The English Lady Landscape & Home
PO Box 335 Old Lyme CT 06371
Phone: 860-598-9530 or 1-877-The-E-Lady
Email: TheEnglishLady@TheEnglishLady.com
Please contact our office and we will respond within 24 hours Monday through Friday. Thank you.
The English Lady Landscape & Home
PO Box 335 Old Lyme CT 06371
Phone: 860-598-9530 or 1-877-The-E-Lady
Email: TheEnglishLady@TheEnglishLady.com
Please contact our office and we will respond within 24 hours Monday through Friday. Thank you.
We have many, many box elder bugs that come into our house. Our house is cedar siding. When it is warm and sunny they come out by the hundreds and bask in the sun on our siding. This winter we would always see them in the house. How do I get rid of them?
Jane, boxelder bugs feed on boxelder tree seed pods, so if there are some of those trees in your area, that explains there appearance. These bugs operate on a ten year cycle and we are in year eight.
In the meantime they hide in cracks and crevices around windows, doors and siding. Caulk all areas of the outside of the house where you see cracks. When you see them you can use a small hand held vacuum to get them or mix a cup of water in a sprayer with one tablespoon of dish detergent and spray on the bugs. Good luck Maureen
HELP! how do you get flowering from amaryllis. i have bought many expensive plants from a well established company. the first few years i had no problem at all, just amazing flowers, the past 2 years the plants have been poor in production of blooms. nothing in my home has changed. they keep adjust my credit of which i am pleased about, but the plants are worth more to me. last year a customer service representive said the vendor was not right. is this possible in a 2 year period? my plants bring peace.
Sue, plant in a pot that allows about 1″ of growing space between the bulb and the rim. For a good organic potting soil combine one to two parts potting soil, with one part perlite and l part peat moss, compost or leaf mold and add l tablespoon of bonemeal per quart of mix. Plant with 1/2 the bulb above the soil line and water slightly until growth starts then water often. Grow in a warm spot 65 to 70 degrees in a sunny window especially after the leaves appear. Most amaryllis bloom 4-8 weeks after growth begins. Once the flowers open move the plant to a cool spot out of direct sun. When flowers fade cut off the flower stalk close to the bulb, return plant to a sunny window and water regularly. Inside all year, feed every two weeks with our liquid seaweed tea, which will be in our eco-shoppe this coming week on the website. Gradually reduce water in late summer to encourage dormancy. After a few months rest, replace the top few inches of soil or repot and begin again. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Maureen
I live in a condo community where chemicals are being used on the lawns. I believe that this is a health hazard. I would like information on how to take care of lawns organically so I could present this to our Board. Where would I best find this information?
(please don’t use my full name in the reply….thanks!)
Sue, you can go onto http://www.Gardensalive.com for all organic lawn care products or contact the Organicare company in your area for their lawn services. Good luck Maureen
We purchased an hibiscus plant last summer and it did very well in our yard after repotting it one time. It flowered and had new growth. It was brought into the house in early fall and has done quite well until recently. It has remained in a southern exposure window and is watered twice a week….it continued to bloom and have new shoots. I would rotate the plant about a quarter turn each week. Approximately one month ago I noticed some sporadic yellow leaves and it stopped blooming. Slowly some branches became “wilted” looking and then all the leaves became brittle and dry. It started on one side of the plant and is slowly progressing. Prior to this, the only thing that changed was my plant food and I also watered it a little more than usual as it was growing. Can you tell me what might be happening and how to salvage the plant if possible? I will remove the dead foliage but I am hesitant to trim any branches at this time. Thank you for any assistance you might have.
Hi Kathy, Hibiscus need to be in full sun with plenty of water as these are thirsty plants, set on a pebble tray that needs to be kept moist and other humidity offered by a cold water humidifier. Prune the plant back now very hard and stand the pot in the sink once a month for a good soaking to get to the roots. Keep an eye open for the red spider mite and spray with Safer, an organic sulfur solution from the garden center. Maureen
Dear English Lady,
I am so happy to have found your website. I just love you. Could you tell me where to buy pyola seeing as every year my rose bush has black spots on the leaves and then the leaves fall off. Also I need to know where to buy milkly spore granules because I have a lot of grubs that I know mature into Japanese beetles.
Thank you so much
Cathy
Cathy, go onto http://www.gardensalive.com for pyola which also kills japanese beetles. Milky spore takes about two years before it has an effect, a long time to wait. On the above mentioned website you can get the organic product to deal with them. Maureen
Enjoyed your talk at the Bethel library. You mentioned a product called”Pyola.” I have had problems with Black Rot on my grapes and fruit trees for years. Will that work for me? How can I get my hands on some?
Hi David, Pyola can be obtained at http://www.gardensalive.com and also in about two weeks we are coming out with our seaweed tea from The English Lady which is great for fruit trees and fruiting problems. Keep any eye on the website for the launch date. Maureen
I attended your talk in Bethel last evening. Where would one find aged composted manure? Anne Binnie avbinnie@sbcglobal.net
Hi Annie, you can find the manure in bags at the garden center. Spread the manure and spread the word about being organic, enjoy the results you will get from your flourishing garden – its all about the soil. Maureen
Hello Maureen,
I attended your presentation at the Bethel Public Library…loved it. I have always loved gardening and I feel energized to do some new things once the weather warms up. You vigorously promote the use of manure for replenishing soil. My gardens are desperate as I’ve not done this in several years. I’d like to try organic manure but don’t know where to get it in bulk. I have purchased it in bags from a local garden shop however it was very wet and dense and I wasn’t pleased with the results. Where can I get organic manure by the yard? Thanks in advance. I look forward to future wisdom on gardening.
Dorothy, Bethel
Hello Dorothy, so glad you enjoyed my talk and hope to be back again soon in Bethel for the garden club. With regard to manure by the yard, you would need to check with local farmers and if they do not use chemicals on their fields on which the cattle graze then you could get organic manure, if they will sell it to you. However, I do know that the organic manure that we use in my company is from Vermont Natural Agricultural products called Moodoo and we have great success with it. It is available at Hollandia nursery, 52 Old Hawleyville Road, Bethel. Maureen
Hi Maureen,
How can I prune a 25+ year old mock orange bush? It is quite tall–8-10 feet–and was very bushy, but the poor dear is leaning heavily to one side, instead of growing upright and hasn’t bloomed in the last couple of years. I would really like to save it if possible, so any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated!
Best, Cate Wilson
Cate, Mock orange needs well drained soil with organic humus so put some composted manure dug in around the base of the tree. And it would certainly benefit from judicious pruning after blooming, in the meantime, if you have a strong arm, take a sharp spade and dig down into the root system to root prune the plant, which quite often shocks it into behaving itself. If the tree is in too much shade it will lean towards where it can get sun, so you may need to have trees around it pruned also. Good luck Maureen
My English parents used iron pellets in their hydrangea pots for BLUE flowers, with great success.
What do you suggest for a profusion of flowers on my bouganvelia. It is in a large pot, gets great sun in the summer & a fairly sunny window in the winter, I water often, & use Miracel Grow. Is this the right fertilizerz?
Wendy, your plant for the winter needs no feeding, with a daytime temp of 60 and nighttime of 50 with just enough water to prevent the plant from shriveling. In the growing season, do not use any chemicals, like Miracol grow, they are just a quick nitrogen fix and deplete the soil and plant of nutrients. It all begins from the ground up – get some bags of composted manure from the garden center and add copious amounts to your container and mulch with the manure to help retain water when you summer the plant outdoors. They also require moist conditions so water often, We will have our seaweed tea and manure tea on our website – three hundred year old family recipes that you can foliar feed the bougainvillea with during the growing season. Now in early spring prune weak or spindly growth and cut side shoots back hard. Maureen
Wendy 203 876 7644
from Guildford, Surrey, now living in Milford, CT
Dear English Lady,
As the snow melted away this spring, I noticed that my 30 year old weeping cherry tree was oozing a sapping liquid from the middle of its trunk. What is it? Is my tree sick? If so, is there anything I can do to help the tree? I do not recall seeing anything like this on the tree in previous years.
Antonette, your tree has been stressed from the hard winter and the oozing is called cherry tree bleeding. You need to baby the tree through this coming season by making sure it has lots of water. In the meantime, purchase some lime and you will use 1/2 lb for each inch of trunk size. Mix 1 lb at a time in five gallons of water and sprinkle this mixture under the drip zone of the tree, which means from the trunk out as far as the branches spread. Good luck Maureen
Knowing little to nothing about gardening, and being in the desert climate of Phoenix, I’ve had more than a challenge with growing plants and flowers in our yard. At a recent trip to a local nursery, I saw beautiful, blooming Wisteria vines. I purchased one, thinking that if the local nursery had them growing, they would be appropriate to plant in our soil and climate conditions.
We followed planting instructions and used a high-quality potting soil mixed with native soil. I have given a little water every few days, and within the first week, we had several blooms. I was so excited! Then they each began to fall off, within only days! Now, one small vine coming off of the main wooden one has leaves that are starting to dry out. Do the Wisteria blooms tend to fall off that quickly, or am I just doing something wrong? Too much water? Not enough water? Not the right kind of soil?
It has sun exposure all day, and we have some organic mulch around the top of the soil. I really don’t want to lose this plant, so any help would be much appreciated! Remember, I don’t know much about this!
Thank you,
Liz
Liz, Wisteria can grow in your area. Make sure you have composted manure in the soil as it all begins from the ground up – the soil is the most important part of any growth cycle. Put manure on all your planted areas in April, July and October. My company is organic and that has been my family’s philosophy in landscaping for over four hundred years. Farmers and gardeners have been using this great animal bi-product for centuries. Discard all chemicals. Lastly, on the front page of the website, click on articles and you will find one I wrote on the care of Wisteria. Good luck Maureen
How can I buy Manure Tea. I am going to start a potted veg garden this year and would like it to be organic.
Gail, keep an eye on our website for the next two weeks and you will get all the info on the launch of our manure tea and seaweed tea. Maureen
I have 2 Gold Flame Spirea bushes that took a beating with the heavy snow this year. I recently came across instructions that say you can prune spirea all the way back to just a few inches from the ground (it was called “stumping”). This is to be done very early spring (before April 1). Can I do this with Gold Flame Spirea? I appreciate your advice.
Hello Charlotte, Yes, your Gold Flame Spirea is of the ‘Bumalda’ type which can be cut down right now. Maureen
I was lucky enough to hear your lecture at the CT Flower show this Saturday!! you were informative and amusing!! I wish I had asked you then but I didn’t. I am going to build a raised bed, what kind of wood should I use and is pressure treated not an option?
Thank you so much. You are a delight.
I have a rosemary plant that is potted and I bring in every winter. It is doing better this winter than past winters I think because I have it in a bigger pot…water it more and it’s in a spot where it gets the best sun. Having said that the problem that I have is that it’s developed a dust on the ends in the past week. I believe it’s a bug…what can I do? Thanks
Gretchen, you can spray the rosemary with an organic safer solution. I have my rosemary in an unheated room with a south facing window with plenty of sun in well drained soil and I water it with our seaweed tea which we will be marketing soon. These are ideal conditions with a daytime temperature of between 65 and 70 and a night time temperature of between 55 and 60.The rosemary is in full bloom with purple flowers.
Solve the disease problem first with the organic solution and if you have similar conditions in your home as I do, then move the plant to that area.
Maureen
Hi Maureen
I moved into my house in June and inherited a rose plant which looks to be very mature, thick stems and many cluster of small yellow blooms. I have two questions about this rose: 1-when would I be able to transplant it – it is in an awkward place near the garage; 2-it had a white moldy substance on all of the leaves this summer altho it was vigorous, what is this and how can I treat it?
Thanks!
Suzanne
Suzanne, prune the rose down to about three feet from the ground in late April and transplant it in the middle of May, when the ground warms up with manure in the planting mix. Make sure that the soil drains well in the new spot.
The white mold could easily be from the lime content in the soil from the foundation of the garage. Never plant anything within three to six feet of a structure’s foundation as even in very old homes, the lime remains in the soil. If you notice the white mold again go to our website and click on ‘what to use in the garden’ and obtain organic pyola spray it works very well on all these problems. Add manure and a fine bark mulch around the base of the rose and feed it with an organic systemic rose food from June to mid August and then stop feeding.
Good luck Maureen
I have been unsuccessful in finding any information about “Morning Glory”. Can you tell where to look? Your help would be appreciated.
Thanks for all the great information on WRCH. I love listening to you!
Kathy, you can buy the seeds for Morning Glory from a garden center and plant them when the soil warms up in May in a sunny sheltered spot, preferably near a wall or fence so that they can climb and ramble. Maureen
Can I transplant peonies in the spring? Thank you, Laura
Laura, the only time of year to plant or transplant peonies is September, otherwise you take a chance on losing them. When you do plant, make sure the ‘pink eyes’ on the roots are barely covered with soil, just enough so that they do not topple over. Maureen
We have a six year old flowering dogwood which we would like to transplant.
When is the best time to do this and advice on the transplant process.
The tree is about six feet high.
I would so much appreciate your advice.
Thanks much.
Chrstina
Christina, the beginning of May is the best time to transplant the dogwood, with manure in the planting hole and keeping the trick well watered through spring and summer. Maureen
Can I keep my hybiscas plant alive indoors for the winter? Should I cut it back?
Carol, Place the hibiscus near a south facing window but not too close and give plenty of water as these are thirsty plants, with a pebble tray underneath and keep the pebbles moist. Once a month give a dilute application of seaweed emulsion and prune back hard in early April. Stand pot in sink once a month for a good soaking to get to the roots and then take plant outdoors in early June. Good luck Maureen
I have two beautiful clusters of blue agapanthus in a large whiskey barrel. This is the first year that I have them outside and I want to know if I can leave them outside for the winter, and if so, what should I do to winterize them, so I can have beautiful blooms next year .
Jackie, sorry I have been long in replying; we have had a family emergency. Hopefully you brought the agapanthus indoors and they are in a bright facing window. Do not repot as they like to be rootbound. Water freely as as the foliage dies down then store them in a basement or garage at 40 to 50 degrees, watering about once a month. Repot in May and place outside again in June. Maureen
Hi,
Can you tell me if the milky spore powder is better than the granules and if so, what brand is most effective. We are infested, have animals and a water well and need to
get an application down this October 2010.
Thank you so very much!
Diane
Diane, I prefer the granules as they are much easier to spread and there is no difference in potency as long as you get a good layer down. Apply the granules before rain and then the rain will wash them into the soil, which is what is needed. Also apply three times a year for best results and you know it takes while for it to take hold but its a great organic product.
Maureen
I’m hoping you can help me out. My lawn is in need of repair with this summers shortage of rain. While reseeding I discovered that there are a lot of grubs and many brown areas. We have a well and I would like to know is there anything I can use that gets rid of the grubs and does not contaminate the water?
Thank You in Advance for your Help,
Phyllis
Phyllis, apply a good layer of milky spore granules before it rains, so that the rain will wash it into the soil where it is needed to get to those grubs and grub larvae. Apply three times a year. Maureen
what is the proper care and repotting soil for christmas catus?
Lida, Cactus are best repotted in spring and summer, but if your cactus is outgrowing the pot, do it now. Use a slightly larger pot than the base of the plant with one piece of broken crock over the drainage hole. Carefully remove the old soil and remove dead roots and set root ball on the base of the new mixture which should be a well drained potting mix mixed with one third of coarse sand, pieces of charcoal or broken brick. Fill in more round the roots until the pot is full to within one inch from the rim. Water them after repotting. When they are dormant water once a month and water whenever flowering. From June through August feed the cacti with some potash which will help with flowering. Good luck Maureen
Hello Maureen,
I have a question on moving a rose bush and a hydrangea. When is the best time to transplant, the bed I have them in is getting very overgrown. The rose bush is a miniature and has been in the ground about three years. The hydrangea is about 2 years old.
Linda, it is too late to transplant the rose and hydrangea. Transplant them next May, in soil that drains well and add manure to the planting mix. Do not transplant them any deeper in the soil than they are now.
In preparing to bring my plants indoors, how do I make certain that no insects will come in too?
Carol, repot the plants in new potting soil, which they need as the other soil is depleted of nutrition and add a dilute application of organic fertilizer like fish emulsion. Before repotting, wash the plants off in the sink by spraying them.
Dear Maureen,
I met you when you spoke at the Stafford Library and sent an email that may have been lost in transit. I enjoyed you immensely and learned a great deal. I remember the name of the English actress we spoke of, Nancy Nevinson, if you knew her.
My question is proper pruning for Buddleia, Russian Sage, Caryopteris and Abelia. Thank you , Margaret
Margaret. Abelia can be pruned hard in spring if they outgrow their space. Caryopteris can be pruned hard to the ground in spring. Russian Sage cut to within a foot from the ground after the first hard frost. Budleia should be cut to within a foot from the ground at the end of March or beginning of April.
I live in a very rural part of Nova Scotia on Digby Neck. My main gardening problems are 1. slugs (lots of them and they love my varigated hosta) and 2. deer (lots of them and they, too, love my varigated hosta). What can I do about the slugs and the deer. I have been told to mix warm water with Murphy’s Oil and Listerine (proportions are clear) and spray them on the hosta. It seems to work but I have so many of them and have to spray at least once or twice a week. The deer definitely don’t like it. Any suggestions that will help thwart the deer and slugs and leave my hosta beautiful will certainly be appreciated.
Genie, lovely to hear from you from way up north.
For the deer – a gallon sprayer filled with water, three crushed garlic cloves. a squirt of dish soap and a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
For the slugs – some slices of cucumber in an aluminum pie plate, there is a chemical reaction which sends the slugs packing. Stay in touch Maureen
Our mock orange bush did not bloom this season and the leaves were pale green with white spots. Last year the bush was amazing. We ammended soil with topsoil and miracle grow. Do these plants only blossom every other year? Any suggestions? Thanks
Tria and Chris, Amending with top soil and miracle grow will give no nourishment to the mock orange. Please do not use the chemical miracle grow only use manure, on all your borders now, in April and in July, about one inch on all areas. You need to nourish the soil with manure and it will feed the plant. Mock Orange needs sun or partial shade in well drained soil and even moisture. Good luck Maureen
Maureen: Can you tell me when the best time to cut back roses, also, ornamental grass. I thought the roses could be cut back in the fall, but I am not sure of the ornamental grass. Thanks Chris
Chris cut back the roses now by about two feet and then down to a foot from the ground next April. Put some manure and mulch around the base now and if they are in an exposed windy spot in the garden, cover with a loose burlap cover or a rose cone.
Cut down ornamental grasses at the end of next March. Maureen
Hello, Maureen,
I acidentally caught your radio broadcast this AM and am so glad to have found you.
I need advise regarding my summer bulbs. Shall I dig them up and save for next year? if so how? I have caladium, Joe Pye weed ( deep red with large heart shaped leaves….love it ) and elephant ears.I also have Canna Lillies which I would love to preserve for next year. Out front, I have pretty fan-like deep red plants in cement pots. All of this was expensive , on my income, and so I need your help.
Thank You, Frances
Frances, the Joe Pye weed can stay in the ground although it is better in pots as it is very invasive. The caladium, canna lilies and elephant ears can be dug up carefully, laid to dry in the sun and stored in a brown paper bag in a dry cool place, until next June. I have no idea what the red fan like plants are in the pots, perhaps you can send me a photo. Maureen
I n
Dear Maureen,
I always enjoy listening to you when you are on the radio – 100.5 in Hartford – Thank you for all of your wonderful advice and tips! My question: I have a potted black & blue salvia, a potted hibiscus and a potted grape tomato plant on my small deck. The leaves on the salvia recently turned black around the edges and they curled up and the plant doesn’t look healthy. It also lost all of it’s blooms. There is a white substance on the stems and on the stakes I put in to hold up the plant. This white substance is showing up on the hibiscus too (however, not quite as bad as on the salvia) and I’m starting to see it on the tomato plant. What could this be and how do I get rid of it? I have two other black & blue salvias planted nearby in a raised bed and they’re doing fine. I’m going to try to winter them over. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.
Lynn, unfortunately with the plants with black leaves and white on the plant have a soil borne fungus and cannot be saved, throw them away in the garbage not into a compost pile. Bring the salvia into the house and change the soil, and spray the plant with Safer organic solution, keep them in a sunny window and water when the soil is dry, do not fertilize. Maureen
Hi. Am wondering why my hibiscus does not blossom, but keeps growing. Thank you.
Marilyn, Hibiscus must have full sun to bloom, good drainage and steady moisture with manure in the soil. Maureen
I had a blight on my tomatoes this year, which were pot-planted. Know of any reason why?
Over watering? Too near the A/C heat exhaust?\
Margaret, the blight was soil born and caused the tomato problem. Get rid of the soil into the trash, not into the garden if you will spread the blight. Wash the container with a dilute vinegar and water solution and good luck next season. Maureen
Hi, E.L.,
Enjoy listening to your monthly call-in hour on the Morning show, WRCH. My problem: About June 20th I bought and planted 3 milkweed plants, hoping to attract monarch butterflies. Well, to date, I have not seen a single butterfly around or on the plants. Also, the leaves are turning yellow and falling off all 3 plants. One other piece of information: A landscaper planted them for me. I’m not sure if he fertilized them. I’m awaiting a response to this question from him… Help, please! What to do! Thanks, in advance. Herb
Herb, get some bagged manure from the garden center and put around the plants at about a two inch depth and some fine bark mulch, the manure will build the soil and the mulch will keep in moisture. Do not fertilize at this time of year, dispose of any plant debris on the ground and keep the plants well watered each day, in the morning and evening if possible. Maureen
I would like to know, when peonies should be cut back. I certainly would appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Sharon Biondino
Sharon, put a light application of manure around the peonies in September and cut them down after the first hard frost in November. Maureen
I have 3 beautiful hydrangea bushes. The leaves are lush and bloom yearly but one bush has never had any flowers and the other 2 only get 1 or 2 flowers yearly.
What could be the problem? thank you
Carol, in early September, cut out or shorten some of the oldest branches by a third, and thin out some of the weakest new shoots. Always cut just above a vigorous side branch. Put some manure around the base of the shrub and do not touch it again. Leave up the ‘wooden sticks’ that you see when all the leaves have gone and next season make sure it gets plenty of water and some more manure in April. Maureen
Regarding Gardenia plants.
I love them dearly, these are my favorite flower plants. I can get them to grow beautifully and achieve flower buds however, I am having a problem getting the buds to open up instead, the buds just falls off the plants. I have misted the pedals becasue I was told that they love moisture but, I am not having any luck. What nutrient(s) are my plants lacking?
Aida, Gardenias are difficult to bloom at home but adjusting to new conditions slowly they are not impossible. Grow them in equal parts loam, sand and acid peat moss. Keep the soil evenly moist and give bright light in summer, sun in winter and at least 50% humidity. From spring to fall feed once a month with an acid fertilizer or a solution of one ounce ammonium sulphate to 2 gallons of water. Mist foliage daily to discourage the red spider mite. Give a deep soaking in the sink or a pail of water once a week and a refreshing shower at the same time. The reason that buds drop off is if the night time temperature is above 70 degrees or below 60 degrees, or if there are drafts and if the humidity drops below 50%. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Maureen