Comments on: The English Lady | Organic Landscape Design http://theenglishlady.com/blog Organically Improving Our Lives One Project At A Time Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:47:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michelle http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-20461 Michelle Sat, 30 Jul 2011 02:03:30 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-20461 Moldy mulch/?fungus on mulch. We've noticed a fungus in the mulch at our office campus where our azalea plants are. What can we do? Also, any advice for aborvites that took a hard hit this winter - alot of bent branches, thinned bodies. Should we brace the branches together and trim the tops? we've got some smaller ones that need to grow to help fill in a privacy border. Sorry for 3 questions - any advice is appreciated! Michelle, there is a fungus in the mulch called 'artillery fungus and the only way to get rid of it is to remove all the mulch - it means you received a bad batch from the supplier. Do not tie up the arborvitaes - just add some manure and peat in the soil around them and in October put some fine bark mulch to keep the roots protected in the winter. The manure in the soil,strengthens it and will strengthen the plants. Maureen Moldy mulch/?fungus on mulch. We’ve noticed a fungus in the mulch at our office campus where our azalea plants are. What can we do? Also, any advice for aborvites that took a hard hit this winter – alot of bent branches, thinned bodies. Should we brace the branches together and trim the tops? we’ve got some smaller ones that need to grow to help fill in a privacy border. Sorry for 3 questions – any advice is appreciated!

Michelle, there is a fungus in the mulch called ‘artillery fungus and the only way to get rid of it is to remove all the mulch – it means you received a bad batch from the supplier.

Do not tie up the arborvitaes – just add some manure and peat in the soil around them and in October put some fine bark mulch to keep the roots protected in the winter. The manure in the soil,strengthens it and will strengthen the plants. Maureen

]]> By: Linda http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-20318 Linda Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:03:30 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-20318 Maureen: We have had a Japanese Pink Almond for many years. This tree has always been beautiful and in full bloom. This year however, we had very few blossoms and at the moment, very few leaves. Could these effects be a result of the this year's winter? Does it have a chance? Should we wait it out and hope it regains next year? By the way, your advice on one of our Crabapple Trees last year was right. We left it alone, and it has come back this year and has looked very healthy. Thanks for your help with the Pink Almond tree. Linda Linda, give the Flowering Almond, similar treatment as the crabapple. Put some composted manure around the base, keep it watered and be patient. Many plants labored through last winter with the harsh weather, wind being the biggest culprit when it came to damage. Cold winter wind dries out plants, breaks limbs and can cause plants to heave out of the ground, particularly any evergreens planted in September that fall. Maureen Maureen:

We have had a Japanese Pink Almond for many years. This tree has always been beautiful and in full bloom. This year however, we had very few blossoms and at the moment, very few leaves.

Could these effects be a result of the this year’s winter? Does it have a chance? Should we wait it out and hope it regains next year?

By the way, your advice on one of our Crabapple Trees last year was right. We left it alone, and it has come back this year and has looked very healthy.

Thanks for your help with the Pink Almond tree.

Linda

Linda, give the Flowering Almond, similar treatment as the crabapple. Put some composted manure around the base, keep it watered and be patient. Many plants labored through last winter with the harsh weather, wind being the biggest culprit when it came to damage. Cold winter wind dries out plants, breaks limbs and can cause plants to heave out of the ground, particularly any evergreens planted in September that fall. Maureen

]]> By: Jan http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-20308 Jan Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:41:24 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-20308 Maureen, Are there any perennials that will bloom all summer without deadheading? I can't think of any. Thank you for answering my plume poppy question. I have removed the spent blooms and pods. Now secondary flower plumes are forming in many of the lower leaf notches. This promises to be an ongoing battle of wills. :-) Jan Jan, Like all living creatures, plants need some attention - low maintenance is always a good idea Perennial Salvia is a good one, that can just be sheared off when the bloom is finished and by doing this a few times in the season - you will get repeat bloom, the same goes for Spirea and Coreopsis - you just need a sharp pair of shears. Maureen Maureen,
Are there any perennials that will bloom all summer without deadheading? I can’t think of any.

Thank you for answering my plume poppy question. I have removed the spent blooms and pods. Now secondary flower plumes are forming in many of the lower leaf notches. This promises to be an ongoing battle of wills. :-) Jan

Jan, Like all living creatures, plants need some attention – low maintenance is always a good idea
Perennial Salvia is a good one, that can just be sheared off when the bloom is finished and by doing this a few times in the season – you will get repeat bloom, the same goes for Spirea and Coreopsis – you just need a sharp pair of shears. Maureen

]]> By: Meena http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-20199 Meena Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:12:54 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-20199 Hello. I just found your website. Absolutely amazing stuff. Been growing tomatoes, peppers and a few other veggies. Tried zucchini this year and was so infested with pickleworms that I had to pull up every one and throw them into my composter. Is the garlic spray enough for the pickleworm? Would love to hear from you. Thanks so much. Meena, definitely try the garlic spray and also put an aluminum pie next to the zucchini with slices of cucumber in it, - it will attract the pickleworm and keep away other insects. Maureen Hello. I just found your website. Absolutely amazing stuff. Been growing tomatoes, peppers and a few other veggies. Tried zucchini this year and was so infested with pickleworms that I had to pull up every one and throw them into my composter. Is the garlic spray enough for the pickleworm? Would love to hear from you. Thanks so much.
Meena, definitely try the garlic spray and also put an aluminum pie next to the zucchini with slices of cucumber in it, – it will attract the pickleworm and keep away other insects.
Maureen

]]> By: robin http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-19881 robin Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:53:28 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-19881 maureen, what do you do with shasta daisies after they've bloomed and become wilted. Should they be cut - do they rebloom again during summer? thank you Robin, cut off the dead bloom and they will rebloom - put some more manure around the base of the plants for an extra boost or purchase some of our manure tea from the website for the total garden particularly any container plants. Maureen maureen, what do you do with shasta daisies after they’ve bloomed and become
wilted. Should they be cut – do they rebloom again during summer?

thank you
Robin, cut off the dead bloom and they will rebloom – put some more manure around the base of the plants for an extra boost or purchase some of our manure tea from the website for the total garden particularly any container plants. Maureen

]]> By: Jan http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-19840 Jan Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:58:12 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-19840 Hi Maureen, I have a plume poppy that came up from seed last year. It was a cute little bugger so I left it. This year it is 6 feet tall with many stems and runners. They are attractive with their white stems and plume of flowers. I wondered if the little fluffy older flowers are actually the seeds or if they will eventually form pods? I need to know so I can lop off the plumes before all the gardens end up with seedlings. Have a great day, Jan Jan, they will form pods within which are the seeds. Enjoy Maureen Hi Maureen,
I have a plume poppy that came up from seed last year. It was a cute little bugger so I left it. This year it is 6 feet tall with many stems and runners. They are attractive with their white stems and plume of flowers. I wondered if the little fluffy older flowers are actually the seeds or if they will eventually form pods? I need to know so I can lop off the plumes before all the gardens end up with seedlings.
Have a great day,
Jan
Jan, they will form pods within which are the seeds. Enjoy Maureen

]]> By: Mary http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-19836 Mary Sat, 09 Jul 2011 17:13:06 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-19836 Maureen: I wrote to you about 2 weeks ago regarding my beautiful hostas, but I don't see an answer. I will try this again! My hostas are being eaten by something - the critter only eats the leaves and leaves the stems. Would a garlic spray work on the bugs? Thanks so much. I love your newsletter. It is so helpful! Mary, check gardening tips on the website and look at June tips - where you will find my garlic spray recipe that will take care of the hosta problem. Mauren Maureen: I wrote to you about 2 weeks ago regarding my beautiful hostas, but I don’t see an answer. I will try this again! My hostas are being eaten by something – the critter only eats the leaves and leaves the stems. Would a garlic spray work on the bugs?

Thanks so much. I love your newsletter. It is so helpful!

Mary, check gardening tips on the website and look at June tips – where you will find my garlic spray recipe that will take care of the hosta problem. Mauren

]]> By: Karen http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-19570 Karen Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:46:59 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-19570 Dear Maureen, I'd like to plant a privacy screen. Ideally, I'd like to use an evergreen that remains green year-round, and does not drop needles or cones. Our conditions are: full-to-part sun, moist soil (in process of fixing drainage/grading issues). We have a high water table, which will remain even after the drainage issues are fixed. Can you please give a recommendation on a planting? Also, there are five large stumps (from 50+ year old pine and ash trees) present... Do they need to be pulled out along with their roots before planting our privacy screen? Alternately, can one backfill the area (to a height that buries the stumps) and then plant the privacy plants such that they are not situated directly above the large stumps? Thank you in advance, Karen Karen, I suggest that you contact my son Ian for a consultation as I feel that would be the best approach so that you have a right solution when Ian sees the site. Call Ian at 1877 The E Lady. Maureen Dear Maureen,
I’d like to plant a privacy screen. Ideally, I’d like to use an evergreen that remains green year-round, and does not drop needles or cones. Our conditions are: full-to-part sun, moist soil (in process of fixing drainage/grading issues). We have a high water table, which will remain even after the drainage issues are fixed. Can you please give a recommendation on a planting? Also, there are five large stumps (from 50+ year old pine and ash trees) present… Do they need to be pulled out along with their roots before planting our privacy screen? Alternately, can one backfill the area (to a height that buries the stumps) and then plant the privacy plants such that they are not situated directly above the large stumps?

Thank you in advance,
Karen

Karen, I suggest that you contact my son Ian for a consultation as I feel that would be the best approach so that you have a right solution when Ian sees the site. Call Ian at 1877 The E Lady.
Maureen

]]> By: grace http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-19518 grace Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:42:00 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-19518 How do you propagate a hydrangea? Grace, hydrangeas do not do well either by rooting or air layering. You might want to obtain another fully grown plant. Maureen How do you propagate a hydrangea?

Grace, hydrangeas do not do well either by rooting or air layering. You might want to obtain another fully grown plant. Maureen

]]> By: Pam http://theenglishlady.com/blog/comment-page-1/#comment-19499 Pam Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:32:34 +0000 http://theenglishlady.com/blog/2116/#comment-19499 Hi Maureen, I noticed that my lillies didn't blossom for very long and today I noticed a long bright red bug eating the plant. Do you know what this is and how do I get rid of it? Thank you, Pam Hi Maureen,
I noticed that my lillies didn’t blossom for very long and today I noticed a long bright red bug eating the plant. Do you know what this is and how do I get rid of it?
Thank you,
Pam

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