Rosie Lerner

rosie@purdue.edu

716 articles by this author

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Have a Heart for Your Valentine

Looking ahead to Valentine’s Day, here are some ideas for plants that will delight your plant lover. Heartleaf philodendron, also known as sweetheart plant, is easy to find, easy to grow and an excellent choice for a beginning gardener. The philodendron takes its name from Latin for love and tree, “philo” – love and “dendron” – tree. The heart- shaped leaves arise from sturdy stems that can twine around an upright support or trail from…Read more about Have a Heart for Your Valentine[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. I am hoping that you can help me understand why our poppy flowers never fully bloom. We moved to this house at Lake Bruce 6 years ago, and the poppies were already here. Each year there are numerous buds that never open fully. They just seem to mold and wither. What can the problem be? Thanks so much for your advice as I am envious when I see others in this area have beautiful…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. I live in northern Indiana. Please tell me how to grow mint. What is the difference between peppermint and spearmint? A. Mint is an important commercial crop in Northwest Indiana, with over 9,000 acres raised in 2007 at a value of over $6 million (USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana/index.asp). The bulk of the Indiana mint crop is peppermint, followed by spearmint. Mint belongs to a botanical genus of plants called Mentha. Peppermint is Mentha…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

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Question and Answer

We continue to receive numerous inquiries about bagworms on landscape plants, especially evergreens. Since we’ve addressed this issue several times over the last few years, I won’t take the time to repeat the information here, but you can find the answers to most of your questions from the Purdue Extension entomology specialists online at http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/weeklypics/7-29-02-1.html and http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-27.pdf. Q. I have learned about this dreadful stuff called artillery or shotgun fungus the hard way — namely by having it…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

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Winding Down the Landscape

As the growing season comes to a close, there are still a few more chores that call the gardener to action. Mowing, watering, pruning and cleaning continue to beckon. Lawns need mowing as long as the grass continues to grow, some years continuing through most of the fall. Newly planted flowers, trees and shrubs should be watered thoroughly every week or so right up until the ground freezes, especially if rainfall is lacking. Perennials, trees…Read more about Winding Down the Landscape[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. Hello, I have 4 hydrangea plants in my yard that are over 5 years old and have never bloomed. Two are in total shade, one is in part shade and the last is in full sun. The plants themselves continually get bigger every year and thrive. I have tried not removing the ‘sticks’ or ‘spines’ left at the end of the season, as the plant goes dormant, to see if it would maybe cause…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

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Consider Garden Mums for Fall Color

While many of summer’s perennials are winding down for autumn, you can refresh your garden’s color with garden mums. Colors ranges from many shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, bronze, pink and white. The flowers themselves come in many different forms, from spider types with long, narrow petals to cushion types that have wider, more compact flowers. Some mums are bred as outdoor garden plants, but many are bred as florist-potted plants, meant to be…Read more about Consider Garden Mums for Fall Color[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. We discovered fire blight on one of our apple trees this summer. We cut all the branches with symptoms (withered leaves and the crook at the end) and burned them. We have seen no sign of any further damage. Do we still need to spray next spring as directed by the product we bought from our local nursery? A. Fireblight is a bacterial disease that affects over 70 members of the Rose Family (Rosaceae),…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

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All-American Selections New Flowers and Vegetables for 2009

Three exciting new vegetables and one cool-season bedding plant were chosen as All America Selections (AAS) 2009, based on superior performance in test gardens throughout the country. Eggplant ‘Gretel’ is a follow up to the 2008 award-winning ‘Hansel.’ ‘Gretel’ is the earliest of the white eggplant, bearing clusters of glossy mini-fruit. The pure white fruit are sweet with tender skin, even if they are allowed to mature beyond the ideal fruit size of 3 to…Read more about All-American Selections New Flowers and Vegetables for 2009[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. I have a 2-acre yard that is filled with Ash trees. For years, I have had the problem of small trees or limbs growing from the base of the tree. I call them “suckers.” I have cut them off right to the tree base, but they keep coming back. Some of my trees have what looks like a bush surrounding it. This happens with old trees and young trees. What causes this and how…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

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