Author: Lilac

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Pruning Knock Out Roses

 _pinkdoubleknockout_rose-photo1.jpg

TheGardenLady received the following question from Pat:

I have Knockout Roses that are not yet a year old – They were planted last April – They grew very fast and produced beautiful flowers all summer long and into winter – I want to know do I cut them back and if so, when, and how short do I do this – They are getting ready to start blooming again, so I really need to know quickly the answer to my questions? I live in south central Louisiana

This is the answer given by Sally Credille, a PR person from Novalis Plants that Work, a licensed grower of Pink Double Knock Out and other Knock Out Roses:

“When it comes to recommendations and suggestions for care of Knock Out roses most include comments about their ease of care and low-maintenance. I cannot speak for all Knock Out rose varieties, but it is likely that general rose care is best for these landscape shrub roses, as with any others like it. This is because they were all bred by the same man, Bill Radler, for their hardy, low – maintenance, disease – and pest-resistance attributes.

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The 2008 New Jersey Flower Show

 

Photo titled “Mossy” taken at The New Jersey Flower Show - by Corx 

Spring is almost here. So what can garden lovers across the country do before and during spring? Well, one thing is to go to the garden shows in your area or make a destination trip to one of the garden shows in an area of interest. This is the time to see flowers that you might want to grow in your garden or in your home or get landscaping ideas, and it is the best way to get an early taste of spring.

TheGardenLady is remiss in not writing this column earlier because an excellent garden show that TheGardenLady went to was the NJ Flower Show in the Conference Center in Edison, NJ.  TheGardenLady has been going to this show for many years. When I first went to this show I thought it was pathetic. But in the last few years the show has been getting better and better. And this year the show was excellent.

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Gardening In Maine Near Acadia National Park

 

Acadia National Park – Photo taken by beforethecoffee

TheGardenLady received this question from Clive:

I am a UK citizen and live in England.  Recently I purchased some waterfront land looking out towards Acadia National Park, in Down-East Maine. In the next year I hope to have an all-year-round house built on the land, which I hope to visit a few times each year. For the most part the land is wooded with some cleared areas going down to the tidal beach, with a deepish gulley as the boundary to one side of the land going down to the water. I am keen to find about any plants that I could introduce. I intend to keep the land (apart from a small grass-mowed area around the house) in a ‘wild’ state for the benefit of the plants and wild-life. Can you suggest any plants/shrubs/trees etc., that I might consider planting – given the fact that they will not be tended? The total area of land is about 7 acres. Any help that you can give would be much appreciated.

Congratulations on getting a summer home in one of the prettiest states in the US and wanting to garden there.  As a Brit. I feel certain that you will create a showplace. My suggestion would be to plant plants native to Maine. Of course, you can plant other, non-native plants, but this column will support planting native plants.

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Plants That Brighten Up The Dorm Room

 

TheGardenLady received this question from Chance.

I’m going off to university next school year, and I’d like to grow something in my dorm room (hopefully organically) to brighten things up.  I’d like to have something I can throw on salads or sandwiches and something else that’s a bit bigger (maybe flowering?)  I’m not too hot on having a bunch of vines, though…

TheGardenLady is so pleased to hear from so many college students or college bound students who plan on having plants in their dorm rooms. Nothing can be lovelier.

Because of the questions about appropriate plants that grow in dorm rooms, please let TheGardenLady direct her readers to the archives. Many plants that grow well indoors have been suggested and discussed in earlier posts.

For example What Flowering Plant is Good to Grow in a Dorm Room?. The plants mentioned in this column are favorite indoor plants like Amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus that are easy for the busy student to try.

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Planting Flowers in Maine

 

TheGardenLady received this question from Maryjane:

I summer in Maine under white and Norway pines.  The soil is acidic.  I want to plant flowers. What suggestions can you make for raised beds?

How lovely to summer in Maine and create your own flower gardens.

Your letter does not say whether you want to plant annual or perennial flowers to enjoy during the summer. Do you want a show garden or a cutting garden? Or do you want to plant flowering shrubs like azaleas, hydrangeas or roses?

There are many annual and perennial flower suggestions for flower beds. To decide what you would like that grows well in your area, it would be nice to walk around and see what is growing nicely in your neighborhood.  Besides the soil acidity,  you have to consider the amount of sun or shade where your beds will be located; so looking at your neighbors gardens or public gardens will let you know which plants are most successful and which plants you like. Since you are writing to TheGardenLady at this time, you apparently want to get an early start on choosing your plants or seeds and won’t have the time to look.

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Is There A Plant To Honor A Boy Named George?

 

                             (Aster Amellus) 

TheGardenLady received this question from Helen:

I have a friend who has recently lost a little boy named George, and I was wondering if there is any flower or plant that represents this name.

I think your question is a beautiful one – to honor a little boy named George.

When plant breeders create a new cultivar, they often name it after someone.   See here or here.   Sometimes the name they give is for a person who is from royalty or someone famous; many roses are named after actors.

TheGardenLady presents a short list of plant cultivars with the name George in it.

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Outdoor Gardening Things To Do In The Winter

 

It is January and though it is winter for many of us there are still a few outdoor gardening things we can do.

If your ground is not frozen, you can still take soil tests  – take separate tests for lawns, vegetable and flower gardens or shrub borders. You can get your soil test from your local extension office.

And if you soil is not frozen you can apply lime as needed – your soil test results will tell you if you need lime (do not apply lime if your ground is frozen).

You should still be adding organics (your garbage) to your compost pile or bin see TheGardenLady10/24.

Whatever time of year, all year round, you can always prune Dead Wood on trees, shrubs and vines. Be sure the wood is dead when you are pruning in the winter and not just dormant.

But if the ground is frozen or there is lots of snow, this is the best time to be snuggled indoors reading all those gardening books you received this holiday season or borrowed from your local library. And now instead of fattening sugar plums dancing in your head, you can plan and have dreams of your garden in 2008.

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Taking Care of Ferns

 

TheGardenLady received this question from Johnathan:

My girlfriend just bought me a fern plant.  I never grew or even had
plants, but I just got my  own apartment. I need to know how to take
care of them and how to get them to grow up to 10ft.

TheGardenLady wrote the Dec.3rd post How You Can Better Help TheGardenLady so She Can Better Help you because letters like this do not give enough details.

There are so many ferns that grow to 10ft tall, how can anyone give you the perfect care for the one you were given unless you give the name of the plant or at the very least, a good, clear photo of the plant? What might be good care for one type of fern may not be the best way to care for a different type of fern.

Two websites that have photos of ferns are here and here:

Google places relevant and excellent ads on TheGardenLady blog. TheGardenLady does not choose any of the ads, she just writes the columns. But one ad on TheGardenLady blog that might have a photo of your fern is the company Paradise Palms.  On TheGardenLady site it is listed as Lady Palm Ferns and when it is clicked the company has photos of numerous different ferns.

Each of the fern nurseries has a phone number where you can call to ask your question about your particular fern. But remember, you have to give the nursery people more information than you gave TheGardenLady. At the least they will want to know the name of the fern you were given.

Or if you do not have a name of the plant, but do have a good photo, resend your question to TheGardenLady with the added information.  Or if your apartment is in the States, take the entire plant to your local extension office.

Good luck. I really do wish I could help. Even if you get the information you want from someone else, TheGardenLady would like to know what kind of fern you were given.

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Christmas Themed Plants

Mistletoe

TheGardenLady received this question from Sally:

Are there any other Christmas themed plants other than the mistletoe?

There are numerous Christmas themed plants and there is a long and interesting history of the reasons for the use of these plants during the holiday season. Many of these holiday themed plants are used in the US today. TheGardenLady will touch on some of the most popular Christmas plants. Common holiday plants are listed in this website, where there is a lot of interesting information given besides the list of holiday plants. In other parts of the world they may also use different plants.

The first Christmas plant materials, as told in the New Testament, were Frankincense and Myrrh. Both are resins of trees used as incense or fragrances. They were the most expensive substances in early history and were therefore the highest tribute offered. Both were and are used today as fragrances. Franckincense is from the Boswellia sacra tree and Myrrh is from the Camphor tree, Commiphora myrrha. They are are found in Oman, Yemen and the Northeast part of Somalia. Oman still produces perfumes made of Frankincense or on Amazon.com you can get soap made of Frankincense and Myrrh- All Natural Bath Soap – Frankincense & Myrrh Zum Bar Soap by Indigo Wild, 3oz. or Frankincense and Myrrh can be bought as fragrant oils or for incense.

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Aspidistra: The Cast Iron Plant

 

TheGardenLady received this question from Rachel:

I’m at college studying floristry and I’m trying to find the seasonal availability for Aspidistra but can not find it anywhere.  I was wondering if you could help me on that one please.

The Aspidistra is a plant that is a native of the Eastern Himalayas, Taiwan, China, and Japan.  In the US it is grown as a houseplant unless you live in Zones 7 (preferably 7b) and warmer climates.

In the warmer climates the Aspidistra plant is grown outdoors as an evergreen foliage plant.  (You can attempt to grow it in Zone 6b provided you don’t have temperatures dropping too low because a hard winter will knock the leaves off, or, although they probably will grow back by June because the root is so tough, will look ratty if frozen.) (In 6b you can attempt to grow Aspidistra outdoors if you put a wire container around it and fill it with a mulch of something like leaves or boughs of evergreens to a depth of a few feet during the winter.)

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