Sunflowers have long been included in the typical Midwestern garden, but modern hybrids have greatly expanded the palette of choices for today’s garden. Whether you want short, medium or tall; yellow, burgundy, bronze or brown; seed for the birds; or just pretty look at, there’s a sunflower for you. Gardeners will find two different types of sunflowers available from garden centers and mail-order catalogs: Those that are grown for their edible seeds, and those that […]
Comparing annual and perennial flowers is a little like comparing apples and oranges. Each type of flower has its own characteristics and advantages. Annual flowers are those that complete their lifecycle in just one growing season. In other words, you plant a seed (or a seedling plant), it grows foliage, then flowers, seeds and then the plant dies, all in the same year. Annual flowers tend to bloom from spring until autumn frost. Although they […]
Q. I gathered some bittersweet branches last fall. These are the decorative red berries gathered in the fall for winter arrangements in the home. I have saved some well-developed seed but can’t get them to grow. I stored some in the freezer for a time, yet neither did they sprout. I’m wondering if they must pass through a bird’s digestive process to sprout. The seed appears to be encased in a thick shell. If so, […]
Although much of the vanilla used for flavoring and fragrance today is produced synthetically, natural vanilla comes from the seed pod of an orchid plant. Vanilla planifolia is a vigorous, vining orchid that can reach up to 300 feet in its native tropical American environment. The vine produces greenish-yellow flowers that must be hand-pollinated outside of its native habitat to ensure good fruit set. The pods grow to about 6-9 inches long and are harvested […]
Q. What do I focus on now in my flower gardens? Should I be pruning things before winter? Do I need to clean up the perennials and maybe put down some mulch? What do I do to get a couple of rose bushes ready for winter? – Mike Wadsworth West Lafayette, Ind. A. Autumn frosts will soon take their toll on the garden. Head outside with a pair of pruners and begin cutting perennials off […]
Q. I have some yucca that has turned yellow and has little black bugs on it. What can I do? It starts out green, then turns in the middle of summer. – Grace Griffin, Memphis, Ind. A. The yucca plant bug is a small blue-black bug with a reddish head. The adults and nymphs hurt the leaves by sucking the plant sap, causing the leaves to turn yellow and stippled. Treat with insecticidal soap, horticultural […]
Q. We have a big problem with bagworms. Last year they destroyed two decorative pine trees in our landscaping and they love our plum trees also. I cannot begin to count how many of their cocoons are left in our landscaping. What can I put on my trees and other plants to keep them from making their home too close to mine? Also, what time of the year should I take care of this problem?- […]
Q. I purchased some tulip and iris bulbs on clearance in late November and never got to plant them in the fall. They were in an unheated barn over the winter, and I planted them March 1. Do you think any growth will appear this year or, if not, next year, or are the bulbs dead? – Linda M. Laud A. When we gardeners get to the garden center, we become eternal optimists. We’re just […]
Q. I bought five new rose bushes last spring and planted them in front of my front porch. The area had been well mulched, and the usual clay soil was greatly broken up several years ago when junipers were planted there. The junipers became diseased and died in many places, so we took them out. We thought we shouldn’t plant anything there right away, so we left the area undisturbed for a year. I planted […]
Q. My ornamental grasses are still in place in my yard. They looked nice all winter. When and how do I cut them back? When do I divide them? –Fleet Walker, Nashville, Ind. A. Ornamental grasses can be cut back any time from fall to spring, but I like to leave them in place over the winter. They bring motion and texture to the garden when they’re desperately needed! By late winter, heavy snows and […]