The conflict between trees and utility lines is fresh on my mind, having just experienced the power company removing a significant number of limbs from two lovely old pine trees in the right-of-way behind my property. And I’m in good company with many homeowners who have experienced either the loss of a tree or a significant portion of a tree due to the need to keep the limbs from taking out power to the neighborhood. […]
Each year the National Garden Bureau selects a flower to promote, and this year Centaurea is in the spotlight. Centaurea actually includes a number of species that gardeners are more familiar with by their common names–bachelor’s button, cornflower and mountain bluet. Some are annual flowers and some are perennial, but all are great additions to the gardener’s palette. Centaurea also make excellent cut flowers for both fresh and dried arrangements. Bachelor’s button, Centaurea cyanus, is […]
Q. I had a severe problem with black spot on my roses last season. What can I do, and what can I use to prevent it this year? –Ruth A. Beer, Syracuse, Ind. A. Black spot is a serious problem on roses in Indiana. Black, circular spots with fringed or uneven margins form on upper leaf surfaces in the spring and summer. Spots may also develop on canes and leaf petioles when the infection is […]
There’s no better time of year to browse the new gardening catalogs than during these winter doldrums. A quick glance at the first few pages of most catalogs will clue you in as to what’s new for this gardening season. With all the talk about “nutraceuticals” (foods that promote good health or even prevent disease), there are some new cultivars that offer enhanced nutritional value. Carrot ‘Nutri-Red,’ a red carrot high in lycopene (an anti-oxidant), […]
Winter days may be gloomy and dull, but you can give your home a touch of spring by forcing landscape branches to bloom indoors. Spring-flowering trees and shrubs set their flower buds the previous fall. Once the buds have been exposed to cold for several months (usually by mid-January), a branch can be cut and forced to bloom indoors. The easiest branches to force include forsythia, pussy willow, honeysuckle, crabapple, redbud, magnolia and flowering dogwood. […]
Q. This spring I got two hibiscus trees and discovered they had spider mites on them. I took them outside and fought them all summer. When I brought them inside, the mites were still there. One day, I sprayed with a spray that I was told to use. They lost all their leaves. Now they are starting to get new leaves. How do I keep the mites off them? How do I care for a […]
The Perennial Plant Association has selected Feather Reed Grass, cultivar Karl Foerster, as the 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year. Feather reed grass is an outstanding plant for the garden and landscape as a specimen plant or in mass plantings. Karl Foerster, in particular, is quite versatile given its compact habit. Known botanically as Calamagrostis x acutiflora, the species feather reed grass grows 4-5 feet tall with feathery plumes appearing in early summer. The cultivar […]
Most folks think of mistletoe as an excuse for smooching around the holiday, and today, there probably aren’t too many people who have actually seen anything but plastic mistletoe! But, in fact, there is a real plant that is the true mistletoe. Well, actually, several types of mistletoe exist, including American Mistletoe and European Mistletoe. These two are different, but related, species of parasitic shrubs. Both have small, leathery leaves and translucent, white berries. American […]
Q. I have one ‘domestic’ walnut tree. Every year, just before I think they are ready to be harvested, I come to the tree to find it has been stripped bare. I assume the culprits are squirrels. How can I tell when they are ready so I can get to them first next year? – Irvin Goldstein A. Collecting the nuts before they are truly ripe would lower the quality of the crop. You’re better […]
Wood stoves and fireplaces are great for warming gardeners’ chilly hands and feet, but what are we to do with the resulting ashes? Many gardening books advise throwing these ashes in the garden. Wood ash does have fertilizer value, the amount varying somewhat with the species of wood being used. Generally, wood ash contains less than 10 percent potash, 1 percent phosphate and trace amounts of micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. […]