will not bloom if there are in total ... | |
| Easter Lilly | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: I hope you can help me. I received 2 beautiful Easter Lilly plants and I needed to know how to care ... A: Carolyn, Easter Lilly's will grow when planted outside, but in the future they will bloom later in ... | |
| Hydrangias | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: My hydrangia is coming back after being pruned down for the winter. Its coming back nicely and is ... A: Anna, If you use a SMALL amount of Aluminum sulphate to the soil around the plant - watered in well ... | |
| begonias | 4/23/2007 |
| Q: What type of begonia likes full sun? What fertilzer do yall recommend for this begonia? 8b. A: Debbie, The only begonia that will tolerate full sun is the wax begonia, and even that isn't too ... | |
| verbena hybrida | 4/22/2007 |
| Q: What fertilzer do yall use? How much water? Does it need sun? When the blooms fade away, Do you cut ... A: I am assuming that you are planting the creeping, or cascading verbena, not the upright, yes? The ... | |
| New Landscape design | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: Can you suggest any websites for a do-it-yourself landscape design that would be suitable for Cape ... A: Sandy, I don't know of any websites that offer what you want. Most design websites are not so ... | |
| Annuals for Flower Boxes | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: I live in Connecticut. I am planning flower boxes for windows on the south side of the house. ... A: Joanie, Other plants you can use include Scaevola (fan flower) and the trailing Verbenas - perhaps ... | |
| bugs treatment on Hybiscus plant | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: After the last summer, I kept my Hibiscus plant in my house where it can get much bright light and ... A: Krishna, If they are very small white bugs it's probably whitefly. The good news is that it will ... | |
| what to plant? | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: I have a flower box beside a wooden walkway that is about 20 feet long and 2 feet wide. I have ... A: Judy, The annuals that do the best in shade are all sorts of Impatiens and all Begonias - you can ... | |
| petunias | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: Please tell me how and when to cut back petunias? A: Kathy, It depends on what type of petunias you have. If you have the standard petunias that most of ... | |
| frost bitten new spring growth | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: i live in south carolina on the coast where all are crape myrtle and spring flowers and annual grass ... A: OK - I didn't know that you lived in a neighborhood where you can't let Mother Nature take care of ... | |
| frost bitten new spring growth | 4/11/2007 |
| Q: i live in south carolina on the coast where all are crape myrtle and spring flowers and annual grass ... A: It has been colder than normal over much of the country, but I realize that knowing that you are in ... | |
| Morning Glorys | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I live in Denver CO. Zone 5. I planted some morning glories in jiffy pots about 3-4 weeks in my ... A: Steve, It's not so much the zone you live in but the last average frost date AND night time ... | |
| dogwood winter | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: I live in Alabama now, and I have already purchased large petunias, geraniums and other annuals. We ... A: I know that you folks are shivering down there - I've heard from several people in the same boat! ... | |
| annuals | 4/6/2007 |
| Q: We have just planted over 100 Celosia, Marigolds and Salvia all around our front and back yard. We ... A: Kim, If these were my plants, I would try and cover them...either with light weight sheets or ... | |
| Plant recommendations | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: Is there a flower with large blooms, similar to peony poppies, that gives flowers all throughout the ... A: C, Well, the short answer is no....I can't think of any plant that has large flowers similar to a ... | |
| lantana transplanting | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: I am hoping you may be able to assist me. I recently uprooted a large lantana plant and replanted ... A: Mary, At this point, be sure to water it yes, but not every day. I'd start giving it a DEEP soaking ... | |
| Petunias | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: I bought a hanging pot of petunias less than a week ago and it has leaves that are turning yellow ... A: Diana, My guess is that it was raised in a warm, light greenhouse and it's gone directly outside ... | |
| Daffodils | 3/26/2007 |
| Q: I live in Southern California. I recently purchased daffodils in bloom in pots and planted them all ... A: Daffodils (and most other bulbs) need a chilling period in order to bloom every year. They need to ... | |
| Frost Burned Bougainvillea | 3/14/2007 |
| Q: We live in San Diego, Ca. and have a hedge of bougainvillea that is/was about 8-9 ft tall. It was ... A: Mike, At the very least you want to cut off all the frosted stems and foliage. Once that is done ... | |
| Coleus & Habiscus | 3/10/2007 |
| Q: We live in Dallas, TX.I have coleus & habiscus should I have cut them down in the winter or will ... A: OK - Dallas TX is in a zone 8b - which means a warm zone 8....unfortunately, not warm enough for ... | |
| Coleus & Habiscus | 3/10/2007 |
| Q: I have coleus & habiscus should I have cut them down in the winter or will they even come back in ... A: Cheryl, I can't really answer this for you unless I know where you live. In areas where it goes ... | |
| Morning glorys | 3/3/2007 |
| Q: a couple quick questions. I live in Denver (zone 5) and want to know when to start these seeds. I ... A: Steve, Start the hollyhocks anytime now inside (general rule is 6 to 8 weeks before you can plant ... | |
| summer flower bed | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: I am new to gardening actually, We have a Flower Bed in our front lawn and this year i wanted to ... A: Amanda, The following annuals are the most heat tolerant: Europs (shrubby, yellow daisies all ... | |
| Bougainvillea | 12/4/2006 |
| Q: I forgot to ask, what time of year is the best time to cut it back? I live in San Jose CA where the ... A: Jim Bougainvillea go through a growth period, followed by a blooming period, followed by a rest ... | |
| Bogenvia (sp?) | 12/2/2006 |
| Q: It is Dec 2nd and I was trimming up my frost burned Bogenvia. My neightbor suggested I hack my ... A: Jim, I'm not sure why your neighbor would want you to drastically prune your Bougainvillea... you ... | |
| hybiscus | 11/28/2006 |
| Q: I live in TX on the Gulf Coast, just south of Houston. Is it too early to cut my hybiscus plants ... A: Shay, It's still a bit early to cut them back. Pruning always stimulates growth, because a plant ... | |
| hybiscus | 11/27/2006 |
| Q: I moved my hybiscus indors (it was in a large pot on deck) it is a twined one (many colored ... A: Katz, Not to worry - your hibiscus is doing what they all do when moved from the outside to indoors. ... | |
| winterizing my plants | 11/18/2006 |
| Q: i have these plants and want to keep them thrught the winter . how do i keep from losing them?rubber ... A: Eunice, I don't know where you live so it's impossible for me to advise you. In my area of the ... | |
| Mums | 11/3/2006 |
| Q: I have 3 potted mums recently purchased this fall. Not sure if they are hardy mums or not, but would ... A: You should plant them as soon as the flowers start to fade - there are two keys to keeping them ... | |
| CUTTING ANNUALS | 10/29/2006 |
| Q: READY TO PLANT OUR ANNUALS.SOME SURVIVED 5 MONTHS AS WE LIVE IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA. OUR QUESTION IS, ... A: Don, It kind of depends on what annuals you have, but in general, if you cut them down by one half ... | |
| white furry bugs on my hybiscus | 10/26/2006 |
| Q: I live in Florida. My 6 hybiscus bushes are dying. most of the leaves have fallen off. and no ... A: Tracy, WHat you discribe could be one of several insects including aphids, white fly, or mealy bugs. ... | |
| hybiscus | 10/22/2006 |
| Q: When should i cut my hibiscus back. Last year I cut it back around this time - Oct. It's in a pot. ... A: Usually Hibiscus are cut back in early spring - for you in Alabama, sometime between late February ... | |
| lilac | 10/15/2006 |
| Q: I live in NJ and have lilacs planted in the ground. Can you recommend the proper way to maintain ... A: Sergio, Liliacs are one of the easiest shrubs to grow - as long as they are in full sun, and are ... | |
| Sunflower seeds | 10/14/2006 |
| Q: Can I take the sunflower seeds from my present plants and use the seeds next year for planting? ... A: Gary, Yes - by all means, you can use the sunflower seeds for next year. If the variety is a named ... | |
| Wintering Hibiscus and Angel's Trumpet | 10/14/2006 |
| Q: We live on Cape Cod and have had WONDERFUL success all summer with both our hibiscus and brugmansia. ... A: Pat, The plants should come in this week (light frost on the Cape last night!) the brugmansia put in ... | |
| coleus | 10/14/2006 |
| Q: How often should we fertilize coleus with Miracle Grow! We have them in large pots about 4-6 inches ... A: In general, coleus do well with an application of fertilizer every three or four weeks. This plant ... | |
| starting petunias | 10/3/2006 |
| Q: I'd like to grow petunas from seed, I live in Denver, CO and have just purchased a grow light, blue ... A: Janet, Start your petunia seeds 8 to 10 weeks before you can plant them outside in your area. Sow ... | |
| Mums | 10/1/2006 |
| Q: I live in Southwestern Connecticut and I buy mums to put in my flower boxes every year. I was ... A: Mary Ellen, Unfortunately, most mums are bred to be fall annuals. The truly bone-hardy types like ... | |
| Morning Glorys | 10/1/2006 |
| Q: I live in Zone 5 (Denver Colorado) I have heard that morning glorys are annuals in my zone & yet I ... A: Steve, Morning Glories are indeed annuals in your area (and mine as well - I garden in a warm zone ... | |
| colius | 9/30/2006 |
| Q: is there a colius called mariposa A: John, Yes, there is a coleus called "Mariposa" - it is a tall variety with purple new growth and ... | |
| pastel coleus | 9/30/2006 |
| Q: its newly potted(8 weeks ish) and i used miracle grow soilHelp! im a little confused. i have a ... A: Great! I think that the Miracle Grow potting soil has some time-release fertilizer in it, yes? If ... | |
| pastel coleus | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: Help! im a little confused. i have a coleus that i have had for 4 1/2 years now it is the common ... A: Michelle, A cutting would have the same genetic material as the parent plant, so that is not the ... | |
| FLATS OF FLOWERS= ? SQ. FOOTAGE | 9/27/2006 |
| Q: MORENO VALLEY,CA. I am installing some Garzanias in a 406 sq. ft. area. How many sq. ft. does a ... A: Kevin, Unfortunately there is no "rule of thumb" for planting distances because plants grow to be ... | |
| poppys | 9/18/2006 |
| Q: i look after a park which is very bland i want to have some colour next summer i was thinking loads ... A: Jak, There are many types of poppies: some annual, some biennial (grow one year, bloom the next and ... | |
| Betunia | 9/17/2006 |
| Q: Early this summer I bought a potted plant for my patio called a Betunia which I suspect is a mixture ... A: Lynn, Well, you have me stumped on this one. I have never heard of a Betunia, nor a cross of a ... | |
| Lilics, transplanting | 9/12/2006 |
| Q: Since they will grow too tall for this location It is best that we move them. How deep, wide is the ... A: Lynette, Although Lilacs can have a fairly extensive root system, it is not a tap root and they ... | |
| will my impatiants live inside to go uot next spring | 9/12/2006 |
| Q: i live in maine can my impatiants live inside all winter to go out again next spring A: Ellie, The answer to your question is both yes and no. Here's the "yes" part: you can bring a ... | |
| Cutting back Lilics | 9/11/2006 |
| Q: I live in Monroe Washington and have 5 lilics bushes that have been in the ground 6 years. Please ... A: Lynette, It's tough to keep a regular lilac at 3 - 4 feet. Even the dwarf "Miss Kim" lilac grows to ... | |
| Lilacs in Indiana | 9/6/2006 |
| Q: I have two lilac bushes I planted last fall in southern Indiana, and they seemed to be doing very ... A: Jan, The dusty-looking stuff is powdery mildew - all lilacs are prone to this, and it seldom harms ... | |
| cedar shrubs | 9/4/2006 |
| Q: Oue cedar shrubs are approx. 30 years old and badly overgrown. When I try to trim them back I easily ... A: Tammy, Many plants are commonly called "cedar" so without knowing what type of evergreen these are ... | |
| Silver nettle vine | 9/2/2006 |
| Q: ------------------------- Again thanks for the help with my questions. I only water the Dahlias ... A: Carlynn, Was the manure you used fresh or well composted? If it was fresh then the browning you ... | |
| Silver nettle vine | 9/1/2006 |
| Q: ------------------------- Thanks for the help with my question about the silver nettle vine. ... A: Carlynn, Your Silver Nettle Vine is listed as being hardy in zone 3, but these zone listings are ... | |
| ornamental cherry tree/mildew or fungus | 8/31/2006 |
| Q: My neighbor (marstons mills) has two cherry trees that have been healthy and happy for at least ten ... A: Doreen, Unfortunately, Cherry trees are prone to many diseases and problems. If it is indeed mildew ... | |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 8/23/2006 |
| Q: I HAVE A LARGE FLOWER BOX ALONG MY HOME THAT IS FULL SUN MOST OF THE TIME. I WANT TO PLANT FLOWERS ... A: BH, I don't know how well stocked the nurseries in your area are at this time of year, but if you ... | |
| Impatiens | 8/17/2006 |
| Q: Can you plant Impatiens in the sand? That is what my whole yard consists of. Thankyou, Kim A: Kim, I garden in a sandbox myself (Cape Cod) so I know what you're dealing with. Impatiens like ... | |
| Sick geraniums | 8/6/2006 |
| Q: No, thank goodness there's no mildew. The leaves are just drained of color.My geranium's leaves ... A: OK - good that it isn't mildew. The two things that I know of that can drain foliage of color are ... | |
| Sick geraniums | 8/6/2006 |
| Q: My geranium's leaves both types (ivy and zonal) are turning white and the buds are not maturing. I ... A: Angela, It sounds like your geraniums might have mildew - are the leaves just white as if they are ... | |
| Cutting back a hybiscus | 8/5/2006 |
| Q: I just read your response to Pam about cutting back her hybiscus in January. I have had two ... A: Tammie, I'm assuming that you have these plants in pots and live in an area of the country where you ... | |
| Hybiscus | 8/4/2006 |
| Q: Location: Central Texas Plant location: In ground, south side I planted a hybiscus, forgot to ... A: Sometimes a plant that has been recently cut to the ground - or died to the ground from freezing - ... | |
| Petunias | 8/2/2006 |
| Q: Mine have been deadheaded form several weeks and are getting long stalks. Can you cut them back? If ... A: George, Yes, you can cut petunia stalks back - next year, the best thing to do is to cut four or ... | |
| hydrangea | 7/30/2006 |
| Q: I have 2 hyrangeas in their own pots How far apart should I replant them A: Carrie, I'm assuming that these are full-size hydrangeas, yes? If they are dwarf like "Pia" or ... | |
| deadheading annual salvia | 7/28/2006 |
| Q: I planted "hummingbird" red salvia (rather late: last part of may), but the flowers were not very ... A: David, Some salvias are perennials where it is warm, and are late season bloomers - they often have ... | |
| Petunias | 7/27/2006 |
| Q: I am in central NY and have been enjoying a "flower tower" of petunias. They are planted in 5 ... A: Claudia, It's natural as a plant grows to shed older leaves, and these usually yellow and fall off ... | |
| Bluebonnets and Germany | 7/27/2006 |
| Q: I am moving to Germany in two weeks and have no idea where to start. I am from Texas and would like ... A: Annastacia, I have never grown bluebonnets in a covered house before - I'm assuming that you want to ... | |
| Marigolds | 7/27/2006 |
| Q: Some of my marigolds have stopped flowering and there are only the healthy (looking) leaves left ... A: Caryn, If the flowers aren't being eaten off by the deer, the problem might be not enough sun. Are ... | |
| Lilics | 7/26/2006 |
| Q: I live in Denver Colorado I planted two lilics about 5 year ago and this year was the frist year I ... A: Delia, Lilacs are one of those plants that are not "instant coffee" - it takes a few years for a ... | |
| hybiscus | 7/26/2006 |
| Q: I recieved two hybiscus plants for mother's day and have had a problem with the leaves yellowing and ... A: N, Hibiscus do drop older leaves as they grow (and these yellow first, then fall) but if it's ... | |
| Impatients | 7/25/2006 |
| Q: I live in Panama, Central America. On our porch we have a small pot of impatients that are getting ... A: Jana, I can think of two reasons the plant might be doing this. First, it might need more light - ... | |
| bugs on petunias | 7/23/2006 |
| Q: I have 3 hanging baskets of petunias, 2 of which have a white tiny fly. I have read your suggestion ... A: Bonnie, White fly are very annoying and can weaken your plants, so it's good to treat it. ... | |
| Pruning Zinnias | 7/22/2006 |
| Q: I let my zinnias seed and the tall ones came up toward the front of my beds. They are so tall and ... A: Val, The thing is, there is no way that you can keep them short. Every plant is genetically ... | |
| impatients | 7/21/2006 |
| Q: I live on Long Island in New York. All of a sudden my fully grown impatients are dying. The outer ... A: It sounds like crown rot - look at the ones that are breaking off, and see if they are doing so at ... | |
| Impatiens | 7/18/2006 |
| Q: I live in the Northeast (Rhode Island). I have planted some impatiens in various areas of my yard ... A: Jackie, It could be too much fertilizer, or too much shade, or a combination of those things. Are ... | |
| Bellevue, WA | 7/17/2006 |
| Q: I also wanted to let you know that the fruit are not touching the soil. And the lower leaves are ... A: Farah, How often does the sprinkler go off? If the sprinkler is wetting the squash more than every ... | |
| flower boxes | 7/16/2006 |
| Q: I live near Chicago and have 3 window boxes, about 2ft x 6" wide, they get part sun part shade, I ... A: Cathe, If the boxes are getting morning sun and afternoon shade, then you can't go wrong with ... | |
| Bellevue, WA | 7/16/2006 |
| Q: I am trying to grow zuchinni and I have had a lot of flowers as well as fruit. But they don't seem ... A: Farah, Usually this is a fungal condition - try sticking some mulch (hay, pine needles, chopped ... | |
| Petunias | 7/15/2006 |
| Q: I have a large double petunia that is in a hanging pot on my porch. It seem's that more flowers are ... A: Fran, Mushy petunia flowers are usually the sign that the plant is getting hit with water on the ... | |
| geranium | 7/14/2006 |
| Q: Why is my geranium leaves turning light green. they are in pots? what and how often should should ... A: Ann Marie, Fertilize geraniums with a fertilizer that has a slightly higher amount of nitrogen (the ... | |
| four-o-clocks | 7/14/2006 |
| Q: I live in West Texas near Odessa. I have had four-o-clocks come up (from tubers) in the ground ... A: M.Rowe, Plants don't bloom for a variety of reasons - I'll suggest a few here and you can decide if ... | |
| Gardening Expert needed | 7/13/2006 |
| Q: I am working with an entertainment and marketing company, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that is ... A: Eric, I might be interested if there was no fare at all - I am a first class speaker that presents ... | |
| begonias and impatients | 7/13/2006 |
| Q: i live in the most north west part of alabama. it was 100 degrees today. I am new at gardening. i ... A: Vickie, I'm assuming that the plants are still in their pots - if so, you'll need to water them ... | |
| Hydrangea-blue | 7/12/2006 |
| Q: I currently recieved 2 blue hydrangea plants, they were so beutiful, I planted them and they are ... A: Rebecca, Hydrangeas are shrubs, and they come back every year. Some types bloom on both old and new ... | |
| four o'clocks | 7/11/2006 |
| Q: These seed are a named variety that I bought at a local Wal-Mart. If they are sterile,does that mean ... A: Linda, It is possible that this variety, bred for a particular color or shape etc, isn't good about ... | |
| bugs on miniture petunias | 7/10/2006 |
| Q: We live in Milwuakee and have just notice these tiny reddish/tan bugs on the bottom side of the ... A: Lee, From your discription I'm not sure I can identify them (too little info) but I'll tell you what ... | |
| Impatiants | 7/8/2006 |
| Q: The leaves on my impaitants are starting to turn yellow, only on some. Is it not enough water? too ... A: Jill, Usually yellowing leaves indicates either too little or too much water - try watering your ... | |
| petunias | 7/8/2006 |
| Q: I live in Illinois and I have purple and white petunias in large containers with many other plants. ... A: Laurel, Some insecticides are only useful for particular pests, so it's helpful to know what is ... | |
| Little white bugs on Petunias in hanging basket | 7/8/2006 |
| Q: I have miniature red petunias in a 16 inch hanging basket. They have been doing quite well and ... A: Marcia, If the bugs fly away, it's probably White Fly - if they're tiny and don't fly, it's probably ... | |
| Zucchini dieing | 7/7/2006 |
| Q: I live in Western PA and my zucchini have been planted in my garden for about a month now. We have ... A: It sounds like you have the squash borer - look at the stems of the ones that are wilting (cut open ... | |
| Impatiens | 7/4/2006 |
| Q: My wife and I bought impatiens hanging plants and they did really well for a while. They are on our ... A: Greg, If the plants had wilted first, I'd say they were drying out, but since they stopped blooming ... | |
| petunias | 7/3/2006 |
| Q: I bought 2 huge petunia's in baskets they are under shade on my front porch facing south. I do set ... A: Tammy, What your petunias really want is more sun...if you can put the baskets in full sun at least ... | |
| Indian Hawthornes | 7/2/2006 |
| Q: I live in Austin, Texas and have grouping of five Indian Hawthornes growing in a bed that runs along ... A: Mark, First, I'd make sure that your plants are really getting the water that you think that they ... | |
| deadheading | 7/1/2006 |
| Q: the annuals I'm growing are dianthus, gallardia, zinna's, batchelor buttons, carnations, nicotiana, ... A: Elizabeth, Deadhead the gallardia, and the dianthus just to neaten the plant - sometimes the ... | |
| deadheading | 7/1/2006 |
| Q: I live in Pennsylvania (USA), and have been told that you should deadhead every flower that you have ... A: Elizabeth, Some annuals need deadheading in order to produce more flowers, and some don't - ... | |
| watering a bogenvia | 6/29/2006 |
| Q: I have a bogenvia in my back yard that gets a good deal of afternoon sun from around 2 pm until ... A: Shawn, In warm climates this plant sets flower buds every four to six weeks, especially if cut back ... | |
| Petunias | 6/20/2006 |
| Q: I bought a large hanging basket of petunias took off the hangers and proped it up so the flowers ... A: Lori, Wilting flowers can be a sign of either too little water or too much - if the plant is dry, ... | |
| dinning on petunias | 6/20/2006 |
| Q: I have a large container at the end of my sidewalk, I live in Maryland by the way,and in it I have ... A: The best product for catapillars is one whose active ingredient is Spinosad. This is a natural ... | |
| Celosia's | 6/20/2006 |
| Q: I am trying to redo all of our flower beds, etc. We live in the West Texan and yes it gets hot and ... A: Teresa, I'm not sure what the "remove all leaves" info was about...to maintain Celosia you just need ... | |
| Wave Petunas | 6/16/2006 |
| Q: How often should you pinch back wave petunas in a hanging basket to keep them from becoming "leggy"? A: Ann, I'd cut three or four stems back every week to ten days - do this by taking off a half to ... | |
| wave petunia | 6/10/2006 |
| Q: I live in Ohio and I have several hanging baskets with wave petunia's in them and the underneath ... A: Cheryl, Wave petunias do need either time-release fertilizer or a liquid feed every two weeks - use ... | |
| Impatients | 6/9/2006 |
| Q: I live in the lower peninsula of Michigan. I just bought five flats of impatients which I will ... A: Joe, Unfortunatly, deer do love impatiens. If you have deer that regularly browse your garden, you ... | |
| impatients and bugs | 6/8/2006 |
| Q: I live in Fairbanks, AK. Because we've had frost in the last week, I've just put out my impatients ... A: Mary, I'd suspect one of two culprits - cutworms cut off plants almost at soil level - dig in the ... | |
| bedding plants/annuals | 6/8/2006 |
| Q: reside in west texas and even tho it is very dry and hot i feel we may be overwatering. what are ... A: Kathy, You're not alone! I think that watering is a challange for many gardeners. In general, the ... | |
| Petunas | 6/6/2006 |
| Q: Middle Georgia. My petunas feel sticky and then seem to dry up and die. I have sprayed them but not ... A: CD, Sometimes petunia foliage can naturally feel sticky, but if they dry up and die, it could be an ... | |
| My Zuchinnin isn't growing | 6/4/2006 |
| Q: I live in the High Desert area of Southern California. Temps now are in the mid to high 90's, ... A: Ginger, Hard to know from what you've told me - I'll suggest a few things and you can see if any of ... | |
| Annual Hibiscus | 6/4/2006 |
| Q: I would like to know if you have tried the Annual Hibiscus. I do not know the name as they ... A: It's hard to imagine a grower (is Vessey's a grower? Retailer?) who wouldn't give you the botanic ... | |
| zucchini | 6/3/2006 |
| Q: I know your profile does not list that you handle questions about vegetables...but I am getting ... A: Kay, I am a home vegetable gardener myself, and it sounds like you have squash-vine borers. The ... | |
| deadheading salvia and gazanias | 6/2/2006 |
| Q: I am not very familiar with salvia and gazanias. Do I deadhead salvia by removing the entire spent ... A: Lisa, Salvia gets deadheaded by clipping off the entire spent bloom just below where the flowers ... | |
| beginning gardner | 6/1/2006 |
| Q: I am a beginning gardner that lives in North Texas. I end up killing everything....I cannot keep an ... A: Cassandra, First of all, know that you aren't a real gardener until you've killed plants. I've ... | |
| sick annuals | 5/31/2006 |
| Q: I live in Washington State. I planted an array of annuals (wave petunias, lobelia, bicopa, zinnias, ... A: Susanne, Ususally, leaves turn purple either because they are suddenly exposed to strong light ... | |
| How EXACTLY do I deadhead my petunias? | 5/27/2006 |
| Q: I live in Williamsburg VA (zone 7) and have several flower boxes and hanging baskets of petunias on ... A: Bette, To deadhead petunias, cut the thin green stem that is below where the flower formed. The ... | |
| sunlight | 5/23/2006 |
| Q: I live in Michigan. I have a garden in the backyard with beautiful hostas that thrive. The yard ... A: KIm, If you have sun, you have a HUGE selection available to you! There are the reliable bloomers ... | |
| geraniums | 5/17/2006 |
| Q: I meant to ask why the zonal geranium leaves cupped or curled up. I am in Atlanta,GA.The plants are ... A: Leonie, Sorry that I misunderstood. Cupping of leaves is not a good sign on geraniums. It is the ... | |
| geraniums | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: My annual zonal geraniums are forming a cup bloom. Is that normal and why do they do this? The ... A: Leonie, I'm not sure what you mean by "cup bloom" - the individual geranium flowers often form a ... | |
| My snapdragon plant lost all its flowers, I pinched them off. How do I get teh flowers to grow again adn how do I take care of them? | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: A: Kathy, After the main stem of a snap dragon finishes flowering, you should cut it off just below ... | |
| boxwoods, impatients feeding | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: In an outdoor shade sturture garden center, (Plastic), when impatients arrive in beautiful ... A: Dale, Browning leaves is usually a sign of either drying up or fertilizer burn (too much fertilizer ... | |
| asparagus fern (plumosus?) | 5/15/2006 |
| Q: i just rescued this plumosus from a commercial site. its root ball is about as big around as a 55 ... A: Benjamin, These plants will tolerate being potbound, but they don't tolerate going dry, so plant in ... | |
| pansy shade | 5/15/2006 |
| Q: What type of light do pansies prefer? I was told shade, but I wanted to confirm that before ... A: Billie, Pansies like either sun or shade - they just like it cool. Here on Cape Cod, where I live, ... | |
| yellow flowers | 5/13/2006 |
| Q: are there any annuals that produce yellow flowers and also grow in a shade area A: Phyllis, All Experts thinks that I didn't answer this question, so I'll do it again in case you ... | |
| fuschia in the desert | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: start hitting 90 or so... Bringing 'em in doesn't seem to help (reduced light? I've got a swamp ... A: Benjamin, I didn't mention growth hormones, but growth REGULATORS. These are things that growers ... | |
| fuschia in the desert | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: start hitting 90 or so... Bringing 'em in doesn't seem to help (reduced light? I've got a swamp ... A: Benjamin, Fuschias are one of the hardest plants to keep over the winter - they are prone to crown ... | |
| overwintered bare-root geraniums | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: Greetings from Utah- Hi, I overwintered tons of geraniums, just knocked the dirt off, cut 'em back ... A: Benjamin, Fortunately, you can kill off plants without Child Protective Services getting ... | |
| watering a bogenvia | 5/5/2006 |
| Q: How often should a potted bogenvia be watered? Should I let the soil dry before watering? A: Caren, Bougainvillea likes to watered regularly when it's in bloom but doesn't like its roots to sit ... | |
| Petunias | 5/2/2006 |
| Q: I need to know which kind of petunias do not have to be deadheaded, as I need to plant so many,I ... A: "The Wave" petunias do not have to be deadheaded and they bloom all summer. Superpetunias (in the ... | |
| ornamental sweet potato | 4/27/2006 |
| Q: North Missouri Last week I fixed some big pots with osteospermum, dusty miller and margarita sweet ... A: Rosalie, Although osterospermum like cool temps, as you discovered the Sweet potato vines do not. ... | |
| pathetic attempt | 4/20/2006 |
| Q: Okay, let me start from the beginning. We are in north georgia. We are renters. We have filled in a ... A: No Thumb, You haven't done anything wrong, but you should know that starting most plants from seed ... | |
| Flower Boxex | 4/20/2006 |
| Q: Looking for suggestions for unusual annuals that provide flowers throughout the summer. These ... A: You asked for unusual, so that's what I'm suggesting. Note that unusual plants don't come in ... | |
| Ornamental kale | 3/9/2006 |
| Q: I live in NC, zone 7B. My flowering kale and ornamental cabbages are still alive and well on my ... A: Patricia, It's been a warm winter in New England too! If you save the seeds and plant them, you ... | |
| Identifying Plectranthus species | 1/14/2006 |
| Q: I've got a photo of a Plectranthus which I've incorrectly called a legume. Could you please find a ... A: Peter, Aspects of the Plectranthus flower do resemble a legume, but Plectranthus are in the mint ... | |
| Identifying an annual Linaria | 1/11/2006 |
| Q: I'm pretty sure this is a species of Linaria, but I'm not sure which. They were found growing wild ... A: Peter, This looks like Linaria canadensis - also called Old Field Toadflax. It is a native plant in ... | |
| Saving plants over the winter | 11/10/2005 |
| Q: I am about 400 miles north of Minneapolis,and would like to save some geraniums and spikes over the ... A: Michael, Both geraniums and dracena spikes are easy to keep alive over the winter, and there are ... | |
| Marigolds | 10/25/2005 |
| Q: I live in Milwaukee, Wi. I to had a marigold that was doing very well and started to dry out. I ... A: Michelle, In Milwaukee the marigold is an annual plant, meaning that it does not come back from the ... | |
| hikura nashiki standard | 10/13/2005 |
| Q: I have 2 hakura nashiki standards in whiskey barrels. What should I do to help them survive the ... A: Lynn, Small world... I think I sold you those willow standards at Country Garden! I have one of ... | |
| Dog Problem! | 10/12/2005 |
| Q: My last two rounds of annuals (zinnias, then mums) took off beautifully and then, a few weeks after ... A: Lynn, Dog urine is high in nitrogen and salts, so it burns the roots of plants. Most flowers would ... | |
| New guinea impatients | 10/12/2005 |
| Q: My mother-in law bought me an impatient hanging basket for Mother's Day. This is the most beautiful ... A: Gayle, Unfortunately, it's hard to keep New Guinea Impatiens alive indoors. Like many annuals, they ... | |
| roses | 10/8/2005 |
| Q: How do I cut my Roses back for the fall. They have bloomed on and off all summer and are getting ... A: Bob, If you can possibly stand to wait, the best time to prune roses is in the early spring. This ... | |
| Petunia problem | 9/26/2005 |
| Q: I don't know if petunias are an annual or not. I'll plant a number of petunia plants and they seem ... A: Gail, Petunias are annuals, but not to worry in any case: people ask me all sorts of plant questions ... | |
| MARIGOLDS WILTING / NOT | 8/2/2005 |
| Q: I have been growing marigolds forever.. they were one of my hardiest plants. For some reason this ... A: Linda, Marigolds come from hot places, and they like it sunny and on the dry side: although they ... | |
| BLACK EYED SUSANS | 8/2/2005 |
| Q: I HAVE BLACK EYED SUSANS PLANTED IN THE GROUND NEAR MY MAILBOX. THEY DID WELL THE FIRST YEAR. EVER ... A: Linda, If a plant looks weak, it isn't insects. The most common reason plants look weak or feeble ... | |
| care of impatien | 7/24/2005 |
| Q: I live in SE pennsylvania. My inquiry concerns a hanging,potted Impatien Infinity PinkFrost plant. ... A: Nicholas, Yellowing leaves sometimes happen as the plant gets older (inner, older leaves are shed in ... | |
| Elm tree desease | 7/10/2005 |
| Q: We have a large Elm tree that has lost at least half of it's leaves already and the remaining look ... A: John, Without laying eyes on the tree it's hard to know if it is insect or disease or too much water ... | |
| pinching impatiens | 6/29/2005 |
| Q: Just wondering how to make my impatiens get bigger. They are doing awesome but I heard they get ... A: Jackie, Pinching the top bud on plants makes them branch out and be fuller and thicker, but not ... | |
| mums | 6/25/2005 |
| Q: I live in South Carolina, I recieved a petty purple mum when my mother past away, and for some ... A: Cathy, Given the circumstances, I would do the following: I am assuming that the mum is in a pot – ... | |
| New Guinea Impatients | 6/15/2005 |
| Q: I am not a very good gardener...I kill everything!!! I live in Northern Kentucky and the plants I ... A: Melissa, Drooping plants can be one of three things - they are all concerned with water getting to ... | |
| Begonias | 6/2/2005 |
| Q: I reside in SE PA. I planted Pizzazz white, green foliage begonias in April. Shortly after we had a ... A: Nicholas, I think that they will be fine. The key for you is if they now have any new growth....if ... | |
| bidens solaire | 5/30/2005 |
| Q: I reside in SE PA. I bought a beautiful hanging plant for my porch with southern exposure because ... A: I think you've solved the problem - Bidens needs at least 5 hours of dead-on sun including the noon ... | |
| windowboxes | 5/28/2005 |
| Q: Can you reccomend some colorful and upright annuals to go at the back of my shady windowbox? Also I ... A: Helen, As for colorful and upright in shade, you can't go wrong with Coleus. You can get many ... | |
| Indian Hawthorn | 3/21/2005 |
| Q: I have 2 Indian hawthorne planted in the ground. Im seeing yellow or orange color on the bottom ... A: Debbie, I was assuming the reason you are moving them is to put them in more sun. They may or may ... | |
| Fuchsia | 12/19/2004 |
| Q: Purchased one today and want to plant it in a hanging basket in my linia. I live in zone 9 and ... A: Jimmy, Fushias want bright locations but no direct sun - they are fine in shade or part shade, or ... | |
| bogenvia and frost | 12/11/2004 |
| Q: I am in san diego, ca, and planted 9 bogenvia on a south-facing slope about 6 months ago. They came ... A: David, Don't write your plants off just yet... it is possible that they will come back from the base ... | |
| help select an annual | 11/30/2004 |
| Q: I have a large collection of daylilies of mixed colors planted at the base of a wooden fence in ... A: John, 100 miles north of NYC - one of my favorite areas! (I used to live in Chatham NY myself...) ... | |
| grass in annuals | 11/12/2004 |
| Q: I'm in south Mississippi. Every year,I broadcast plant large massed beds of zinnias, marigolds, and ... A: Rick, There are grass killing herbicides but they do generally harm young plants, which your annuals ... | |
| Planting some unusual plant seed. | 10/30/2004 |
| Q: I have just got back from South Africa and have purchased some seeds. Such as; Dahlia, Zinnia, ... A: James, I am away from my office so I don't have access to my reference books regarding the seeds you ... | |
| marigold | 10/22/2004 |
| Q: I just purchased 6 marigold plants, which were recomended to keep insects away. I'm planning to ... A: Daniel, Put your marigolds in a pot that is at least 10 inches in diameter - a clay one is good ... | |
| Large pods on Moonflowers | 10/20/2004 |
| Q: I live in mid-northern Michigan. I have successfully growing Moonflowers in containers. They have ... A: Roxanne, I'm glad to hear you have had good success with moonflowers indoors! Sometimes this plant ... | |
| hybiscus | 10/18/2004 |
| Q: last summer i bot a couple of hybiscus that performed beautifully - flowers all summer. then they ... A: Pam, It's not because you cut them back, but it might be that you cut them back too late. Often, we ... | |
| tall autumn flowers | 10/1/2004 |
| Q: I live in northern Kentucky and have a front sunny garden that I'm very happy with April to ... A: Susan, You need Ageratum "Blue Horizon" ! This TALL variety of ageratum is not often found in ... | |
| Annuals | 9/28/2004 |
| Q: I live in North Carolina. have impatience, petunias and a few other annuals from the summer. Is ... A: Debbie, No, there is no way to keep them alive outdoor where you garden. (And where I garden as ... | |
| Basket | 9/26/2004 |
| Q: I have a basket that want to add some colorful plants. Trailing from side to side. I want it to last ... A: Debbie, OK - got the basket picture now! My answer is the same except if you use an upright coleus ... | |
| climbing roses | 8/27/2004 |
| Q: Please pardon me on not knowing what kind of rose exactly that I have. Except for knowing it grows ... A: Dawne, I think you should wait until late in September when it is just a bit cooler. I would not do ... | |
| have recvd 10 free flats of annuals | 8/21/2004 |
| Q: from a local nursery - is is ok to leave them in the pots which I must water 2-3 times day or should ... A: Nancy, If they are in small pots they are probably root-bound, which is why you are watering so ... | |
| petunias | 8/10/2004 |
| Q: my purple wave petunias are spindley. HOw do I make them much fuller like all my neighbors? I dead ... A: Cheryl, For the best success with wave petunias, I'd recommend the following: Be sure they are in ... | |
| GROWING ZUCHINNI?? | 7/10/2004 |
| Q: I live in Eastern Pa. This past spring I planted small (GREEN TYPE) Zuchinni plants. Now,.....these ... A: Tom, Most of the time, gardeners have TOO MUCH ZUCHINNI... but every once in awhile we have NO ... | |
| Ornamental purple fountain grass | 6/15/2004 |
| Q: I live in Pennsylvania about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. I planted purple fountain grass in the ... A: Becky, The sad news is that Purple Fountain grass is an annual where you live - it does not live ... | |
| Pink Geranium | 6/15/2004 |
| Q: I have 2 Pink Geraniums in planters outside on my back porch. I also have 2 Red ones in the same ... A: Kelly, For good blooming with Geraniums, they need the following: 1. they like to be root bound, so ... | |
| Slugs | 6/8/2004 |
| Q: The past few months of this spring, I have been using Schulz pet safe slug bait pellets because I ... A: Adria, Since I don't know what type of slug killer you got, and I don't know the habits of your ... | |
| Sick Geranium | 6/4/2004 |
| Q: L., This question may bore you, as my plant is not unusual, I hope that you don't mind. We have ... A: Courtney, The answer to your geranium problem is contained in your statement that "It rained for ... | |
| Petunias | 6/1/2004 |
| Q: I have Petunias planted in my Garden intermixed with Hostas. Last year, I had a problem with some ... A: Mary, It sounds like your petunias are being kept too damp - are they in part shade? Petunias do ... | |
| moving annuals to another location | 5/31/2004 |
| Q: i am living in ontario,canada i recently bought impatiens and i am being told that i planted them ... A: Christine, Well, the truth is that you can plant them as close as three inches apart and the only ... | |
| garden mums | 5/30/2004 |
| Q: I don't usually plant annuals, but this year wanted to try something different. I used topsoil in my ... A: Lori, Mums aren't usually chosen for window boxes because they have one burst of bloom and then ... | |
| Petunias | 5/29/2004 |
| Q: I live in NW Florida zone 8B. I purchased trailing double petunias two weeks ago. They hang in ... A: Monica, It's unusual for all the blooms to fall off so quickly - this is usually a sign of too much ... | |
| Petunias | 5/26/2004 |
| Q: I live in North Carolina. Currently I have two petunia plants in hanging baskets. One is a purple ... A: Jessica, If you look at both petunias you'll notice that the flowers form on the ends of the shoots. ... | |
| green leaves | 5/24/2004 |
| Q: Last summer, we had this great herbiscus (spelled right?) plant that had a half- dozen + blooms a ... A: Max, I suppose your plant could be producing some varigated shoots - these are called "sports" and ... | |
| Patio Plants for West Facing Texas Sun | 5/21/2004 |
| Q: I live in an apartment on a beautiful golf course, facing due west in Fort Worth - and travel 2-3 ... A: Rick, Here are some options: 1. Geraniums and Verbena like heat and don't mind going dry. Both do ... | |
| Geranium Ivy | 5/18/2004 |
| Q: I recently planted several window boxes of Geranium Ivy. They are sold as annuals, but I would like ... A: Linda, Geraniums are usually propagated from cuttings, but if you want to try seeds get the ... | |
| low bordering annuals | 5/12/2004 |
| Q: we live in cleveland ohio. I need a colorful flowering border for my front landscaping . It gets ... A: Molly: Short to high, the best choices would be: Alyssum (best in coolish temps so may not be the ... | |
| impatiens | 5/4/2004 |
| Q: I emailed you about a week ago about impatiens and copied and pasted into my computer because I am ... A: Jackie, You don't have to mulch your impatiens unless your soil is very sandy (dries quickly) or you ... | |
| impatiens | 4/28/2004 |
| Q: Could you give me any information on how to make my impatiens grow well this year? Thanks, Jackie A: Jackie, I'd be happy to! Plant Impatiens in part sun or part shade. They will tolerate full ... | |
| Annuals for shady areas | 3/27/2004 |
| Q: I live in Northern New Jersey up in a mountainous area near the ski slopes. My garden is pretty ... A: Julanne, Although it's true that the pallet of flowers for shade is more limited, there are a few ... | |
| Planting | 3/21/2004 |
| Q: Would like to know when YOU suggest my putting in annuals in my area (atlanta) zone 7B hardiness? My ... A: Kathy, Every area has a general "last frost date" - the day that you usually DON"T get frost at ... | |
| Sweet Broom | 3/20/2004 |
| Q: I just bought a plant named Sweet broom. I want to know the care of this plant. How tall it gets? ... A: Debbie- Thanks for the clarification! Your broom (sometimes called Sweet Broom or Scotch Broom) ... | |
| SHADE FLOWERS | 2/9/2004 |
| Q: WE HAVE JUST MOVED TO NORTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA. OUR YARD WILL BE HEAVY SHADE (ONCE SPRING AND SUMMER ... A: Barb, Unfortunately, there are fewer choices for shade when it comes to cutting flowers. That said, ... | |
| lavender | 1/29/2004 |
| Q: I LIVE IN GA. AND I AM WANTING TO PLANT LAVENDER. IS THERE A SPECIAL BREED I NEED TO GET AND HOW ... A: Jan, I love lavender too - it will be hardy in Georgia, and will take hot summers, but it MUST be ... | |
| Salpiglossis (paintedtongue) | 11/6/2003 |
| Q: Do you know how to get seeds for this plant? Know anything about how they like to grow? A: Salpiglossis are great looking but not the easiest to grow. (There is a reason you don't see them ... | |
| Marigold flowers | 10/15/2003 |
| Q: Just to introduce myself, I am Cecilia from Bombay, India. I would like your advice on growing ... A: Cecilia, I love marigolds, and I know that they are also appreciated in India. It is unlikely that a ... | |
| Hello, I have planted impatiens... | 9/6/2003 |
| Q: I have planted impatiens in a shaded flower bed for 20 years changing the colors yearly. I was away ... A: Karen, Yes, Impatiens do reseed pretty regularly, but the germination is largely dependent on the ... | |
| Potted climbers | 8/29/2003 |
| Q: What do you advise to get luxuriant colour on a trellis in a fairly shady spot? I placed a large pot ... A: Michael, This is a tough one... spectacular color on an annual vine in shade is almost impossible. ... | |
| Big, Round Gravel Area Under Trees | 8/8/2003 |
| Q: we bought a house recently that has an area in the side yard , a round area, where the previous ... A: In order to make the area plantable, I would amend the soil with peatmoss and composted cow manure ... | |
| Petunias | 7/26/2003 |
| Q: I have petunias in two hanging baskets that seem to have dried out... The leaves are turning yellow ... A: Tina, They have probably dried out... if a hanging plant is in the sun, and the weather is hot, it ... | |
| Flowering Annuals in pots | 7/10/2003 |
| Q: How do I keep my flowering annuals in pots flowering? They keep their leaves and lose the flowers ... A: Teressa, Several things might be going on depending on the particular plants. Let's take it one at ... | |
| Annuals | 6/17/2003 |
| Q: I'm in Zone 5, Albany, NY. I'm looking for annual to plant on the southside of a brick building, ... A: Pat, Sounds like the area is hot! Verbena does well in the heat, as do geraniums and scaevola. If ... | |
| marigolds | 6/11/2003 |
| Q: I am hoping that you can answer a question for me. I am looking to prolong the bloom of my ... A: Steve, Steve, Removing the wilting flowers is called “deadheading” and what is important is removing ... | |
| lilac bush | 6/8/2003 |
| Q: I live in Indiana. I put in a lilac bush this year. My leaves are wilted and turning brown. My ... A: traci, Has the weather in Indiana been very damp/rainy? Lilacs can get a fungal condition in wet ... | |
| New Zealand Impatients | 6/5/2003 |
| Q: I live in Connecticut - I want to try to grow my own New Zealand Impatients (I think thats what they ... A: Lori, I applaud your desire to grow plants from seed, because too many people are afraid of seeds ... | |
| Fragrant plants | 5/27/2003 |
| Q: I am trying to find out what kind of fragrant flowering bushes and trees will do well in the lower ... A: BJ, Check your local garden centers for the following plants: Ceanothus, Osmanthus, Photinia, ... | |
| annuals | 5/8/2003 |
| Q: I'm looking for suggestions (aside from Petunias) for annuals that do well in clay conditions (in ... A: Paul, The number one annual for clay is marigolds. In fact, the strong root systems of marigolds ... | |
| Nicotiana sylvestris | 2/9/2003 |
| Q: Have been trying to grow the above from seed for the past two years, seeds come up a treat follow ... A: Carol, I am assuming that you have started the seed indoors or in a growing house, yes? Here are ... | |
| geranium | 11/26/2002 |
| Q: I live in the D.C. area, Ihave a Geranium from the summer that looks great, it is still blooming. is ... A: Patti, Geraniums are one of the easiest plants to keep from year to year. Just put your plant in ... | |
| clay pots | 11/2/2002 |
| Q: Can I leave empty clay pots outdoors all winter (in Michigan) or will they crack in frezing weather? A: Jack, Empty clay pots can usually be left outside if they are upside down and are resting on a few ... | |
| japanese maple | 10/16/2002 |
| Q: What type of soil do japanese maples prefer. What kind of fertilizer, etc would you reccommend to ... A: In general, Japanese Maples are very cold hardy. They do like organicly rich soil, however, so a ... | |
| Annuals | 9/28/2002 |
| Q: I live in southeast PA & have many different annuals planted in both pots & the ground. This is the ... A: Cindy, Leave all the plants until they are hit by hard frost, and then pull the old foliage out of ... | |
| Banana Tree.... | 9/21/2002 |
| Q: We live in Kentucky and have planted banana trees for fun. This year we have a huge pod that has ... A: Anita, I am assuming that the Banana is in the ground, not in a pot. I have two banana trees in ... | |
| Iris | 9/8/2002 |
| Q: I live in SE lower Michigan (Adrian) and I have questions about irisis. Last spring I bought a ... A: Deb, I do not know of any one site to identify iris, but if you type in the name of some common iris ... | |
| What do I have | 8/21/2002 |
| Q: I bought a hanging basket this spring with lots of different flowers in it. The hanging basket was ... A: Sheri, It sounds like Verbena... is the flower round and made up of several small flowers in a ... | |
Annuals
Answers by Expert:
C.L. Fornari
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Annuals suggested for specific situations (sun, shade, windowboxes etc) New or unusual annuals are a particular interest of mine, and I grow many of these from seed. I am happy to help problem solve, answer questions about maintenance, and guide you to sources of unusual plants.
Experience
I am a garden writer/speaker/consultant and host of a weekly gardening radio program in the Northeast. I have been gardening all my life for my own pleasure, and started as a professional gardener and garden communicator 15 years ago. I work part-time at a garden center, selling and tending shrubs/trees/annuals/perennials...and doing some propagation and design work. I often think that all these professional activities serve to put a somewhat legitimate framework around a serious case of plant-lust.
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