Here we go. The Primula are starting to grow in the backyard. The lavender survived in the front yard. Spring has sprung.

And with spring springing comes along a veritable tidal wave of questions on my various websites. A gardening tsunami and I’m about to be overwhelmed. I do take the weekends off now (gotta work on the boat and the garden) so I don’t usually spend too much computer time. It takes me most of the rest of the week to catch up now. LOL! You guys are great!

I do pay attention to the questions you ask and the searches you make on my sites. If you search for something that isn’t on the site, it gets put on my to-write list. If you ask a question that hasn’t been written about, it gets put on my to-write list. (Man, you should see that list!) ;-)

So how do you find information you need? There’s two steps to do this. The first is to go to http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com and use the search box on the main page. This will give you all the newsletter archives and you’ll be able to see if a question has been asked before (or one close to it). Then go to http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com and you’ll see a search box on the main page. Enter your search question there. It will search through all the articles I’ve written and bring up relevant links. I might be missing a few articles right now but I’m doing a major search myself to find them and should have them all up there by Friday night.

I put a new free gardening e-book “How to Garden With Kids” up at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com Use the “free stuff” tab on the left hand side of the screen to find it and you can download this report or pass it along to friends.

I’ve just finished a major family project that has occupied my time and energy for the past several months and I’m delighted to be able to focus on my writing and gardens again. I think you’ll see a lot more articles come down the pipe in the next few months. I don’t know if I’ll catch up but I have high hopes.

I’m also exploring other ways to get information to you that you can use. I’m researching other ebooks, on-line seminars and educational courses to help your gardens work better for you. I’ll be asking you about some of these things in the near future.

New Articles for You

All my new articles are listed here. Click on the archives link at the site to see others.

Want to ask a question? Click here to ask a gardening question.http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/askagardeningquestion.html

Your Questions Answered

What effect does underground water rich in sulphur and iron have on plants? When we water the water actuall oxidises and turns red/brown on the soil. Would it harm the plants?

A: Interesting question! You’re looking at a possible iron toxicity problem. If the plants absorb too much iron, the primary symptom will be a “bronzing” of the leaves with some spotting on leaf interveins. The leaves will eventually turn an ugly shade of orange-brown and die. If you see a “narrowing” of the leaves although they stay green, this too is a symptom although you should see the leaf tips go orange-brown and die in these condtions. If the leaves go “purple-brown” then you really have an iron problem.

This problem is mostly seen in lowland areas where the soil stays waterlogged. I don’t recall having heard of problems caused by ground water like this. The red-tinge to the soil might be a localized bacteria or fungi growing (I’ve seen that even in my own garden on the odd occasion)

Short answer – maybe, maybe not. If you get waterlogging, look out. But otherwise, it might even depend on the individual plant species. Some might not like it and others will tolerate it more. It is likely going to be a trial and error kind of thing.

Sulphur in ground water hasn’t stopped a few great gardeners I know from keeping wonderful gardens. Sulphur in water is mostly elemental sulphur and isn’t available to plants. It has to be transformed by soil processes into an sulphate ion form before it becomes available to plants. So, you won’t likely see a problem there.

Good question though!

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I have a side yard where my dogs must have space to run. Soil is clay and sun is full on all day except where the tall fences make shadows. They run for about one hour every night. I am having the yard re-graded so that it drains better and about a foot of stones will be put along the fence to keep them from chasing along as people walk by. (They don't like the stones on their paws.) I have tried grass in the area...What do think I can put down that will hold. I can keep them off part of the area while something gets extablished, then switch sides. Is there a ground cover? Is there a new type of grass? Is there a weed? Can you help me. They are often covered in muck and mud afer their little playtime.

A: Is there a plant that will take this much foot traffic by pets. In a word, “Nope”. :-( Astroturf would do the job for a while until it wore out. But contrary to what folks think about ground covers and what a few horticultural ads will tell you, there is absolutely no plant that will function as a ground cover under heavy foot traffic. (dog runs qualify for heavy foot traffic) If grass won’t survive – nothing will survive.

Sorry.

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Just went through the Perennials section and thought of a question to ask you. We have a slope in the front yard. It is facing east so it gets only afternoon sun. It is quite a steep slope. Right now I have mushroom manure on it but I am anxious to plant it. But I don't want to junk it up. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you. Helen

A: Hmmm, I’m kinda partial to daylilies on areas where you can’t mow. They spread and fill in nicely so that they do fight off the weeds as much as anything. They look rather grass-like so when the inevitable grass invades, it isn’t such an eyesore. And if you get the newer varieties, they flower for extended periods of time so the area looks good most of the summer. They are more expensive than other options but you didn’t ask for a “cheap” alternative for slopes.

p.s. if you want a cheap alternative for slopes, hang tough with me for a bit – I have the ground cover section on my to-write list.

p.p.s. Why do people insist on using mushroom compost? It is much more expensive than peat moss. It is essentially straw that was heavily fertilized and composted in order to grow mushrooms. It is usually heavily laced with salts so that plants don’t grow well in it (until it has been well leached by the rains). It contains almost no nutrients. It is the most expensive form of organic matter you can buy. But it has a great press agent.

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Where we live in Williamsburg the property is apparently over a spring. The back yard is almost all swamp - is there a plant or someething we can put on it to make it less mushy? What's your best advice? I can give you more details if you want.

A: Something for mushy ground. NO problem! Plant drainage tile about three feet deep and that will take care of the problem.

Plants won’t make the ground less mushy unless you have a decade or ten to wait for them to leave a lot of leaf litter on top of the soil and build up the level. And in Virginia where you get good heat in the summer, organic matter tends to disapper quickly (which is btw one reason it is so tough to garden in Florida and other southern states –the organic matter disappears quickly)

You can however grow plants that like bog-like conditions – check out the lists on the perennial site as well as the water garden site. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Hey – what’s with it this week –I’m picking letters that I have to give bad news to. This is not a good thing gang. So write a question that I can answer with a positive answer will ya? :-)

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I just moved to a new home -- previous owners planted many spring bulbs but in no pattern -- The area is full sun. Can you dig these up and move them around? When is a good time to do that? Thanks! Great web site!

A: Well, the best time to dig up and move bulbs is just after their leaves have started going yellow in early summer. That means the bulbs have topped themselves off with energy for producing next year’s flower buds and you can still find them. The second best time is in the fall. But having said that, yes you can dig them up and move them while the leaves are still green. Replant at the same depth as before. Leave the green leaves above the soil line and do not bury those leaves. You might lose the odd one and you might lose a year’s flowering. But the bulbs should recover and survive. Bulbs are amazingly tough critters.

But having said that- unless you’re moving bulbs around to improve the design, why move the bulbs. If you’re only moving houses, don’t bother digging them up – leave them as presents for the new owner. For the small amount of money a whole new collection will cost, it is not worth the effort. Having just moved several times in the last few years, I can tell you that moving bulbs would be the very last thing I’d consider doing. My rare perennials on the other hand have had wheels installed they move so often.

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I planted some beautiful pink daffodil/narcissus bulbs in a 12" diam.+ 12" deep plastic pot and left it outdoors in the garden for the winter. I did this because I was not sure where I wanted to place them permanently.All my other bulbs (planted in the ground)are about 3-6" tall and there was no sign of life in the pot so I dumped it out and found to my dismay that the bulbs had frozen. If I put bulbs in a pot in the future, should I keep the pot dry, on the screened in back porch, or will they freeze there also? Should watering be started after the leaves start to show (if bulbs are not frozen)? Thanks for any help you can offer. I sympathize with you for the loss of your flowers in the large pot of bulbs.

A: Will the pot freeze on your back porch? I dunno – how cold is your back porch? If below freezing – then I guess the pot will freeze too. And yes, the bulbs should be damp in the pot during their dormancy. And yes, you do have to water the soil when the leaves start to grow. There – that felt much better to be able to say “yes”. :-) And yes, I’ll be growing tulips again next year but this time I’ll watch the temperature swings.

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I have tried acidanthera for the past 3 years, nice green leaves but has never bloomed.I start them indoors mid March and bring them out after last frost. I fertilize them with 10-60-10 every 2 weeks. Leaves also get ratty looking, almost thread like, bugs? Any suggestios would be greatly appreciated.

I just wrote an article on acidenthera on the www.flower-garden-bulbs.com website. I’m assuming you start them in pots and then transplant them. Why not simply start them outdoors after the ground warms up. The transplanting isn’t doing them any good obviously. And as for feeding them with superphosphate, (that’s almost what you are using) I’d be a little inclined to use a more balanced food. If the leaves are simply thread like because they are so skinny – then you’re not giving the plant enough sunlight (full hot sun) Starting them indoors means they require full grow lamps. No growlamps = skinny leaves. If they are threadlike because they are being eaten outdoors, I’d suspect slugs. If not slugs but the veins are left, then you have any number of bugs that skeletonize leaves – a light dusting of rotenone as soon as you see the problem – repeated every night for a few days will stop the pests in their tracks. Good luck this spring

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I've just planted some roses and haven't allowed any space beneath the roots. Will this spoil them? Thank you.

A: OK – I give up. Did you leave rock under the roots or ??? I don’t understand how you can plant without space beneath the roots. As long as those roots are below the ground they will be fine (this reader lives in Australia). And nothing is worse than spoiled roses. “Spare the rod and spoil the roses”, my grandpappy always said. Actually he never said that but it surely sounded good to say. You probably meant, “would they live?” Again, as long as they have soil to grow in – and don’t freeze solid – they’re going to be fine. That bud union (where the roots meet the top) should be just above the soil line in your climate. If you did that – your roses will be fine. If the roots aren’t below the soil line – then I’d find deeper ground.

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I am so sad! I ordered 25 roses from Jackson & Perkins. I planted them in December. They have rooted and are in bloom. Problem, I started to notice the leaves getting beige in color on the outside of the leaf and eventually all of the leaves and the exsisting buds died, along with the whole rose. This has happened to 2 of the 25 and now I see that ALL of them are getiing the same thing??? I have looked on the net for rose diseases and whatever this is, it's not a common problem. I also ordered an oriental tree and planted that. All of the new growth (leaves) died? I have planted in peat moss and cow manuer (along with the roses). I have done rose food twice and miracle grow spray. I water every other day. Weather has been about 55-75 daily since I planted. The lowest night temp has been 50. WHAT DO I DO?

A: Well, I can see where you’re sad. Let me suggest you understand that a rose is like any other woody plant and planting it should follow the rules for planting any other plant. See the articles on my website about planting perennials or roses and follow those. You’ve essentially planted (if I understand your note correctly) your roses in peat and cow manure. This is a very acidic mix – and not a soil at all but something guaranteed to wreck almost any plant. A shovel of peat and a shovel of composted manure is all a plant needs. Mix these two in the soil as you backfill the hole with the original garden soil. (note that I seldom use peat but use compost almost exclusively)

The rose food and miracle grow have probably burned the plants as it is quite likely you’ve overfed them drastically. That’s a lot of feeding for new plants to try to absorb.

You have a transplanting problem to be sure. Again, read the instructions on the website and you’ll probably see where you’ve gone wrong. I’m sorry about your roses – it’s quite a pain when that happens.

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I have a severe problem with mosquitoes in my yard, and I was once told that Dragonflies will help keep the mosquito population down. I was curious if you had any recommendations towards how to encourage Dragonflies in my yard (besides all the tasty mosquitoes). Do you have any other natural solutions to controlling mosquitoes? Frankly, I'm tired of being their buffet. Thank you for your time.

A: OK readers – here’s where you come in. I’m recommending bird houses. I’m also suggesting you investigate bat houses (although I don’t know anybody who’s had success with them) I’m also recommending that you stay away from those plants (Coleus canina) that is supposed to repel mosquitoes (keyword is “supposed to”) I note that those blue-light bug zappers don’t catch mosquitoes but catch all the good night-flyers that eat mosquitoes.

What do you use to repel mosquitoes?

Stay tuned…

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I just found your site, and your list of bog plants is the best I've seen! After years of reading, there are many plants on this list that I'm familiar with, but never saw them sited for use in a bog. Thank You! Here's my question: The area I am trying to build a bog is naturally wet until, say May, and then periodically in the summer after rains. I have been warned about "building" a pond/bog in this area, and I hesitate to place plastic down in this area, wondering where it will force the water in the spring. The soil is heavy, and partially beneath trees, I believe somewhat acidic. Would I be better not putting plastic down? This fear has slowed my project considerably.

A: Amy asked another question as well – it’s been put on the to-write list as it involves a long list of plants. :-)

I put plastic down in dry areas that need to hold moisture in creating a bog. I don’t usually worry about it if the area holds moisture naturally. If it is only wet until May then it really doesn’t qualify as a “wet” area. If it stayed wet all summer then yes, I wouldn’t put plastic down.

Let me suggest a compromise that will solve the problem. If you excavate your bog area – make it slightly deeper than you normally would. Say 18 inches deep. Then lay your plastic but only put the edges of the plastic up the sidewalls so they come 4 to 6 inches short of the original soil line. The plastic will hold the water during the hotter months but will allow drainage over the soil during the wet months. You may have to water the bog a little during the hotter and drier years but in wet years, the natural surface drainage will carry away excessive water.

How does that sound?

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And with that – I sign off the questions for another week.

Remember –the more info you give me in your question, the better I can answer it. And do check the search boxes on my site to see if I’ve answered your question.

From My Garden To Yours

After a week of almost spring-like weather where the temperatures have hovered around freezing, I confess I’m starting to feel a little itchy to get gardening. I started watering the overwintered Arisaema seedlings a week ago and they are starting to pop up. These woodland plants usually stay in their pots for the first two seasons and then when they’re big enough, they go out into the garden. So, I should be able to plant them this fall. These particular plants are related to our native Jack-in-the-pulpit and will give an exotic look to next year’s garden.

And that’s the theme for the garden this year. I really think I need an exotic look to the containers and garden accessories this year. I found an iron plant stand I really liked at the Kingston Flower Festival and brought that home. It is currently hiding behind my front door, simply waiting for the snow to disappear from the twenty-foot square garden before it takes up residence in the back yard. It will lend a bit of a sense of foreign elegance to the garden as it is quite simple in design. The banana tree has survived the winter and its expected bout with spider mites. I was ready for them and have been spraying so much insecticidal soap that I don’t have to worry about cleaning my office again for a few years. There’s not a germ or bug left alive in here. I confess I got rid of almost all the smaller houseplants this past month. I decided I only wanted big stuff in the house and if it wasn’t big or couldn’t grow big, it visited the compost pile. And those big guys will go outdoors this summer to lend their large authority and leaves to my exotic garden.

I confess I’m also on a bit of a tear about cleaning up the place. After cleaning up the old homestead and moved family stuff hither and yon this past few weeks, I’m about to do a spring cleaning in the garden as well.

To that end, I was asked the question the other day about what I did with plants that I had grown but didn’t like overly much. Did I leave them in my garden? The simple answer to that is that if I had a really huge garden and didn’t mind watering, weeding and taking care of plants I don’t like, then yes I’d leave them in the ground or move them somewhere that didn’t offend my eyes and leave them to their own sensibilities. However, if I had less than a two-acre garden and less than ten gardeners to do the weeding, that plant was history. “But what if the plant was a shrub?” I was asked. You know, I don’t see the difference between a shrub that doesn’t bloom or grow right and a perennial that doesn’t bloom or look right. “Off with their heads!” to quote the Queen of Hearts in an Alicious kind of moment. “But it is a big plant.” returned out persistent questioner who obviously wanted me to tell her to leave the plant where it was. I wasn’t about to fall into that trap and suggested that if she was happy with a less than outstanding garden, then she should leave it alone. If she wanted to grow plants she didn’t like, then by all means keep it alive and in a prominent spot in her garden to remind her daily of how bad it was. Not me though, each plant in my garden has to perform or I’m going to do a Queen of Hearts on it. You should know that I don’t wait until fall or the next spring to do this drastic deed. I often dig the offending plant right out on the spot and toss it away. The neighbouring plants will appreciate the extra space for the summer and I don’t have to wonder just which one of all those similar looking stems I wanted to dig up when fall finally does get here.

Are there really gardeners who garden and grow plants they don’t like? I simply can not imagine why anyone would spend time taking care of garden plants they are not in love with. Grow something you like and can generate some passion for. If you like scads of impatiens, then fill your garden with impatiens (I hope the local nursery has a flat sale on impatiens this year, I’ll need a ton for my containers). If you like petunias then grow them. If your Forsythia never flowers because it is the wrong variety (you need hardy ones for zone 4 gardens) then dig it out. If the Hydrangea gives you tons of leaves but never flowers, then give it to somebody more masochistic. If the tulips are simply the wrong colour, dig them up right after they bloom and plan on finding new ones for next spring.

There are times in the garden that you simply have to prune or dig up the deadwood and move on. It is a bit of a metaphor for life I suspect. But all I know at the moment is that spring is coming. The banana tree is leaning towards the light and thinking of being outdoors. The lime and lemon trees are throwing new shoots so they think there’s enough light out there to come out of dormancy. The final sign is that I’ve already seen mud and had to scrape it off my boots.

There’s a garden under that mud. And that’s enough for me to know right now.