FAQs

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What’s the difference between annual and perennial plants?
Annuals are plants that complete their growing and blooming cycle in a year’s time, usually one season. Many of them can bloom for several months with proper care, and some examples are pansies, marigolds, impatiens, zinnias, cosmos and petunias. Perennials, once planted in a location that meets their specific requirements, will return every year and become larger each year, as well. Some examples are coneflowers, garden phlox, daylilies and hostas. Perennials have a certain period of the year in which they bloom, and the trick to a great perennial garden is to plant several types of perennials so that something is always in bloom.

How do I know whether I have a cool or warm season lawn?
If your grass looks its best during the cooler months of the year, yours is probably a cool season fescue lawn. These lawns dislike our hot, humid summers and they attempt to go dormant in our summer months. Many gardeners step up the watering to try to maintain their green look but it’s somewhat of a losing battle and not very environmentally-friendly. Warm season lawns (like Zoysia and Bermuda) thrive during the summers here and turn tan in the cool months.

How and when should I prune my crape myrtles?
Many gardeners mistakenly believe that their crape myrtles require a yearly pruning, so they perform what horticultural professionals call “crape murder”, cutting the  branches back to little nubs near the trunk of the tree. Eventually you’ll end up with a very ugly hatrack look and the graceful shape of the tree is usually lost forever, even you decide never to make that mistake again. Remove only crossing branches, and dead or diseased sections. This can be done at any time of the year.

What’s that clear sticky stuff on my houseplants and how do I get rid of it?
The sticky substance is called honeydew and it is excreted by insects that are sucking on the leaves of your plants. Sometimes a black mold will also be present on the affected leaves. Often the culprit is scale, which attaches itself to stems and the undersides of leaves where it feeds unnoticed for quite some time. Upon further investigation you will probably notice something that looks like little tan helmuts on your plant. You can use horticultural oil spray (also known as dormant oil) to coat these pests and smother them, or you can opt for a granular systemic product that is designed for houseplants.