lavender

You just never know where you are going to find what bug or what those danged groundhogs and deer are going to eat. Unless you are at Treasure Lake where they eat everything.

Snellma, I don't know what the canna situation is yet this year. They are big heavy tubers and it might be cheaper to buy them than ship them. Of course parcel post is a lot cheaper than first class if your aren't in a hurry.

Cannas do that. I think we gave hundreds of them away one year at Community Days. There were soooooooooo many after a few years.

I've heard that the Japanese beetles are a problem with them. They don't bother the cannas where I have been growing them but then there aren't many Japanese Beetles around there. Have you seen any on yours?

Stop your making me sooooooooo jealous. I'm going to plant those radish seeds I bought even if I have to put them in a raised flower bed. Someone told me sleet tonight. I'm covering my poor crocuses to save the blooms.

Yeah, that too.  ;D

Let us know if they come true. I had some gorgeous ones last year and figured they were hybrids.

I don't think it is ever going to get warm to stay. I bought radish seeds yesterday with the intention of finding a dry spot to plant them in. The whole yard is soaked but there must be a spot somewhere.  Didn't get home in time to do it and now it is cold again. Dang!

I suppose puppies will chew anything and cats all like some greens in their diet. Our dog goes out and grazes on grass and usually promptly throws-up. Nibbling the house plants is a definite no-no. Too many of them are poisonous. Some passionflowers have an edible fruit. I think all have a poisonous root. The other parts vary depending on the species of the plant.

I thin mine is recovering from its bad bout with mealy bugs. It kind of went dormant this winter. I have hopes for it yet.

If you do plant one make sure it gets plenty of sun. I'm sure that is the problem with mine as I bought it at Alvetro's. It wasn't a named variety but it should have been nursery raised from good stock.

Remember to check for grafting if you decide to take cuttings for rooting of trees or bushes and especially roses. If a plant is grafted it probably isn't going to produce a very strong root system, which is why it is grafted in the first place. Same is true if you dig up suckers. Suckers from grafted stock aren't going to look like the plant they came from.

Cuttings are the only way of getting extra stock from hybrids. (Unless you can tissue culture in your kitchen.) That is why so many of them now say right on the tags that vegetative reproduction of the plant is prohibited. Also, why you will often find plants that look very similar to a hot new variety but they will not have tags on them. The plant police are gonna get us if we don't watch out!

It depends on what you are planting. You want to get most seeds in about 6 weeks before you set them out. Our last frost date is May 30 so you still have time. Check the back of the seed packet for the starting date for whatever you want to plant for timing. I always like to give them a couple of extra weeks so you have time to harden them off and if germination is slow they will still be ready.

The easiest way to handle it is to pot the whole thing into a plastic bag and seal it. This way it will stay moist. Put it in light but not in the sun. Make sure you have at least one node covered by powder and soil. The roots will come from these nodes. It can take any where from 2-6 months for the cutting to get enough roots to survive.

One of the best ways to root azaleas is to find a low growing branch, scrap off a bit of bark, cover it with rooting powder and pin it back down into the soil. You can cover it with some compost or mulch so that it stays moist. In a few years you will have a nice plant complete with roots that you can dig up. I've done this with great success.

Take cuttings only from a wisteria that blooms. Some of them take so long to bloom that it will drive you to distraction or maybe they never bloom. I think I have one of those. They sucker freely so perhaps you could dig up a small plant near the main one.   I don't suppose they are very difficult to root. I have never tried as the one I have is a non-blooming freely suckering nuisance. You can use the same method as with the azalea or put some rooting hormone in water. I've been told that they will root that way as well.

Depending on the species and state, native azaleas and Rhododendrons are protected by law. There are both state and federal laws governing protected species. Here is a link that might help you identify which azaleas are native to your area. If it is public property and you dig it there is the possibility of a fine if it is protected. Permission must be obtained to dig on private property and even then there can be problems. http://www.ferngullynursery.com/NativeAzaleaPlantMaps.aspx'> http://www.ferngullynursery.com/NativeAzaleaPlantMaps.aspx  

Moving a native tree from the woods into your yard is always tricky and does not always end happily. Often there are microbes in the soil that are necessary for the plant's growth. The soil in built up areas tends to be very different from woodland soil as often fill is brought in. A similar azalea that was raised in a nursery would be much more likely to survive.

Sounds very colorful. If they don't fill in to your satisfaction put in some lobelia. I love the intense blue color.

Lowe's was the only place that I saw 'Kong' last year. Lyon's is seasonal. I'm lousy with directions but I'll try. You turn right, off of Rt. 119 heading toward Falls Creek, on DuBois Street. It is a few blocks on the right. You have to turn off and drive back in and it is hard to see if he hasn't put out a sign. It is a large plastic greenhouse structure. I think that is 119 and I'm sure about DuBois Street because if you go left you get to Kohlepps.

Can the snowdrops be buried under snow without harm? The crocuses always get slimy when they get snowed on.

Beautiful! I have to get some of those.

I saw yellow crocuses blooming today at Doc Fugate's house on Maple Avenue. Mine will be weeks yet and then it will snow on them.

Here try this! Just click anywhere on the page or hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse over the page.

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

Moss appears where there is moist conditions usually from poor drainage or in areas that are damp and get little sun. It indicates poor fertility of the soil. If you improve the fertility of the soil the moss might just disappear. They first step would be to try a high nitrogen fertilizer this spring. If that doesn't work you could try adding some compost or other material that might improve the drainage of the soil. Trimming branches to allow more sun to reach the area might help.

The nice thing about the new petunias is that the 'Wave' series and those related to it don't get slimy when it rains nor do they have to be dead-headed.

Me, I'm a pushover for the colored leaf plants. I guess that is why I like the coleus. so much. I carried some over the winter.  I don't know if I'll be able to find the really bright ones this year and I did love those pots. Plug for Lyon's Greenhouse that had the most beautiful coleus last year for those who do like them.

Dianthus are a great plant and some of them make it through the winter. Mine seem to do best in full sun but we live in a valley surrounded by trees.  

It's the plant in the middle of the petunias. Comes from a non-hardy bulb. I don't have a picture of it in flower but here is a link. http://www.dutchgardens.com/Pineapple%20Lily/25441,default,pd.html

I always put it in that big iron kettle for the summer although one year I had some in the ground and they made it through one winter. Froze out the next. It is hardy where snellma is.

I took pics of the pots last year just to keep in mind what grew well. The coleus were spectacular. So were the pansies. The smaller pots didn't do as well; not enough rain and I couldn't keep them watered. I can't claim the pot at the library. That was someone else's idea and a very good one.

I've got a picture of a pot of silver 'Wave' petunias somewhere. They took over an entire very large pot the summer before last. I'll see if I can find it.  

This last set is geraniums and purple petunias from the library and callas, petunias and a really dark coleus from my yard.

The sweet potato vines might be a good option for you too.

Purple 'Wave' petunias and pineapple lily from my front porch. The second one is pansies and sweet potato vine with a mini canna in the middle also from the Brady Street lot.

Begonias under a sand cherry on the Brady Street lot and in the same location coleus, sweet potato vine and lobelia. The dark coleus at the back of the pot is 'Jungle Love'.

Here are some pots I planted last summer. Let's see if I can get these pictures downsized without blurring. The first is one of my favorites. It is asparagus fern and yellow and orange coleus. It is planted under a tree on the lot at the corner of Long Ave. and Brady Street. This was shortly after I planted it but it got huge before the summer was out.

It's mate was in my yard planted with darker coleus and was under some white pines. I don't know what order the pictures will go in but you can see the differences in color.

Scared us! Hate to see something bad happen to a kitten. Or a kid. We actually pulled the daturas out at the library because of the kids.

The New 'Wave' petunias are spectacular or if they don't get too much sun there are some fantastic coleus out there. I had one last year called 'Jungle Love' That was really exotic. Will post picture of a pot with some coleus in it when I get a minute.

That's what happens to a lot of perennials around here. They rot out in the winter rather than freeze. Our soil doesn't drain very well. They will get through a few winters and you think you are home free and then you get a wet one and it is all over. I have a bank that was build up over shale and stuff grows there that won't grow on the flat. I put it down to better drainage.