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Caring for Aspidistras

aspidistra-elatior by invisiblecity

TheGardenLady received this question from Kathy.

I live in a very old home in Waco, Texas, with many beautiful aspidistras in various beds. This past winter was unusually cold for several nights in a row and now I have clumps of brown leaves. What is the best thing to do? Many of them are 25% brown, some over 75% brown. Help!

This has been an unusual winter across the country and no one knows what damage will happen to our plants. Many of us will lose some of our plants.

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Photography and Gardens

garden by Sanches90s

Photography and gardens go together like bread and butter, green eggs and ham, meatballs and spaghetti. So if you  enjoy plants and gardening, I hope you have a camera handy to take photos of your plants and gardens and the plants and gardens you visit. Since photos are to share with others, how about sending some of your best shots to TheGardenLady blog so that readers from around the world can all see your photos. We will list your name with the photos if you wish. We would love to know where the photo was taken and if it is a plant, what the plant name is.

If you want to take photos but do not know how, two blogs that give free advice are here and here.  or  Also, check out various gardens, garden shows or garden symposiums to see if they are giving some lectures or workshops on garden photography such as the one at the Atlanta Botanical Garden (see here).

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Gift Ideas for the Garden Lover

Lou Manfredini is Ace Hardware’s Home Expert. He is a nationally recognized DIY expert, hosting his own home improvement call-in radio show on WGN Radio in Chicago and a nationally syndicated home show, HouseSmarts. Lou is also the official home improvement expert for NBC’s TODAY Show. To learn about more tips and projects from Lou visit here:

Lou has written the following post in which he recommends four gifts for the garden lover.

While it’s still cold outside, it’s never too early to start thinking about gifts for the garden enthusiasts in your life. Even though they may have to wait for warmer weather, it’s the thought that counts, and here are some great ideas for your green-thumbed friends and family (check your local Ace Hardware store for availability):

Fiskars® 18in Momentum Reel Mower

Not much has changed in the mower arena until now. This push, people-powered mower has a new design, an easier height adjustment and a self-sharpening blade. It also contains an inertia drive system that actually helps the unit propel with the help of your arms and legs. It retails for about $230.00, so this one should be for a really special person.

Garden Weasel Garden Cultivator

This is truly one of the most useful tools for the garden. It’s lightweight and can accomplish a variety of tasks. The rotary action will turn and aerate the soil and help to control weeds. It retails for around $30.99.

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When to Prune Knock Out Roses

Rose pruning time by kaysare

TheGardenLady received this question from Keith.

I live in Bartlesille. When should I prune my Knock Out Roses?

TheGardenLady has been getting a number of questions about when to prune Knock Out Roses. First of all, if any rose has Dead, Diseased, Damaged, Spindly or Weak branches, these branches can be pruned at any time of the year.

The joy of having Knock Out Roses is that they are easy maintenance roses so you almost don’t have to prune them. In fact, you should not even bother to prune them the first year and during the second year they only need light pruning to shape them.

After that if you want to prune harder to promote healthy growth and encourage lots of flowers, prune your Knockout Rose in early spring after the last hard frost in your area. A hard frost is anything below 24 degrees. To check out your Hardiness Temperature Zone go to the Arbor Day Temp. Zone map and write in your zip code to find out the temperature zone you are in.  See here.

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Some Gardening Tips for March

compost by zen

March is more the month for getting ready for gardening if you reside in the colder Hardy Temperature Zones areas such as zones 5 or 6.

You can prune all dead and broken wood on trees, shrubs and vines now or any time of the year.

This winter of our discontent the snow and ice did a lot of tree and branch damage.

Start cleaning up your gardens and lawns.

I hope you have been adding organics (garbage) to your compost bin all winter. Keep adding it.  See here.

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More Information About Disposing of the Giant Hogweed Plant

Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)by neil-hoskins

TheGardenLady received a follow-up question on her post about identifying and disposing of the Giant Hogweed plant.

I am wondering, once I dig up the roots, can it be burned safely? Or if it is dug up and bagged, then what do I do with it?

If you think that you have Giant Hogweed- Apiaceae (see here)  on your property or see it growing in spots where you walk, the first thing to do is to contact your state Department of Agriculture to ask what they recommend.

This plant is a Federal Noxious Weed, which makes it illegal to bring into the United States or move it across state lines because it is considered a public health hazard; so the states are trying to eradicate it.

The sap in Giant Hogweed has the potential to cause severe skin irritation in susceptible people and can cause temporary or possibly permanent blindness if it gets in the eyes.

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Garden Furniture

Ginkgo Biloba garden table and chairs by sunshinesyrie

Now that winter seems almost over and with the woodchuck predicting an early spring, this GardenLady is dreaming both day and night about her garden and what changes may take place. Since the garden is really an outdoor room, to decorate is the fun thing to do. There one can sit on a nice chair in the hot afternoon with perhaps a nice cool drink in hand, my favorite is lemon or limeade,* and admire one’s flowers and garden.

I know that there will be great outdoor garden furniture ideas at the garden shows that will soon be taking place around this country and around the world. If one is handy one can build some interesting outdoor furniture for your garden and with pretty homemade pillows, your place will look unique. Alas, I am not that handy. So I have been browsing the internet to see what ideas are new in outdoor furniture for 2011.

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Cyclamen

Cyclamen coum by Paul Gulliver

One of the first charming mid-winter or spring flowers that will be popping their heads up from under the snow as soon as it melts is a little hardy perennial Cyclamen.  See here. Lucky the people who have these planted in their yards to welcome spring. (There are other hardy cyclamen that bloom in the summer or in the fall.)

Most people know of the large indoor plant that one sees in florists. This is the cyclamen persicum which is not hardy in most areas that have snowy winters. But how many readers know that there is a hardy Cyclamen that will grow in the gardens from Hardiness Temp Zones 4-8 and perhaps even 9 and return year after year? When buying, be sure to check to see if the variety is for your temp zone.

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Where to Buy Snowdrops

snowdrop sign of Spring by algo

TheGardenLady received this question from Vlad.

I would love to buy some snowdrops for my girlfriend but I could not find them  anywhere. We are from Europe and we used to enjoy the snowdrops every spring

Galanthus or Snowdrops seem to be much more popular in Europe than in the U.S. It is sad that so few Americans have the pleasure of this charming plant growing in their garden to welcome spring.

I have to assume that this writer is from Europe but presently living in the US and is looking to buy Galanthus or snowdrops in the US. I am also assuming that the writer wishes to purchase either the plants or the bulbs to give to his girlfriend. (TheGardenLady does not know the names of any florists in the US that sells snowdrops as cut flowers though some of the more expensive florists might be willing to order them from Holland for a customer.)

I recommend Carolyn’s Shade Garden for those who want Galanthus plants. If you contact Carolyn please tell her that TheGardenLady recommended her.  Read this.

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Wayne Art Center Exhibit: Photographs of Chanticleer Garden by Rob Cardillo

Chanticleer – a pleasure garden by Rob Cardillo

To dream of spring, TheGardenLady readers might want to attend a show with some outstanding photos of a wonderful Pennsylvania garden. This show, running until March 19th at the Wayne Art Center.

Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA. will exhibit 42 photographs showcasing Chanticleer Garden by photographer Rob Cardillo.

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