Question: We relocated from Minnesota to Louisiana, and was not ready for the summer heat in the southern states which make it unbearable and difficult to get much outdoor work done in the afternoons. I’m trying to readjust to new seasons. As a new “southerner” what things do we need to work on in the […]

Question: How often should we divide our iris plants and also what about dividing Lily-of-the-valley clumps. How should big should the clump be when divided? Erica, Wilkinsburg, PA Answer: Erica, when iris has been in one place more than three years, the plants should be dug up and divided. Buds for next year are already […]

Question: What should we do with our beds of strawberries when they are finished, how can we get them ready for next year’s crop? Carla, Harrisburg, PA Answer: Carla, The planting season is far from over for the serious-minded vegetable gardener who wants to reap a harvest in fall and put away food for the […]

Flowers of all kinds bloom in the South this month. Daylilies, in particular, add their radiant colors to the scene. They are hardy and easy to grow, thriving in the heat of summer. Many are truly evergreen and do not die down at the end of the season. The deciduous daylilies are also good and […]

It’s important to consider the underground lives of plants you are thinking of adding to your garden. For unless the roots of a plant are comfortable in the new home you give them, not much of satisfaction will happen on top. There are plants with roots that live jarring lives with those of other plants, […]

Summary: With spring retired, the landscape needs some tuning for summer and fall blooms. Roses need care, and summer lilies can be put out. Spring is over in the South and summer is almost here. Sow seeds or put out plants of summer and fall blooming stocks and set out other small plants to cover […]

Summary: June for northern gardeners means plant growth is in high gear. Plants are pushing roots and soil for all they have. Now is the time give plants all they can handle with moisture, fertilizer materials and soil cultivation. Plant growth is now in high gear, green leaves are taxing roots and soil for all […]

Summary: June is the month of beautiful roses. Shasta daisies, lilies and daylilies in the Soulh. Enjoy them all and look ahead to a garden of bloom all year. Spring flowers have finished in the south and time has come to fill in the empty spaces along with increasing the perennials grown in the garden. […]

Summary: The west coast garden during June finds the many unfinished task to do in the garden, mulching, ranking flowers for next year’s planting, weed control, bone meal on bulbs, readying the autumn garden and enjoying the blooming “Mock Orange.” On the west coast the month of June is a a month of accomplishments and […]

June is a busy month in the northern flower garden. To have cutflowers for August and September cutting, sow larkspur, cosmos, annual chrysanthemums, babysbreath, giant zinnias, Phlox drummondi and annual black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta). If you want nice pot plants for Christmas, purchase small 3-inch pots of red salvia, set the plants where they will […]