Q. Are there any other varieties of lilies that bloom for more than just one day, besides the Stella D’Oro? Also, why is it necessary to dig up the Canna variety but not others? Is it naturally tropical? I love lilies! Thank you. — Josie Kramer, Clear Lake, Ind. A. The range of color, shape and size of daylilies is wonderful, but breeders are working hard to create more reblooming daylilies. Most daylilies bloom for […]
If you’re looking for something new to add to next year’s garden, All-America Selections (AAS) has chosen five new flowers and three vegetables for 2004. These new cultivars have been judged superior in their class based on their performance in test gardens all over the country. Two new Celosia cultivars head this year’s list of winners. ‘Fresh Look Yellow’ is a low-maintenance, colorful addition to the bedding garden, sporting large, golden-yellow plumes that reach up […]
Composting is a great way to recycle the plant debris in your garden, including both crops and weeds. It’s easy to do–nature does it on its own all the time. But with proper management, you can help nature move along a little faster, if needed. Compost returns some nutrients back to the soil, but the main benefit is in the improved soil structure. Adding organic matter, such as compost, will increase soil aeration and […]
Q. I’m planning ahead for next spring and would like to attract more butterflies to my garden. What can I plant? I have a fairly sunny yard. — Vikki Stiles, Muncie, Ind. A. You need to provide food for both the adult and larval stage, water and cover. A butterfly garden should be protected from the wind and receive at least six hours of direct sun each day. Include a puddle or create a small […]
Evergreens provide green color all year long but that doesn’t mean that the individual needles live forever. Evergreens shed their older needles to make room for new growth, but what makes them evergreen is that they retain some foliage all year long instead of shedding all of the leaves at once. Evergreen needles have varying life spans, depending on the species. Arborvitae and pine needles live for 2 years while spruce needles live 3-10 years. […]
While gardeners may still have several more weeks to enjoy what’s left of the growing season, it will soon be time to put our gardens to bed for winter. Flowers and vegetables whose foliage has begun to brown and shrivel should generally be removed before winter. Removing the spent foliage is an excellent way to reduce the chance for fungi and insect pests to over winter. Herbaceous perennials should be cut back to just above […]
Q. I have four large trees in my backyard, causing quite a bit of shade. There is a pine, an oak, ash an and a maple. The lawn is too dark for grass, and the quantity of leaves is overwhelming in the fall. I’d like to take down one tree but can’t decide which one. I don’t feel particularly attached to any, although the pine screens the neighbor’s yard somewhat. All seem to be roughly […]
If you saved last year’s poinsettia plant, and you want it to flower in time for the holidays, now is the time for action. Poinsettias need about 8 weeks of special handling to force them to re-bloom. Poinsettias are sensitive to photoperiod — the length of the day. Actually, it’s the number of hours of darkness that is most important. Poinsettias flower during short days, with long periods of darkness each night. In the home […]
Just when the colors of summer flowers are fading, late-blooming perennials are ready to take center stage. In addition to the usual fare of coneflowers, mums and ornamental grasses, many lesser-known characters are ready to perform. Agastache foeniculum, also known as Blue Giant Hyssop, packs 4-5 inch long dense spikes of bright blue flowers on 3 foot tall, upright plants. Butterflies and hummingbirds love this plant, as do bees. Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida) offers […]
Q. I have a problem weed. It is rubbery with teardrop-shaped leaves. I’ve noticed it will reroot itself when thrown on the ground. It is very hard to kill. In fact, I think it thrives on Round-Up. Can you help? — Teresa Allman, United REMC A. The green, rubbery leaves of purslane are one-half to 1.5 inches long on thick, reddish-green stems. It sometimes bears yellow flowers, and the seeds are borne in a small […]