Q: My day lilies look so ratty this time of year!  Can I cut them down and be done with them?

A: Around mid-August you can try “dead-leafing,” which entails wrapping your hands around clumps of dead leaves and yanking them out.  Or, you can simply cut them down to a few inches from the ground with shears.  They’ll put our some new growth which won’t get as tall as the early season leaves, but should look good and stay green until frost. 

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Anemone hupehensis var. japonica

Text and photo by Virginia Williams

With broad petals so different from the typical fall mum, Japanese anemone really stands out it a fall garden.

From August through September, few plants grow more reliably and bloom in the shade better than Japanese anemone. This perennial produces clusters of white or pink flowers up to three inches in diameter.

Leaves are large, deeply lobed, and somewhat like maple leaves.  Growing two to five feet tall, Japanese anemon prefer rich moist soil with good drainage and shade but will grow in the sun.

They can be slow to establish, but given the right location they will slowly spread to a nice thick planting and even require cutting back.  Deer tend not to eat it.

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Liriope muscari and Liriope spicata

Text and photo by Virginia Williams

Tough and adaptable, liriope is a stellar groundcover.

Liriope muscari, as shown in the photo, is a clumping form that stays in a clump and does not spread aggressively.  Clumps continue to expand, but no runners are formed.  It can grow in sun or shade or on the steepest slope.

Once established, it is drought tolerant.  Its ribbon-like foliage can get as long as 18 inches and sports purple or white flowers in the summer.  This clumping form is popular as edging.

Liriope spicata, on the other hand, is a spreading form that sends out runners.  It is especially useful to control erosion, but should not be planted where it can get out of control.

Deer may nibble on it during the winter (saving you the trouble of cutting off old foliage), but liriope is not a big deer favorite.

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Q: What chemical can I use to get rid of the broadleaf weeds in my lawn?  I want to do this before I overseed my lawn this fall. These hot summers are killing my grass.

A: Don’t apply herbicides when the air temperature is above 85 degrees.  Your grass can be damaged.  Also at high temperatures some herbicides will volatilize, wasting the product and, even worse, the herbicide vapors can be absorbed by non-target plants where serious herbicide injury can occur.

Read the herbicide label very carefully, so you don’t accidentally damage turf or other plants.  In droughts, most weeds slow or stop growing anyway, so you may as well wait a couple of weeks for better, cooler weather.

Fall is the best time to plant grass seed.  By planting in early fall, you insure your grass has three seasons to establish good roots before another killer summer hits. See one of our many publications on growing turf: “Broadleaf Weed Control in Established Lawns” http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/documents/TT49broadleaf-weed-control.pdf.

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Brassica juncea

Text by Bob Orazi

Photo by Cornell University

Have any space left in your garden?  Mustard greens are quick to mature, easy to grow, and nutritional in your diet.

Mustards are in the Brassicae family of plants, which includes collards, kale, turnips, and pac choi. They come in many forms and colors averaging 45 to 65 days to maturity.  You can use mustard greens to spice up a salad or cook them with other greens.

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Q: My tomatoes look perfect on the outside but, when I go to eat them, they have white hard areas just under the skin and even inside along the “chamber walls” down to the core. It’s not the hard white spots that stink bugs make. So what’s going on?

A: White “corky” tissue in the outer wall of the tomato is caused by high temperatures during the ripening period.  Some varieties are more prone to this heat-triggered corkiness than others.

Try to maintain even moisture to keep your tomato plants’ roots cool. Mulch can aid in this.  Give them a cooling shower on a blazing hot day.

Tomatoes in containers or raised beds are hotter than in-ground plants. If possible, move pots so the plants get some shade in the hottest part of the day.

 Don’t over-prune your tomato so that leaves aren’t cooling the plant. Do a soil test to be sure nutrient levels are adequate.

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Text and photo by Virginia Williams

An easy but tough perennial with ferny, soft textured aromatic foliage, Achillea millefolium is long-lived and long-blooming—up to twelve weeks—providing color and interest from summer to early fall.

“Oertel's rose” is one of the shorter varieties, maturing at about two feet, whereas other yarrows can grow to three feet.  Two- to 3-inch wide flower clusters in pink to red are a major selling point.

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Q: I’ve killed only a few under-sized stink bugs on my plants.  Are these ones that survived over the winter (in my house)?  Have we dodged the bullet this year?

A: Take a good look at those small stink bugs before you dispatch them.  There are many stink bug species. Yours may be spined soldier bugs, a small brown-gray predator stink bug that eats pest insects.  Its “shoulders” come to a point as sharp as a needle and even feel like a needle when touched.

Let those good guys live to do pest control for you. On the other hand, the new Asian brown marmorated stink bug that caused so much damage last summer and then spent the winter in our houses in hordes is, indeed, in the landscape now. They have mated and will lay eggs all summer which, in turn, hatch and go through five nymph stages before reaching adulthood.

As the nymphs enlarge and reach adulthood, they cause increasingly more damage with their piercing/sucking mouthparts.  Young nymphs are the most vulnerable to control measures. Become familiar with them by visiting our website at www.hgic.umd.edu. The brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive species in the U.S. and is here to stay, but our controls will improve with research and experience.

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Garden Variety is back after a week spending time with her grandson, who is in town visiting all his relatives! Even the garden can't beat time with Mikey!

So, we will be doing some catching up here.....

Peas

Pisum sativum

Text and photo by Bob Orazi

People think spring and peas go together, but it’s difficult to get peas planted and germinated in the cool, wet soils of a Maryland spring. There’s another option, however.

During the period between mid-July and August, you can plant a successful fall crop of peas. Look for space where your potatoes, lettuce, or cole crops were harvested.

Peas are a legume and produce their own nitrogen but not enough, so incorporate a balanced fertilizer into the planting space.  Moisten the soil before planting, then place the seeds 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep and 1 to 3 inches apart. They will grow 50 to 70 days before harvest.

Harvest the pods every 3-4 days to keep new pods forming. Peas will survive temperatures in the 20’s, so your autumn vegetable can keep you in peas for a long time.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Photo credit: Karen Macon Jackson

Q: I found this 4-inch green caterpillar on my tomato plant.  It had diagonal stripes and a horn at the rear end. It seemed to have eggs like rice on its back.  My tomato plant seems okay though. 

A: Tomato hornworm caterpillars eat tomato leaves, branches, and green fruit. They overwinter in cocoons in the soil, then emerge as moths in late spring-early summer to lay greenish yellow eggs on the undersides of host plants leaves. The larval caterpillars hatch out and feed for about a month before the cycle begins again.  They can decimate a tomato plant but usually just do incidental damage.

The white elliptical rice-like things on the hornworm’s back are cocoons—but not hornworm cocoons. Your hornworm was parasitized by a beneficial insect, either a braconid or trichogramma wasp.  A while agon, these tiny wasps laid eggs on the hornworm, which hatched and entered the hornworm, consuming it from the inside while they grew, just like aliens in a sci-fi movie.

They have now emerged and made their cocoons. They saved your tomato plant! The parasitized tomato hornworm feels sick and cannot cause further damage.  The cocoons contain developing tiny wasps that will emerge and parasitize other hornworms.  So, don’t destroy the hornworm now—it’s a source of more beneficial wasps. 

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Mandevilla Vine

Mandevilla

Text and photo by Marian Hengemihle

This tender woody vine adds tropical flair to your landscape from late spring to early fall.

Showy flowers range in color from pink to red to white. The glossy dark green leaves have a leathery feel. The vine climbs by twining stems to about 8 to 10 feet, so provide a trellis or support. Pinch young plants to encourage bushiness.

Mandevilla grows well in containers and hanging baskets in full sun but will tolerate light afternoon shade. It should not be placed outdoors until all danger of frost is past.

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Photo credit: Donna K. Race for bugguide.net

Q: I have lived in my home for 30 years and never seen this.  When I cleaned out some windows, dried grass was in the tracks. Is it a nest? Do you have any idea about how the dried grass or straw might get into the windows, upstairs and downstairs?

A: You're seeing evidence of grass-carrying wasps.  These little wasps like to build their nest in protected places and the tracking of aluminum storm windows is a favorite spot.  The wasp finds a small opening to enter and builds a nest of grass and hay strands. You may actually spy them flying by trailing grass.

After preparing the nest, she hunts for tree crickets (small crickets that you rarely encounter.) She paralyzes them with her sting, then hauls them to the nest, where she lays her eggs.  The eggs hatch, larvae emerge and feed on the (gruesomely) still alive crickets.

Then the wasp larvae spin a cocoon and in a few weeks emerge as adults and fly away. These are interesting creatures and not considered pests.  Simply clean out your window tracks when nest-building occurs.

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(Garden Variety is catching up, after a week's vaction.)

Corkscrew Rush

Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’

Text and photo by Marian Hengemihle

The corkscrew rush is a fun and whimsical addition to your backyard water garden. It reminds one of a “bad hair day.”

This irregular, clump-forming ornamental grass has curious spiraling, corkscrew-shaped thin green tubular stems that uncoil as they grow. It spreads upright and prostrate about 18 inches tall and wide.

Growing best in containers in full sun to light shade, it requires consistently moist soil with about 1 to 6 inches of water over the crown of the plant.

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A: Galls are very common on oaks and maples.  These growths are abnormal swellings of plant tissue, usually leaves and twigs, caused by insects, mites, bacteria, fungi, or nematodes.

Most insect and mite galls result from chemicals introduced by the egg laying and feeding activities of the organism. The chemicals cause the affected tree cells to swell. Though galls appear in many strange forms, they rarely do any harm.  They do not affect the health of the tree and are more of a cosmetic issue.  Chemical control is not recommended.

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Threadleaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’

Text and photo by Marian Hengemihle

Acclaimed by the Perennial Plant Association as the 1992 Perennial Plant of the Year, Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ is a reliable performer in the garden. This perennial offers season-long color, drought tolerance once established, and deer, rabbit and pest resistance.

Plants form low compact mounds covered in pale yellow daisy-like flowers held above fine textured foliage. Growing about 2-feet high and wide, they provide a delicate airy look to the garden. The soft color and fine texture contrasts effectively with the bold foliage of many other perennials.

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Q: At our Fourth of July picnic we had tiny red insects crawling all over the patio pavers! Someone said they are mites.  How do I get rid of paver mites, if possible organically?

A: These are clover mites. You’ll notice they have eight legs, not the usual six which insects have, so technically they are not insects.  On your pavers, you can spray them with insecticidal soap. They are usually a temporary pest, often of new homes or landscapes.  Call or go online for our clover mite publication: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg66_000.pdf.

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Impatiens x New Guinea Hybrids

Text and photo by Marian Hengemihle

Tired of common impatiens? Want to brighten up a location with too much sun for common impatiens?

New Guinea impatiens fit the bill. These carefree annuals bloom from late spring to the first fall frost. Showy flowers come in many vibrant colors like lavender, salmon, white, purple, pink, red, and orange. Lush leaves are long and pointed in colors from strikingly dark green to reddish bronze or variegated.

There are many varieties, and they can grow from 12 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. These low maintenance plants have a bushy growth habit and seldom get leggy.  Plant after the last frost.

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Q: I’m concerned about my garlic's early demise. Last month, their stalks withered and fell early. Those I pulled showed no sign of a bulb below ground. Today I pulled some early withering ones to find the stem beneath the ground frail and limp with tiny bulbs. I know that normally I should wait until the stalks produce a bulb, and then fade.

A: There are several possibilities, but the most common cause for the situation you describe is a fungal disease known as white rot.  If you find a white growth on the leaves at the neck of the plant, and the growth is dotted with tiny black spots, the garlic has white rot.

On the other hand, if the neck tissue on the bulb becomes soft and brownish and shrivels, and if you find a gray to brown mold on the surface of the bulbs, the problem is botrytis rot.

The least likely problem is an infestation of nematodes.  Symptoms would be stunted plants with leaves yellowing prematurely or not surviving until maturity.
 
If you suspect white rot, remove and destroy all affected plants, and plant your garlic elsewhere for the next 3 or 4 years.  If you suspect botrytis, remove infected plants. Keep any harvested bulbs cool and dry in storage.

In any case, add 3-4 inches of compost this fall and rotate your garlic planting to a new location in the garden.

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Common Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

Text by Lewis Shell

Photo by Ken Keefover-Ring

Please take the thyme to read this thymely article.

There are over 300 species of these small, evergreen, aromatic and extremely versatile perennials, and they have many uses in the landscape, providing attractive groundcovers, fragrant foliage, and colorful flowers.

It’s unfortunate that the wonderful herb, common thyme, carries such a mundane name.  After all, there is nothing vulgar or common about the many attributes of thyme.

Thymus vulgaris is a small, upright shrub, growing about one foot tall and two feet wide.  Its narrow to oval, aromatic leaves are gray-green and the flowers range from white to lilac in late spring and early summer.

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Japanese Holly

Ilex crenata

Text by Lewis Shell

Photo by University of Arkansas

Sometimes called box-leaf holly, Ilex crenata strongly resembles boxwood in color, leaf shape, and over-all appearance but has some very basic, distinguishing characteristics.

Upon close inspection, the leaves and stems of I. crenata are alternate while the leaves and stems of boxwoods are opposite.  Also, the leaves of I. crenata have tiny spines near the pointed, tip end of each leaf, while the leaves of boxwood are entirely smooth with a slight dimple in the end of each leaf.

Their differences notwithstanding, Japanese holly is an excellent alternative to boxwoods. It has a slow to moderate growth rate, typically reaching 4 to 10 feet high and about 3 feet wide.

As a foundation plant, it can be maintained at just about any height by periodic pruning or shearing.

Preferring light, moist, well-drained, slightly acid soils, they tolerate city environments happily and adapt well to sun or shade.

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Q: Last year my cucumber plants looked good, then collapsed. Didn’t get a single cucumber! Saw a couple of cucumber beetles, that’s all. What did I do wrong?

A: Cucumber beetles transmit bacterial wilt disease to cucumbers, and that killed your cucumbers. Control cucumber beetles from season’s start.  In fall or spring, till soil to kill overwintering eggs and larvae.

Use floating row cover to shield young plants from beetle bites until bloom begins, then you must remove the row cover to allow insects to pollinate the cucumbers.  Older plants are less susceptible to the wilt.

Handpicking the beetles is difficult because they are fast and drop or hide when disturbed.  You can spray with spinosad, pyrethrum, or neem products—all organic. Planting late, after June 15, also helps plants voids the pest to some degree.

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Dill

Anethum graveolens

Text by Lewis Shell

Photo by Antoine McKinney

This is an herb that can do it all.  Where to start?

Wise gardeners know that having dill plants is like having a flotilla of aircraft carriers hovering around a war zone.  Dill umbels or ‘flat top’ flowers attract predator insects that rely on the dill flowers for energy-producing nectar and a vantage point from which to survey your garden for insects to predate.

Then, of course, dill leaves provide the gardener/chef with salad garnish and flavor, brightening numerous salads and dishes.  Can you imagine a nice fillet of salmon without a delicious tangy dill sauce? Furthermore, those flavorful seeds are used in pickling and longer-cooking recipes.

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A: We are getting many panicked calls and e-mails about American beech trees raining leaves.  The disease is anthracnose, a fungal disease that begins with brown spots and blotches on leaves, followed by yellowing and leaf drop.

This is a very specialized disease, and many trees such as sycamore, dogwood and oak get their own variety of anthracnose.  Beech rarely gets anthracnose, but this spring’s weather conditions created the “perfect storm” of conditions that it loves.

It should not kill your tree, because healthy trees can tolerate one season of partial defoliation and many can put out a new flush of foliage.

You can rake up the leaves to remove infected material from the site.  It is generally not economical to spray large mature shade trees for anthracnose nor is it effective once symptoms appear because fungicides can’t cure, only prevent, disease.

Next spring, only young trees or newly planted trees could use a fungicide spray to prevent excessive leaf loss until they become established.

Our website’s Plant Diagnostic has identification and control help.

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Categories: Q_and_A, University of Maryland Extension
        

Cosmos bipinnatus

Text by Lewis Shell

Photo by Christine McComas

If you don’t already have Cosmos in your garden, it’s not too late to sow some seeds of this airy-leaved flower along the back of your flower bed. Alternatively, look for potted cosmos at your favorite garden center or nursery.

Cosmos belong to the daisy family, Compositae, and bear daisy-like flowers with yellow centers surrounded by petals of various colors. 

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A: The euonymus leaf notcher, larvae of the Pryeria sinica moth, entered the US in recent years and has now surfaced with a vengeance in some Maryland counties.

Euonymus shrubs ought to recover from a single defoliation, but kill any larvae you can now. Crush by hand, vacuum them up, or drown them in a bucket of soapy water.

Oddly enough, the adult moth lays eggs in fall until December. Locate its tan egg masses laid on pencil-size branches near the plant tip. Crush the eggs by hand or prune off and destroy.

All sightings of euonymus leaf notcher, at any life stage, should be reported to HGIC.  Next spring, if you detect them while they’re small, call us for spray recommendations.

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Caladium 
Caladium bicolor

Text and photo by Ginny Williams

Extravagantly colored and patterned, Caladium bicolor is a tuberous rooted plant with lance shaped leaves held up by long stalks.

Growing one to three feet tall, caladiums come in attractive bi- or tri-color combinations of white, green, rose, pink, and red.

Originally from South America, they require warm temperatures to grow.  In areas such as Maryland, where temperatures go below 20 degrees F, the tubers should be dug up when the foliage dies and stored at room temperature until they are replanted in the spring when temperatures are above 60 degrees F.

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Q: Transplants of squash and cucumber--why are they sold two to a container? Do they need to cross pollinate?

A: More than one seed is planted to guarantee germination of at least one seedling, plus you get an extra transplant in case one is weak or dies.

When the seedlings are spaced far enough in the container, you can tease the root systems apart very gently and plant two plants. If close together, select the strongest plant, snip off the other with scissors so as not to disturb the root system, and plant the remaining one.

Plants in this family have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. You only need one plant for a crop. Squash and cucumber do require pollination by bees, so if you’re planning to use row cover for pest control you’ll need to pull it back when flowers appear.

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Solenostemon scutellarioides

Text and photo Ginny Williams

Although a standard for color in the shade, coleus has been bred so that there are cultivars that grow well in the sun.  In addition, some cultivars can get to be five feet tall, much higher than your usual coleus.

Hence when purchasing plants, be careful to buy plants appropriate for your location.  Coleus provides all season color, having patterned leaves with many colors and shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and green.

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A: Please avoid barberry. Yes, deer don’t eat it, but this has made barberry a new invasive.  Barberry has seeded (via birds) into our parks and natural areas, where deer are eating the native understory (mid and low height plants) and leaving the barberry. Thorny barberry, both green and purple varieties, are the new understory.

This is a sneaky plant which can actually change soil chemistry.  Pick a new plant from our Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer Damage publication, which lists plants according to how tasty they are to deer. Read it online or we’ll mail you a copy.

Keep in mind that deer will eat anything when they are hungry enough. Many “deer resistant” plants still need some protection when they are young and tender

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Edamame bean

Glycine max

Text by Bob Orazi
Photo by University of Kentucky

Edamame bean, a vegetable soybean, has been gaining in popularity as a snack food or ingredient in soup, salad and stir fry.

It contains no cholesterol or saturated fat, yet has 40 percent protein and is rich in calcium, vitamin A and B as well as fiber.

They are easy to grow and suitable for Maryland soils, preferring a slightly acid pH of 6.0 to 6.5 and full sun.

Treat seeds with a bacterium inoculant before you plant them the first time. After danger of frost has passed, place edamame seeds 6 inches apart, 1 inch deep, in rows 2 feet apart, applying a complete fertilizer.

Like most vegetables, they require 1 inch of water per week.  Side dress with a nitrogen fertilizer after 6 weeks.

Maturity dates vary from 75 days to 125 days, so you can plant a mid and a late season variety at the same time and repeat the process every two weeks for successive plantings.

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Q: Hundreds of these insects [photo sent through HGIC website “Send a Question”] have appeared on our front porch for several days every year. Can you determine if they are ants or termites? I do not see any damage to the house.

A: These are winged swarming termites.  Flying ants are easy to identify by their tiny pinched (almost non-existent) waist, uneven-length wings of a brownish color, and sharply bent antenna.

Your termites, in contrast, have no noticeable waist, transparent wings of all the same length, and unbent antenna.

To view color photos of ants vs. termites, go to our website Plant Diagnostics:  http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm.  Also read our short termite publications.

Always remember: termites eat very slowly.  Never rush into choosing a pest control company.  Get several opinions before you decide.  In your case, it’s definitely time to begin the process.

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Extension

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Text by Bob Orazi
Photo by R.A. Howard

Looking for some wow in a small specimen tree?  With appealing flowers, attractive fruit, uncommon shape, and showy bark, a Japanese snowbell, or styrax, will be the envy of your neighborhood.

The distinctly horizontal branches and broad, rounded crown can grow as wide as its 20- to 30-foot height and yet result in a very dainty tree. The prolific flowers in mid-May are bell-shaped, slightly fragrant, and pendulous.

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Q: Weeds took over my vegetable garden last year. I don’t have the time or energy to pull weeds all summer! Can I use RoundUp?

A: This is a tricky issue.  Originally, RoundUp was formulated by one company and contained only the chemical ingredient glyphosate. New versions of RoundUp, however, contain other chemicals also and are not safe to use in vegetable gardens.

YOU MUST CHECK THE LABEL CAREFULLY BEFORE APPLYING.

Gardeners who inadvertently apply RoundUp Plus, for instance, may have to wait a year before their garden is usable again.  Also, now many companies make products with glyphosate.  Read the label!

We generally don’t recommend using chemical herbicides in food gardens. By mulching early on with layered newspapers covered with mulch, mulched leaves from last fall, or other free materials, you can have a virtually weed free—and healthy--garden all summer

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Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin’

Text and photo by Christine McComas

How about growing a virtually  thorn-less, beautifully fragrant  antique climbing rose?

Antique roses are old-fashioned, floriforous, fragrant, and often lower maintenance roses than their modern hybrid counterparts.

‘Zephirine Drouhin’, is a French Bourbon rose and has been delighting  gardeners since its introduction in 1868. Bearing hundreds of  3- to 4-inch deep pink  fragrant flowers on long reaching canes makes this plant a show-stopper.

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Saucer magnolia ‘Jane’
Magnolia soulangiana ‘Jane’        

Text by Christine McComas
Photo by Christine McComas

What a spring nightmare--your saucer magnolia at its blooming best gets zapped by frost, turning a blossoming beauty into a sad, brown tree overnight.

In the 1950s, the National Arboretum tackled this problem, and in 1968 ‘Jane’ was released. The result of carefully controlled crossings, this hybrid saucer magnolia blooms two to four weeks later than other magnolias. By blooming later, frost damage becomes unlikely.

‘Jane’ covers herself with a rich display of dark pink tulip-like flowers with white throats, opening from fuzzy brown buds.  Growing to 10 to 15 feet, ‘Jane’ is a large shrub or small tree.

'Jane' magnolias do well in full sun to light shade and a loamy soil with decent moisture, though they can tolerate poorly drained, heavy clay soils as well as dry soils.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Photo credit: Alex Stawinsky/Patuxent Publishing

Q: When do I prune my big blue hydrangeas?  Spring or fall? They are much too big.

A: The big blue "mophead" type, hydrangea macrophylla, is the exception to the rule for summer-blooming shrubs (which ordinarily are pruned in spring.) This is because mopheads form their flower buds the summer before they flower, not the spring before flowering.

For mophead hydrangeas, the best option is to prune immediately after flowering in the summer, before next year’s buds are formed. The problem with that timing is that many people like to enjoy the old flowers as they turn colors and fade over the autumn and don't want to cut them off. However, that is the only time you won’t be hurting the next year’s flower display.

In spring the shrub has already formed its buds for the summer display and a severe pruning will cut off those buds. Yet mopheads often suffer some tip dieback in winter, and all dead or damaged wood should be pruned out in spring as soon as leaf buds swell and you can assess damage.
 
If your hydrangea is overgrown and requires a heavy renovation pruning, that should be done in the dormant season, not fall, so as not to promote rapid new growth in a warm autumn.  That tender new growth could be burned by frost.

The best bet with hydrangeas is to place them where they can grow to their heart’s delight and never need pruning.

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Text by Christine McComas
Photo by Ellen Nibali

In summer you can’t help but notice certain containers with their small petunia-like flowers cascading crazily over the sides.  It’s the oh-so-easy and rewarding calibrachoa, also known as ‘Million Bells.’

This low maintenance mounding annual comes in a color palette wide enough to please the artist in every gardener. They are beautiful solo, yet those with a contrasting throat color look especially nice in the company of container-mates of that color, for example a geranium or verbena.

Calibrachoa like sun to part sun, moderate water, and good drainage. They are neat and need no spent flower removal.  Known to attract hummingbirds, they will put on their exhuberant show until a hard frost.

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Q: A flat patch of something with yellow flowers is spreading more and more in a woodsy area.  The flowers have eight buttercup yellow petals, not cupped. Leaves are glossy green. I’m afraid this stuff will take over my woods.

A: It will. You have lesser celandine, a non-native invasive flower forming impenetrable mats which overrun native species.

It greens up very early in spring, then goes dormant by June.  Its small bulblets or tubers easily break off the roots to start new plants.

If you try to dig it up, shovel up the whole clump including the soil to be sure you get every bulblet.  Any systemic herbicide containing glyphosate works well on the solid mats.

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Tree Peony
 
Paeonia suffruiticosa

Text and photo by Christine McComas

If you love flowers and only have space for one new shrub, consider Chinese tree peony.

The national flower of China and once grown only by the emperor, it is now widely available to all.  With huge, stunningly beautiful flowers, tree peonies are actually graceful, deciduous shrubs, growing slowly to 3 to 5 feet and long lived.

Flowers come in many colors and have been depicted in centuries of art.  Unlike their herbaceous cousins which die to the ground each winter, these peonies grow in a loosely branching woody form, the flaky bark itself attractive when the serrated leaves fall.

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Q: The vegetable transplants I’m growing indoors are really tall and spindly.  I don’t see how they can keep growing like this--they’ll fall over! I water them just enough to keep the soil moist, don’t fertilize, and use a heating mat underneath and a ceiling florescent light.

A: Repot them in larger containers, planting them deeply so that much of the stem is buried. Then, lower the light to just an inch or two above the plants.  As the plants grow, raise the light. (Next time, do this when you plant the seeds.) Lights suspended on chains make this easy to do. Brushing the plants with your hands each day is supposed to stimulate sturdier stems.

Transplants often get too large when seeds are started too early.  Refer to our website publication, “Growing Vegetable Transplants” for planting dates.

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Purple Passion Plant, Gynura    
Gynura sarmentosa

Text and photo by Chris McComas

Looking for an unusual looking houseplant? How about one with hairy purple fuzz covering dark green leaves?

This striking combination describes purple passion plant’s soft-as-velvet, deep purple, haze-covered leaves. This easy-to-grow houseplant is not large, with leaves 3-4 inches long and wide.  Left on its own, it has a trailing habit but retains color and is more upright when growth tips are pinched out.

They benefit from at least some direct sun daily to keep the purple foliage bright. Gynuras grow well in normal room temperatures but like humidity, so place their pot on a tray of damp pebbles for best results.  Water moderately, then let the top inch of standard potting mixture dry out before watering again.

Like other hairy-leaved plants, avoid wetting the leaves. Apply standard liquid fertilizer no more than once a month throughout the year.

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A: How about never?  New woody plants have been fertilized in the nursery, and research shows that adding fertilizer at planting time slows root growth! (The most important thing you must do is keep them sufficiently watered for at least two years until they are established.)

More good reasons to skip fertilizer: pushing plants to grow quickly leads to weak growth susceptible to disease and drought. Weak wood breaks more easily in ice, snow or strong storms. Too lush growth is more apt to attract insects.  Perhaps most surprising--deer will choose a fertilized plant over an unfertilized one, even normally deer-resistant plants.

Bottom line: mature established plants do not need to be fertilized with artificial fertilizers.  Save your money.
 
On the other hand, composted materials are great. Also, when you mulch autumn leaves with your mower and leave them on your lawn or place them in your beds, they decompose and those nutrients feed your trees and shrubs. It’s the same as a forest revitalizing itself with its fallen leaves.

In addition, if you fertilize your lawn, some of the fertilizer reaches down to tree roots under the turf.

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Rye Grass Basket

Text and photo by Chris McComas

Easter is just around the corner, and you still have plenty of time to sprout a basket of live grass. Use it as a traditional base for the Easter bunny to leave his treats or as an unusual fresh centerpiece. 

Start by finding an interesting basket, such as rustic grapevine or one of the children’s old reed or plastic baskets.  Line the basket with plastic cling wrap or colored cellophane.  Alternatively, you could fit it with a shallow plastic container.

Add a few inches of soil-less potting mix, filling to near the basket rim, then water gently.

Sprinkle annual rye grass seeds thickly, gently pressing them so they make good contact with the soil.  Set on a warm, bright window sill, being sure to keep the seed bed moist with daily misting. Wait about a week and voila!  A natural fresh grass basket.

Should the grass get taller than you like, simply snip it shorter with scissors.

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Q: What varieties of asparagus should I plant?  Are they attacked by stinkbugs?

A: Stinkbugs get on the ferny summer growth that comes out after the harvest time, so happily you can enjoy your spring asparagus spears stinkbug free.

Check our publication, Recommended Vegetable Cultivars for Maryland Home Gardens, available on our website or by calling us. For asparagus, we recommend Jersey Giant, Jersey King, and Jersey Knight.  These male hybrids offer high production and disease resistance.

Asparagus plants produce for 12 to 15 years, so prepare their sunny bed well, incorporating lots of compost prior to planting. Asparagus can be started by seed but most gardeners start with asparagus crowns that have roots attached.

Inspect your asparagus roots before planting for insects or disease symptoms The crowns and roots should be fleshy with visible buds.  Roots that are totally dry or black and soggy are not satisfactory.  You can begin to harvest spears the second year.  For more detail, see the asparagus profile on our Grow It Eat It website:  www.growit.umd.edu. 

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Algerina Perna

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Dieffenbachia maculata

Text and photo by Christine McComas

You can’t beat houseplants to enliven a room.  Dieffenbachia makes a big statement with its large, deep green leaves and attractive white markings.

The fleshy 10-inch leaves are borne on long stalks rising from a thick, cane-like stem.  They grow well in bright, indirect light, needing no direct sun except in the winter. Normal room temperatures above 60 degrees keep them happy, as does placing their pot on a tray of damp pebbles to increase humidity.

Actively growing dumb canes will appreciate a standard liquid fertilizer every two weeks. With time, they can grow to ceiling-scraping heights, but can easily be propagated down to a tip cutting  of six inches in spring or early summer.

Cutting just below a node, dip the cut end in rooting hormone and plant it in a soil based potting mixture, keeping it warm and well-watered.

Dieffenbachia is also known as Dumb Cane, because the poisonous sap can cause an temporary (and painful) loss of speech if it gets in the mouth.  Be sure to wash your hands after handling this plant.

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Q: I'm planning to purchase some bare root fruit plants (strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries). What is the best time in spring to plant them? Should I wait until the last frost?

A: The best time to plant most small fruit plants is as soon as the soil is not frozen and is workable in the spring (dry enough that it crumbles easily and doesn’t stick together).

However, wait until after the last frost for tissue-cultured strawberries and brambles i.e. blackberries and raspberries.

For more information refer to our publication, HG 68: Getting Started with Small Fruit, available on our website or by calling us.

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Euphorbia  ‘Diamond Frost’       
Euphorbia  graminea ‘Diamond Frost’

Text by Christine McComas
Photo courtesy of Proven Winners-www.provenwinners.com

Before long we will happily bid glittering frost good-bye, but when planting your containers this year be sure to consider Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’®.

In sun or part sun, this attractive annual covers itself in delicate, airy white flowers which hover above the greenery.   Deer, drought and heat resistant, it tends to mound and form a billowy cloud, quite beautiful in urns and containers.

It is a great low maintenance plant, neat, which needs no dead-head flower removal. If you find you need to trim it, it will grow right back. Water requirements are low to moderate.

No fertilizer is necessary.

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Q: I was told I must use something called mycorrhizae when I plant my trees.  What is it and is it necessary?

A: The ability of mycorrhizal fungi to extend the root system of plants to an astounding degree is undisputed.  These microscopic fungi are essential to most plants. Mycorrhizal fungi form a symbiotic relationship both inside and outside roots which helps to increase the root network for better access to water and nutrients.

In healthy soil, mycorrhizal fungi are already present. There are many species of these fungi and different plants require different micorrhizae. The question is whether commercial products deliver the same results as mycorrhizae in its natural environment.

Homeowners may derive the most benefit from commercial products when planting in soils which have been rendered lifeless during earth-moving and construction or whose microorganisms have been killed by heavy fertilizer and pesticide use.

However, organic amendments, such as compost, teem with microorganisms including mycorrhizae and can be incorporated into your soil to renew lifeless soils. 

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Fava bean

Vicia faba

Text by Bob Orazi
Photo by Jon Traunfeld

Want something to plant in early spring besides peas? Try fava or broad beans.

Fava bean is a cool season vegetable, germinating in 40-degree soil temperatures. Plant them as soon as you can work the soil. They grow best in the 60 to 65 degree range of early spring. If planted too late, they may fall to form pods.

In soil amended with organic matter, place seeds 1 inch deep at 4- to 6-inch intervals in rows 18 to 36 inches apart.

Being a legume with the capability of fixing atmospheric nitrogen, no fertilizer is necessary. Compost is the only nutrition they need.

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Photo credit: Reuters

Q: Your vegetable planting chart says I can start planting seeds (cabbage) in the ground starting in March. Lots of other vegetables can be planted at the end of the month. Anything I should know about planting so early when the soil is usually wet?

A: Don’t dig in soggy soil, especially soil high in clay.  It makes it set up almost like cement. One trick is to sow seeds on the wet soil and sprinkle with ¼” potting soil.  Or wait until the soil is dryer. When a ball of soil bounced in your palm crumbles easily, the soil is considered workable, i.e. ready to use.  Also, incorporating organic amendments into your garden each year will help it drain and dry sooner in the spring.

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Leek
Allium ampeloprasum

Text by Bob Orazi

For a vegetable that deer won’t eat and few diseases or insects bother, plant leeks.

A member of the onion family, leeks are considered a gourmet vegetable for soups, casseroles and other dishes desiring a mild onion flavor. They are a long season crop, needing 120 days to reach maturity. For this reason, start them indoors in February or early March. They also can be direct seeded in early spring, but this extends their maturity date 30 days.

Leeks prefer soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8, rich in organic matter.  Transplant the young seedlings into a 6” deep furrow, spacing 4”to to 6” apart. Clip the fibrous root system with scissors to make handling easier.

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Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Jerry Jackson

Q: I want to provide some bushes to make my bird feeders more attractive. I'd like to choose for color and scent, e.g., forsythia, lilac, burning bush. What would be good choices for birds? Are there local plant species I might not know about?

A: You are wise to ask, because many popular shrubs are useless to birds. Some such as burning bush (Euonymus alata) are even invasive in Maryland.

Fortunately there are exciting native choices, such as summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) and fothergilla that are both beautiful, long blooming and richly fragrant!  The online book, Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake features color photos of Chesapeake Bay watershed native plants with all the information you’ll need, including which plants are most beneficial to birds.

To have birds flocking to your yard year round, shrubs can provide two necessities: food in the form of berries, nectar and insects, as well as shelter for nesting and protection from weather and predators.  A birdbath with clean water will fulfill birds’ trio of needs in your backyard.

Be sure to plant a variety of shrubs that bloom or berry at different times. Help birds in winter, too, with evergreen and berrying shrubs. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has basic tips and a short plant list: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1143.

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Eranthis 

Text by Debbie Ricigliano
Photo: NC State University Photographs copyright @1997 by A.B. Russell and A.A. De Hertogh

Winter aconite earns its name, blooming even earlier than the first crocus. It blankets the ground with small, sunny, buttercup-like yellow blooms.

Flowers form on stems that rise above a low-growing cluster of ruffled foliage.  Snowdrops (Galanthus), a taller bulb, bloom at the same time and make an excellent companion plant. The contrast between the white and yellow flowers beautifies your winter-drab landscape.

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Photo courtesy of How Stuff Works

Q: I’m trying to fit more in my vegetable garden this year.  Can I grow melons on a trellis?

A: Try muskmelons. (These are often called cantaloupes, but true cantaloupes are rarely grown in the U.S.)  Sprawling melon vines typically gobble up garden space but, on a trellis, seeds or transplants can be planted a mere 3 feet apart and trained upward.

Choose a variety that produces smaller fruit. When fruits swell, their weight will need to be supported by a sling. Use a fairly open-weave fabric that will drain and dry quickly, such as cheesecloth or old nylon stockings.

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Jasminum nudiflorum

Text: Debbie Ricigliano
Photo: OSU Department of Horticulture

Much good can be said for a shrub that bursts forth with tiny yellow flowers during the bleakest part of the year.

Jasmine nudiforum or Winter jasmine is known to be one of the earliest blooming plants in the landscape. Flowers open between January and March, usually peaking in February. This 3-4 ft. x 4-7 ft. shrub has trailing branches that form a mounded mass. The trailing branches root where they contact bare soil, so give this shrub room to sprawl and fill in areas if you like. The deep green leaves are attractive in the summer.

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Q: I put shredded leaves, paper, chicken manure, kitchen scraps, etc. in my compost bin, and keep it covered.  After 3-4 days, it heats up.  Then I take the contents out and put it back about every 3-5 days--trying to add air.  But after I do that, the pile "dies."  There’s no more heat.  Should I not turn it out? Do I need to add water?

A: "Turning" compost is done to accelerate the decomposition process.  Aerating the pile with a fork, or actually flipping it, brings more oxygen to the microbes that do the hard work of decomposition. (Unturned piles take longer to decompose.)

The first turning usually is done once the pile cools down a bit from its maximum temperature. However, turning also may dry the pile, stopping the composting process.  Each time you turn, add water, until compost is the consistency of a wrung out sponge.

As composting continues, less water will be needed to achieve the wrung out sponge effect.  Covering the pile has the benefit of reducing evaporation during warm weather but also prevents rain from wetting the pile, so it's critical for you to provide the moisture that keeps microorganisms happy.

When air temperatures go lower than 40 degrees in winter, decomposition is naturally going to shut down. 

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Text: Debbie Ricigliano
Photo: Debbie Ricigliano

Big, bold, and vibrant--Rex begonia is a spectacular houseplant to brighten up any room in the winter. Not grown for flowers but foliage, its multiple colors and textures come marked with shades of green, red, purple, pink, silver and maroon. Many interesting color combinations and cultivars are available to choose from.

Rex begonias can grow as large as 12 to 5 inches tall and wide and have a mounding growth habit. With proper care they can be long-lived additions to a houseplant collection.

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A: You can begin now by covering the turf with 3 to 4 layers of newspapers, topped with 1 to 2 inches of compost, and then covered with 1 inch of mulch.  This will smother and kill the grass, plus any weeds in the grass, and they will both probably decompose by the time the soil is dry enough to plant your liriope in spring.

It’s also possible to kill the grass and weeds with a total vegetation killer herbicide containing glyphosate, but you’d have to wait until the grass and weeds were actively growing so they could absorb the herbicide.  The newspaper and mulch method is the simpliest and cheapest. See our online publication on ground covers at www.hgic.umd.edu.

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Skyrocket Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’

Text and photo by Debbie Ricigliano

Sometimes you are looking for a plant that fits a very specific space in your landscape plan. Skyrocket juniper fits the bill when you are looking for a tall, narrow evergreen tree.

Maximum size is 15 to 20 feet tall and only 2 to 3 feet wide. Vertical stems with silvery-blue needles form a column of tight branches.

This upright juniper can be planted as a vertical specimen in a mixed conifer garden, used as a screening plant for tight quarters, or even incorporated into a foundation planting. Its relatively small size also makes it a candidate for large containers.

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A: The size of the holes and the location along walls suggests rats (snakes can’t dig holes.) Rats are very shy, cautious animals, living any place, city or country, where there is a food source.  Because they normally live within 100 to 150 feet of their food supply, you need to locate the supply.  Does your neighbor leave dog or cat food outside for his pets?

Likewise, birdseed scattered on the ground under feeders can attract rats.  Clean up fallen birdseed and place a device to catch scattered seed under the feeder. Speak with your neighbor about pet food.  Pet owners can easily bring food inside at night or only put out amounts that will be quickly consumed by their pets.

In addition, be sure garbage cans are tightly secured with no holes, and compost piles are composed of yard waste, not food scraps.
 
Rat poison and traps must be used with caution when other animals or children may be in the vicinity.  Place then along walls or other paths used by the rats.  Traps and poison can be placed inside boxes with holes cut in either end, so the rats don’t feel cornered, otherwise they won’t enter.  A weight on top of the box can keep out inquisitive others.  Follow all label directions. Leave traps unbaited for the first few days until the rats have overcome their suspicions, then bait.

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Tomato ‘Juliet’
Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Juliet’

Text by Bob Orazi
Photo by HGIC, University of Maryland Extension

With stink bug problems ahead, why not plant a thick skinned tomato like the Juliet this year?

While tomato growers suffered high fruit damage last summer from brown marmorated stink bugs, some thick-skinned varieties showed less damage. It looks like 2011 may be worse, so planting a thick skinned tomato like the Juliet may be the solution.

Juliet is about 2 to 2¼ inches long and slender like a roma. A 1999 All-America Selections winner, Juliet does it all, from salad to sauce to salsa.

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Q: Can I still plant the bulbs I bought last fall?  They’ve been sitting in the garage, but most of them still look good.  I did throw out a few that dried up.

A: Yes, because you left them in a cold place where they could fulfill their “cold requirement”, you can still plant them. Plant as soon as possible. They will probably bloom this spring, though later than normal. If they don’t bloom, they should bloom in subsequent years and at the regular time.

Planting now actually has one advantage over fall planting—you’ll be able to see the location of your current bulbs. Their foliage will already be peeking out of the ground and you can avoid injuring them with your shovel.

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Text by Bob Orazi
Photo by Ryan Fessenden, Florida Museum of Natural History

Looking for an outdoor container plant that can double as a houseplant?  Consider the Brazilian plume.

Its pink pine-cone like clusters can brighten up a partially shaded walkway or garden, blooming from early summer to fall. It also comes in red, white, orange, as well as different shades of pink.

When night temperatures fall into the 50s, bring this tropical indoors for the winter and enjoy its shiny bronze-green leaves, which are about 8 inches long with the texture of leatherleaf  viburnum.

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Q: My friend’s puppy is throwing up some kind of larvae that the vet said not a normal animal parasite. We figure she ate something out in the yard. Can you identify this thing from the attached photos?  We are stumped and dog is in distress.

A: After looking at the photos, our entomologist has identified it as a type of cutworm, Noctua pronuba, the larvae of the large yellow underwing moth. This cutworm is unusual because it is a winter feeder.  High numbers of them can show up in winter, feeding at night on lawns or agricultural fields planted with a winter cover crop. Your puppy must have gorged himself on one of these larval outbreaks.

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Sycamore, American planetree

Plantanus occidentalis

Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

Seeing the bark of this white giant glow against a blue winter sky is truly a thrill.

A sycamore is not for the faint of heart or small of yard however. It grows at a fast clip, up to almost 2 feet a year, reaching 75 to 100 feet (or much higher). Along with tulip poplar, it is the tallest of the East Coast native trees. 

But it is magnificent at a time of year when few plants are, the white exfoliating bark being its best feature. It is also valuable for native birds and wildlife. 

The big 3-5 lobed and serrated leaves appear fairly late in spring. Insignificant flowers give rise to single dangling seed balls that add winter interest. 

Occurring naturally in rich, deep bottomlands or along streams and rivers, sycamores should be situated not too close to houses or manicured landscapes.

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Categories: Plant_of_Week, University of Maryland Extension
        

Q: The stink bug invasion continues. Not a day goes by without me killing at least four. My infestation is out of control. Can anything be done? They seem to get through window screens.

A: Stinkbugs are not coming into your house from the outside at this time of year.  This invasive brown marmorated stinkbug needs to "hibernate" this time of year. He looks for a sheltered place in the fall. Back in its native Asia, he hides in cliff cracks, but here the closest thing seems to be house siding and crevices.

Stinkbugs wander into your home interior by accident. They do not want to be in your rooms, because being active in your house is going to kill them eventually. They cannot eat, spread disease, bite, or reproduce in your rooms.
 
Please do not spray any toxic chemicals.  It will only waste your money and possibly sicken you or your family. Do not use a "bomb," which may kill multitudes of sleeping stinkbugs in your walls, but then you'll have decaying bug bodies that attract other bugs which eat dead bugs! Call us for a variety of healthy indoor disposal methods.

When it warms up in spring, the stinkbugs overwintering in the walls of your home will disperse into the landscape (where they will do their real damage--destroying our crops).  Some will be confused and head the wrong way into your home.  This also happens when we have a warm spell in the winter.

Unfortunately, no easy solutions for this invasive pest exist yet.  Much research is being done.  Stay tuned for progress. This stinkbug is spreading over the U.S. and is here to stay, but its high numbers will likely temper somewhat in the years ahead. It is a vivid reminder that we need to protect our country from imported pests.

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Santolina chamaecyparissus

Text by Ellen Nibali

Photo by Virginia Williams

Aromatic leaves make this evergreen herb a “deer-proof” addition to the garden. In addition, the finely incised foliage, available in silver or green, retains its good looks through winter.

Normally growing 1 to 2 feet, santolina makes a good border, low hedge, or knot garden plant which you can lightly shear and shape all summer.

The dwarf variety Nana stays a compact 10 inches. You can enjoy the bright yellow button flowers or remove them to keep a tighter form.

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Q: After a windy day, one of our healthy shrubs was lying sideways. When I went to straighten it, it came out of the ground in my hands!  Not a single root is left—just a stump, with little gouges.  What caused that?

A: Voles.  With their sharp rodent teeth, these “meadow mice” can gnaw off sturdy roots and strip bark from the base of trees, girdling and killing them. They also consume bulbs and roots of herbaceous plants. 

 Look closely nearby. You should find some of their burrow entrances, the size of a quarter, without dirt kicked up around them. Position snap mouse traps baited with peanut butter at the entrances. At the end of winter, they’ll be extra hungry for the bait.

Meanwhile, pull back any mulch or ground cover close to plant bases.  These provide hiding places for voles where they safely gnaw on your plants. Vole population can multiply to form large destructive colonies.

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Grape Ivy, Oak Leaf Ivy

Cissus rhombifolia

Photo and Text by Marian Hengemihle

This no-fuss houseplant actually is a member of the grape family though it has evergreen foliage. Its medium to dark green glossy leaves are divided into three leaflets with coarsely toothed margins. Stems are covered in soft brown hairs.

There are several cultivars of grape ivy, but the oak leaf species sports oak leaf like foliage with a fine texture.

The growth habit is climbing/trailing and looks elegant in containers and hanging baskets. It prefers bright indirect light so avoid direct sun.

Grow grape ivy in normal room temperatures. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Fertilize an actively growing plant from early spring to fall.

You can pinch back the growing tips to produce dense foliage. Large plants can be cut back by a third in the early spring and stems tied to supports when needed. Trim side shoots to about an inch long.

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Q: Two winters ago when I reached the bottom of my old wood pile, I found ants in the lower logs. I sprayed them and discarded the wood, afraid to burn it indoors after spraying.  I sprayed the area for ants before and after I purchased new wood the next fall. I also sprayed this summer.  This week I picked up some logs and found small black ants nesting halfway up the pile. They are hibernating but alive. Can I spray the wood with an insecticide that would be safe to burn in the house?

A: It’s not possible to eliminate every ant around your wood pile, and that’s to your benefit.  Ant tunneling aerates the soil and lifts up deep nutrients to where plants can use then. Without them, we would be up to our eyeballs in accumulated dead plant and animal matter. Ants even consume insect pests—termites are their arch enemies. There is no insecticide that can be sprayed on firewood without making it useless for burning.

Elevate the pile so it does not contact soil.  Use it within a year if possible.  Old wood contacting the soil decomposes, becomes “doughy” and, when the ground freezes, is impossible to pry up. Small black ants would not be nesting inside good firewood (carpenter ants are big) but between logs or under bark.  Dislodge with a sharp smack, remove bark, or throw directly on the fire. Do not store indoors.

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Nellie Stevens holly

Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’

Text and photo by Virginia Williams

At 15 to 25 feet in height, Nellie Stevens is a holly hybrid that can be grown as an evergreen shrub or pyramidal small tree.

One of its strengths is that it can be pruned severely without ill effect.  Happily, then, its branches can be cut and enjoyed for holiday decorations.

Leaves are lustrous and dark green with two or three teeth on each side of the leaf.  The bright red berries often grow in sizeable clusters that make them stand out all the better.

Very vigorous and moderately fast growing, Nellie Stevens can be used as a specimen plant or in rows for a privacy hedge.  It prefers high organic, low pH soils and has best berry set in full sun.  That being said, it tolerates just about any growing conditions once established.

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Q: Any hope of planting a Christmas tree without a root-ball? My boyfriend hates to see anything die. The more he watered our tree, the more it flourished. It actually started sprouting new buds! A nursery told us that maybe we could use a root hormone to make it grow roots.  I hate to be a skeptic but is this possible? Or should we just lay our tree to rest in the woods from whence it came?

A: Sorry, there is no hope for growing a Christmas tree without a root ball.  Rooting hormones will only work on vegetative cuttings.  Those sprouting buds you see are not new ones the tree is producing now, but rather buds which the tree produced last summer for next year's growth. After the buds open, no further growth will happen.

All is not lost, however. After the holidays, decorate your tree outdoors for the birds to enjoy. Dip pinecones in peanut butter, then roll in birdseed.  The birds will love it.

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Spathiphyllum wallisi

Text and photo by Virginia Williams

Peace lily, or flame plant, is one of the easiest houseplants to grow.  It wants to be pot bound, doesn’t want direct sunlight, and would rather be underwatered than overwatered.

Its long, dark lance-shaped leaves look good year round.  The “lily” is actually a spike of tiny yellow blooms set off by a white spathe, which wraps around like a flame or sail.

Soil should be kept evenly moist, allowing the top half inch to dry between waterings. Peace lily prefers high humidity but tolerates average household conditions.  Supply medium light.

Fertilize February through July with dilute fertilizer, being careful not to burn the sensitive roots. Organic fertilizer is a good idea, because salts from fertilizer or water softeners will cause leaf margins to brown, as will overwatering.

Dust leaves occasionally to maintain their luster.

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Q: Our newly planted tree is very top heavy. It’s so tall that we can’t stake it that high up. How can we keep it from snapping at the first heavy ice or snow?

A: Lash a long (lightweight) stake along the trunk and up the leader branch of the tree to help support the top growth.  Although new trees need all the foliage they can get, you could lightly and judiciously thin the top growth to reduce weight.  See our online pruning publication for tips:    http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/documents/HG84Pruningornamentalplants_000.pdf

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Pieris japonica ‘Variegata’

Photo and Text by Virginia Williams

Looking for a shrub to lighten up a shady corner?  Variegated andromeda can do it—and brighten drab winter days as well.

This evergreen shrub grows slowly to as much as twelve feet high and eight feet in spread with a neat habit and stiff spreading branches. Leaves are arranged in distinctive rosettes.

Its flowers are among the earliest in spring, appearing for two or three weeks March to April. The white to off-white blossoms spill over the green leaves in pendulous panicles. The flowers’ urn shape suggests lily-of the valley and, in fact, another name for andromeda is lily of the valley shrub. Unlike lily of the valley, though, these blooms are only slightly fragrant.

Andromeda prefers moist, acid, well-drained soil and grows well in sun or shade.  A location too hot and dry encourages lace bugs.

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Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Nanine Hartzenbusch

Q: Last year, the Christmas tree selection process nearly ended in divorce for my wife and me.  How do I select the perfect Christmas tree?

A: Individuals have particular preferences, of course, regarding size, shape and type of tree.  But here are some tips for a good-looking tree that might help make the holiday season more joyful for you and your spouse:

* Don't wait till the last minute.  Choices invariably narrow as December 25 approaches.
* Choose your tree in daylight and at leisure. It's easy to overlook major defects when you’re rushing on a cold night in a poorly lit sales yard.
* Inspect the needles closely.  They should be turgid (not limp) and well-filled.  Avoid trees with whitish or shriveled needles.  A good test for freshness is to bend a few needles to a 90 angle and give a steady pull.  The needles should bend and not break.
* Lift the tree up and hit the butt end on a hard surface.  If lots of green needles shatter and fall, the tree is too dry.

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Ilex x meserveae

Photo and text by Marian Hengemihle

If you are seeking berries and beautiful holly foliage, these hybrids are the plants for you.

Meserve hollies are an entire group of hybridized plants including Blue Hollies, the China Series, and others.

The growth habit of these broadleaved evergreens ranges from dense and shrubby to pyramidal. They can serve as hedges, specimens, understory plants, or informal barrier plantings.

Cultivars sport blue-green or green shiny leaves with spines on the leaf margins. Small white flowers are produced in April/May and attract pollinators. Female plants produce bright red berries in autumn. You will need a specific variety of male pollinator nearby for good fruit set.

Robins, catbirds, and mockingbirds relish the berries and can take refuge in the canopy. Most hollies in this family grow to about 8 feet in height and width, but it varies by cultivar.

Prefers moist well drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Plants are cold hardy but avoid windswept locations that dry out leaves. Little pruning is needed for these carefree evergreens

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Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Jed Kirschbaum

Q: I still have a row of turnips and carrots in the vegetable garden.  The tops are frozen but are the roots still okay to eat?

A: You'll need to dig some of your remaining root crops to determine their eating quality.  Root crops planted in late summer or early fall can often be overwintered in Maryland if covered with a deep blanket of straw or chopped leaves after the tops die back.  A thick mulch insulates the edible roots.  Unprotected carrots and turnips tend to lose their eating quality when they shrivel and rot due to repeated cycles of freezing and thawing temperatures.

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Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Picea glauca ‘Conica’

Text and photo by Ellen Nibali

With a perfect “Christmas tree” shape, dense foliage, and extremely slow growth, dwarf Alberta spruce has been a favorite since discovered in 1904. Remember--it’s “Alberta” as in Alberta, Canada, a much cooler environment than Maryland.

Fairly adaptable nevertheless, this spruce likes well drained moist soil, full sun, and will tolerate some shade. Baking drought and reflected light (e.g. off house siding), however, can lead to spider mites. Encourage predator insects that eat spider mites by only spraying with horticultural oil or soap or simply hosing them off the tree.

The thin needles of Alberta spruce give a fuzzy appearance. Growing only 2-4” yearly, it can reach 10-12 feet in height, so give it space to spread. The pyramidal shape lends itself to balanced and formal designs as well as shrub and mixed borders.    

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Q: Is it too late to mulch around shrubs and perennials?  Does timing cause problems?

A: In fall, it is early mulching, not late, that can be a problem. Wait to apply fall mulch until after several killing frosts.  Mulch applied too early may retain abnormal warmth in the soil.  This can cause new growth to start, resulting in damage to the plant.

Keep mulch a few inches away from trunks to discourage voles from tunneling up to bark and gnawing on it over the winter.

Also, mulch piled on perennial crowns encourages rot, so go lightly there.

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Categories: Q_and_A, University of Maryland Extension
        

Willow oak

Quercus phellos

Text and photo by Ellen Nibali

No leaves to rake up?  Under a big shade tree?  Sounds like a dream, but willow oaks come closest.

The long, thin leaves, so unusual for an oak, disperse by autumn winds and can seemingly disappear in the landscape. Mowing speeds up their decomposition.

Leaves unfurl yellow-bronze in spring, maturing to a deep green.  Fall color ranges from yellow to bronze to reddish-browns.

This east coast native reaches about 40-60 feet or higher in a highly favorable spot.  Pyramidal in youth, willow oaks become more spreading and oval with age. Saplings may need pruning to encourage a single leader.  Very flexible in its cultural requirements, willow oak prefers moist well-drained soil.  Transplant when dormant.     

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A: Bulbs do not store well for long periods of time—a few weeks at most.  It is best to plant them immediately.  When this is not possible, store them in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator (cool and dry).  Discard bulbs that become dried up or mushy.  You can plant until soil freezes.  In a pinch, plant them in containers that drain and cover them with a big pile of mulch or leaves. Plant out in ground next year.

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Mitchella repens

Text by Ellen Nibali

Photo by Virginia Williams

This delicate ground hugging plant is that prized rarity—a native evergreen ground cover.

Its highly fragrant flowers are borne in white or pinkish pairs over a long period spring to summer. These are followed by red berries (drupes, really) that appear from fall into winter, giving it four charming seasons of interest. Slowly, it forms a dark green mat about 2” high, provided you have a spot it likes—and it’s not unreasonable.

An Eastern woodland native, it needs full shade and acid soil, moist but well-drained, that is as much like a forest floor as possible. Amend soil generously with leaf compost, peat, or ground pine fine amendments where necessary.

Purchase as a container plant with a good amount of native soil attached.

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Categories: Plant_of_Week, University of Maryland Extension
        

Cherry Laurel photo courtesy of Dave's Garden

Q: Is it too late to transplant an aucuba or an Otto Luyken cherry laurel? I was told fall is a great time to transplant.

A: There is a short list of plants that do not respond well to fall transplanting. Broad-leaved evergreens are on the list.  This is probably because their wide leaf surfaces lose moisture throughout the winter.  In the process of transplanting, some roots are usually lost or damaged and thus cannot supply as much moisture as the plant needs.

If you are able to dig a big rootball that does not disturb your plants’ roots, they may weather transplanting just fine. Water them during any dry periods this fall.

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Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

The magenta pink leaves of Virginia creeper bring surprising fall color wherever it grows - and it grows just about anywhere.

Birds relish its blue berries and spread them liberally. A great food source for wildlife, it can grow in full shade to full sun, city to sandy seashore, and just about anywhere in between.

Its five leaves are arranged in fan-like clusters (palmate). It’s often confused with poison ivy, but poison ivy has clusters of three leaves and the vines are hairy, whereas Virginia creeper vines are not.
  

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A: Use their natural instincts against them.  When threatened, they drop.  Hold a flat-sided container with about one inch of soapy water under them. If they don’t drop in, brush or nudge them in.  They’ll die in a minute.

For stinkbugs on the ceiling or up high, attach a container to a pole or tangle them in a mop head to get them down.  When you get a number of drowned ones collected, flush them or throw them in a garden bed to add to the organic material.

Caught gently, they rarely feel threatened and release their stinky odor. They cannot bite, spread disease, eat, or reproduce indoors.  Eventually they will die, because at this time of year they should be resting in diapause (like hibernation), not using up their energy wandering around your house. Don’t spray insecticides indoors.

Much research is being devoted to this pest. Contact us for updates next year. For huge indoor stinkbug populations, give us a call.

Continue reading "University of Maryland Garden Q&A: more on stinkbugs" »

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Cornus florida

Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

Indulge in a dogwood. Today’s Appalachian series of dogwoods is highly disease resistant. Heralds of autumn, dogwoods are the first to adopt plum, rose or salmon hues. 

Plant your dogwood so you can enjoy seasonal interest up close.  In fall red berries are lacquer-shiny and gobbled by birds. 

When leaves drop, gray “flower buds” have already formed, like tiny flattened turbans, at twig tips. 

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Q: Saw your alert about Thousand canker disease on Facebook.  How can I protect my black walnut trees?

A: Thousand canker disease was introduced from its natural habitat west of the Rockies into Tennessee. Now, citizens must help to keep it out of Maryland.  DO NOT bring firewood into Maryland.  Diseased and dying trees are often the first ones cut for firewood.  Also, be alert for diseased black walnut wood or lumber shipped in (illegally) for use in building or crafts. 
For additional information on the disease go to http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/0812_alert.pdf.

If you suspect you see the disease, notify the Home and Garden Information Center and send us photos, so that we can contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture which will work to stop the spread of Thousand canker disease.

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Chelone lyonii, Chelone glabra

Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

Terps fans should like this native plant that blooms during football season in the shape of a turtle’s head.

White turtlehead Chelone glabra is the primary host plant for the endangered Baltimore checkerspot butterfly, a black, gold and white beauty. The leaves provide food for the caterpillar stage.

A bit of a misnomer, white turtlehead may also be pink or purple. Chelone lyonii, common name pink turtlehead (pictured above) is true to its name however, with pink flowers protruding from stalks with handsome glossy leaves.

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Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Nanine Hartzenbusch

Q: My 130-year-old oak tree is dropping a tremendous number of acorns, more than I’ve ever seen. An arborist told me that acorns are a sign of distress in the tree and not a prediction of a cold winter to come. Your thoughts? What can I do with all these acorns?

A: When oak trees produce massive acorn crops, it is called masting. This happens at intervals of about 3 to 5 years, and the same species tend to mast on the same years. The reason is uncertain. It may be weather related—e.g. summer 2009 was unusually moist and favorable to plant growth. Or it may be a survival strategy—i.e.by producing more acorns than acorn-eaters such as squirrels can eat. It is true that declining plants may hike up seed production in a last gasp attempt to reproduce before they die, but with oak trees this is not necessarily the cause.

You can shred your acorns and compost them for use in garden beds or as top dressing on your lawn. Or donate your acorns. The Maryland state tree nursery has a huge annual need for acorns from all native oaks. Citizens can donate collected acorns. Large quantities are preferred but a 5 gallon bucket is welcome and takes hardly any time or effort to fill. The only caveat is that the species of acorns be kept segregated.

Interested? Call 410-260-8583 or email DRider@dnr.state.md.us for more information.

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Catttail

Typha

Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

Cattails are as American as apple pie and edible, too.

Fond childhood memories include lighting them to make smoky punks, but cattails have been used for everything from baskets to boats by Native Americans and peoples around the globe.

The narrow leaves arise from reedy clumps. In late summer, beige flower spikes usually go unnoticed, but by early fall they become the velvety brown seedheads we know so well. 

Birds nest in the stalks and eat the seed. Wildlife feed on the fleshy rhizomes. 

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Q: My newly sprouted grass is 3 inches tall. It’s very tender, should I mow now? Should I fertilize?

A: When tall fescue reaches the recommended mowing height of 3-3 ½ inches, allow it to grow another inch, then mow.  For good turf management, always try to remove no more than 1/3rd of the grass blade per mowing. Mowing turf too short is a top cause of poor lawns.  Short turf lets light get down to weed seeds, encouraging them to grow, and it stresses your grass by removing too much of the blade at once.
 
The starter fertilizer you applied when you sowed the grass seed should last 4 to 6 weeks, then a regular fall maintenance fertilization can be applied.

See the HGIC fact sheet, Lawn Establishment, Renovation & Overseeding: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg102.pdf.

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Rose-of-Sharon ‘Helene’

Hibiscus syriacus ‘Helene’

Text and photo by Ellen Nibali

Though you don’t think of rose-of-Sharon as a fall bloomer, this champ of the summer garden blooms its head off well into autumn.

‘Helene’ is one of four triploids named for Greek goddesses developed by the U.S. National Arboretum. 

These varieties are virtually sterile, unlike the old rose-of-Sharons whose unwanted volunteers always made them such a nuisance. The flowers are huge and dramatic compared to the old varieties, too.

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A: Because many of them are using the same hole, they are probably yellow jackets, a wasp that forms colonies in voids, often in the ground. Yellow jackets are voracious predators of plant-feeding insects such as caterpillars and beetles which they feed their young, so they are a big help to homeowners.

On the other hand, they may sting if you disturb their nest. Adults feed primarily on sources rich in sugars and carbohydrates, such as fruits, flower nectar, and the occasional soda.  With heavy freezes, they all die except the queen, who leaves and overwinters elsewhere.

Yellow jackets are so beneficial that we recommend ignoring a nest when it’s located where it will not be disturbed, but your nest is too close. Go ahead and spray the hole at dusk with an aerosol hornet and wasp spray.

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Butternut squash Cucurbita moschata

Text and photo by Ellen Nibali

Almost time to harvest this popular winter squash after the long summer's wait. 

Stored indoors at 50-55 degrees, butternut squash can be enjoyed for months. Its lovely orange flesh is creamy, not stringy, with a sweet nutty flavor. 

In spring, plant 3 to 4 seeds together at 3-foot intervals after danger of frost.  Select the strongest seedling in each group and clip off others.

Don’t be surprised when only male flowers are produced for the first 1 to 2 weeks before females appear.  This is normal. Encourage pollinators by avoiding pesticides.

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Q: My son saw a snake in our basement, but when I went down, it was gone.  Now I am completely creeped out not knowing where it is!  What do we do?

A: Put a wet towel on the basement floor.  Overnight, it should crawl underneath seeking a moist environment. Then place a tall flat-sided trash can on its side and quickly, using a rake or broom, shove the towel with the snake into the trash can.  Take the snake to a natural area and release.  Snakes are beneficial. They do not want to be in your house, because they cannot survive when confined there for any length of time.  They accidentally find their way inside. Check your home’s foundation for cracks, including around windows and utilities, and fill cracks with caulk or weatherstripping. Keep the foundation clear of leaves, firewood, or other objects that might provide cover for critters.

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Categories: Q_and_A, University of Maryland Extension
        

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Text and photo by Ellen Nibali

Used as medicine by Native Americans, boneset is a plant that, once recognized, you see everywhere. Happiest in damp environments, it flourishes by roadsides with bone-white blooms from July until October.

Its fondness for moisture makes it a good candidate for rain gardens or any damp spot, but it is flexible and grows in full sun to some shade and any soil except very dry. 

Its curious leaves clasp completely around the 1- to 5-foot stems, so the stem appears to “perforate” the leaves, hence its botanical name.

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Q: Can you identify this magnificent caterpillar? It resembles a dragon in a Chinese New Year's parade!  Friend or foe? It's nothing I'd want to wake up in the middle of the night and find sitting on my chest, though I suspect it's harmless.

A: The scary appearance is strictly to warn away predators.  It is a treat, though a bit shocking, to see a Hickory Horn Devil, the humongous larval stage (caterpillar) of the also huge Royal Walnut Moth.  You should return it to the area where you found it. It feeds on hickory, walnut, pecan, sweet gum, and sumac leaves.

Q: All of a sudden, I can’t find lawn fertilizer with phosphorus.  Why is that?  I need to do my fall fertilization.

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Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum

This native grass is found in fresh or brackish marshes, wet meadows, prairies, dunes, even open wooded areas—in short, almost anywhere. 

The handsome green blades reach 3 to 6 feet.  In late summer, they are topped by wispy clouds of seedheads, changing appearance with each angle of the sun.

Give them full sun or a little shade, at most.  Non-demanding about soil or water, the clumps slowly enlarge and are good for erosion control.

Some self seedling may occur. Foliage turns tawny brown in fall and can be cut back in spring or not. New blades will grow through it.

The variety ‘Shenandoah’ has red foliage.

Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

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Photo courtesy of Purdue University

Again today, the University of Maryland Extension experts answer your garden questions.

Do you have garden questions? Send them to the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. Click on the tab "Send a question" on the left.

Q: My Black-eyed Susans’ leaves got blotches and turned brown. What can I do to save them?

A: Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) get a leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Septoria. It starts as angular leaf spots which grow into blotches and can brown the entire leaf. Control requires good sanitation.

In fall, after frost kills foliage, cut off and dispose of all above-ground portions of the plants. This removes contaminated debris which would infect next year. Avoid overhead watering which splashes infection onto lower foliage where it then moves upward.

Thin plants and keep them weeded to encourage good air circulation which promotes quicker drying of foliage. This disease doesn’t usually kills the plant. You can apply a preventive copper fungicide or chlorothalonil spray.

Q: Many mushrooms are popping up in my lawn. I just had soil testing done for my lawn and it has pH 6.6. Is that a problem? How do I prevent mushrooms?

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‘White Nancy’ sparkles in all-green gardens or shady corners.  Ground cover lamiums grow 6 to 8 inches tall and evergreen. The ‘White Nancy’ variety has frosty white leaves. Ordinary lamium has only a white or yellow midvein stripe.

In spring or early summer, ‘White Nancy’ sports white flower clusters, while other lamiums are purple-pink.

 Lamium spreads slowly into a 1-2 foot mat. Average garden soil suits it fine. Generally, lamiums tolerate sun to shade, but ‘White Nancy’ does best is partial shade.

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Again today, the University of Maryland Extension experts answer your garden questions.

Do you have garden questions? Send them to the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. Click on the tab "Send a question" on the left.

Q: My tomatoes have big cracks on top. I have been growing the same variety of plants for many years, and the ones in the ground are still okay.  Only the ones growing in pots are cracking.

A: One cause of cracking is excessive or uneven moisture. Cracking tends to happen when we have a lot of rain following a dry period, causing fruits to swell quickly. We did have droughts this summer, but since you have not had this problem in the past, we bet that you water your plants consistently.  Cracking can also be exacerbated by very high temperatures, which we also suffered, and this is probably the culprit in your case. Plants in a pot get even hotter than those with roots in the cooler ground. Try to cool off potted plants by mulching or moving the pots to a cooler location (such as off the deck onto the lawn.) Cracking can also be caused by excessive nitrogen, and some tomato varieties are more prone to it than others. 

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Photo credit: Ellen Nibali

Butterfly weed

Asclepias tuberose

Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees flock to this midsummer perennial flower. Besides brilliant orange, its clusters of tiny flowers come in yellow or red-orange, and leaves are a favorite food of the monarch butterfly caterpillar.

After blooming, flowers turn into long seed capsules like small milkweed pods which are attractive in dried arrangements. Left on the plant, they split open and release feathery white fluffs blown away on the wind, each carrying one seed.

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Today we begin a weekly garden question and answer session with the experts at the University of Maryland Extention.

Do you have garden questions? Send them to the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. Click on the tab "Send a question" on the left.

Q:  My lawn is a mess of crabgrass and burned up spots.  When do I reseed:  fall or spring?

A:  This summer was brutal on lawns, even the drought and disease tolerant tall fescue well adapted to Maryland. If your lawn is more than 50 percent weeds, we recommend starting over so you don’t waste money and time on a lost cause. Early fall is the very best time to reseed because your young seedlings will have three seasons to establish roots before they are hit by a Maryland summer. Beginning in late August, kill your existing weeds and turf by tilling it under or, when temperatures are below 90 degrees, spray your lawn with a glyphosate herbicide. Rake perennial weeds and debris out of tilled soil. After seeding, be sure to keep seeds moist until they germinate.  Spring is the second best time to seed, but young seedlings may not make it through a tough summer. We have two publications on lawn renovation on our website: www.hgic.umd.edu.

Q:  Stinkbugs are already congregating on my house--but not my neighbors’ houses! They were between a window frame and a spot light. I had a terrible time with them inside last winter. Help!

A:  The brown marmorated stinkbug that overwinters indoors is probably attracted to your outdoor light.  Outdoor lights that are left on all night attract many other pests, too.  Keep all outdoor light turned off unless necessary. To prevent stinkbugs from overwintering in your home this autumn, caulk and weatherstrip your doors, windows, any crevices, cracks, or where utilities enter your home.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Fiscus carica

Yes, with care you can grow figs in Maryland.

This subtropical grows 15 to 30 feet tall in average soil and full sun. Hardy to 15-20 degrees, it will spring back if killed to the ground.

However, to produce ripe fruit reliably, figs need a long hot growing season and protection from freezing temperatures. A protected southern exposure is recommended. Avoid low spots where cold air settles.

Brown Turkey and Celeste are two reliable cultivars here.

Figs pruned to a shrub are easier to protect than a tree shape.

In fall, pin pliable branches to the ground and cover, or encircle the fig with chicken wire or bubble wrap and fill with leaves or straw.

Alternatively, plant in a container and overwinter in a garage. In spring remove winter protection after danger of frost.

-Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Plant_of_Week, University of Maryland Extension
        

Today, Garden Variety welcomes her new partners in gardening, the University of Maryland Extension staff!

Every Tuesday here on Garden Variety, beginning today, we will feature Ellen Nibali's "Plant of the Week," complete with photos and growing information.

And each Thursday, the Extension staff will answer your gardening questions. Visit the Home and Garden Information Center website and submit your questions in the "Send a Question" feature and we will get an answer for you. There's is plenty of gardening information there, too.

And there's more!

Continue reading "Garden Variety's new partner" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Plant_of_Week, Q_and_A, University of Maryland Extension