Question: What is the best way to get rid of pesky flies? I cannot sit on my deck without being bothered to no end by the flies. Thanks for the tip on the Black Beauty grass seed! My lawn looks the best it has in years.

Answer: I have no brilliant solution. A bug zapper, insect repellent, citronella candles and flares---all standard solutions. Have you changed you outdoor lights to yellow bulbs that don’t attract bugs? If anyone has a better suggestion, please e-mail me.

Question: I applied Confront earlier in the spring. I am wondering if I can apply a second treatment now, because I have some patches of clover that did not die and I have a lot of buttercup emerging. Someone told me that it would be too late for a second application of Confront and that it would burn the lawn. Should I spot treat the clover with a spray? What are my best options?

Answer: I do not agree with “someone”. If you allow 6 weeks between applications, a second application of Confront is your best option.

Question: I would like to know how to trim Birds' Nest spruce plants? The plants I have are old and are very large.  Can they be cut back? If so when is the best time to do this?

Answer: Birds’ Nest spruces are best trimmed in April before the new growth begins. You cannot cut them back very far. They will only send out new shoots from branches on which some green remains. Branches on which all of the green needles have been cut away will never send out new growth to cover the brown naked inside branches.

Question: On your radio show you recently talked about voles, but I always seem to miss the discussion...our problem is that we get overnight 4" hemispherical holes in the mulch every night. We also have had circumferential chewed bark on Akebia quinata, Euonymous alatus, Clematis, Rodgersia, Salix 'Hakoru and Nishiki'. Most of these plants have had to be encircled in 1/4 " hardware cloth. Most tulip bulbs (100's) have disappeared...We also have lots of rabbits, chipmunks, and squirrels, but my wife is convinced that our culprit must be voles. Our backyard is now 8' fenced and that eliminated the deer... We would very much appreciate your thoughts as to which animal species (or species) is responsible and your favorite poison !!! No kids or dogs get in the fenced gardens. Your staff has been very helpful with lots of unusual perennial suggestions this year. You are always welcome when you're in the area.

Answer: You do indeed have voles. Place Ramik pellets around the holes (not in them) and cover the bait with an inverted flower pot saucer weighed down with a brick. Rebait every day, until the voles stop taking the bait. This takes about 2 weeks. Do not touch the Ramik pellets unless you are wearing gloves. Sometimes, voles will not take bait that is contaminated with human scent.

Question: I have been using Chesapeake Blue Crab Compost on my tomatoes and just as you said, I no longer have blossom end rot. In spite of last year’s rainy weather, I had a beautiful, although late, crop of tomatoes. None of them had brown spots at the base like they use to, but my yellow crooked neck squash and bell peppers still had the brown ends. I have only been using the Chesapeake Blue on the tomatoes. If I use it on my squash and peppers this year, can I avoid the end rot

Answer: Absolutely! Chesapeake Blue will work the same miracle on your squash and peppers that it does on the tomatoes. Incidentally, Chesapeake Blue should be all you’ll need to add for these vegetables---no other fertilizer should be necessary.

Question: Every fall I plant mums and they rarely come back. I spent a lot of money last year and bought large potted mums and it doesn’t look like anything is coming up this spring. Are they truly dead? Is there something I can do to bring them back to life?

Answer: If they are not showing any sprouts now, they are dead. I think we are pretty good here at Carroll Gardens, but we have no secret recipe to bring the dead back to life. Presuming you are planting your mums in a well-drained soil in a sunny location, I have two suggestions to increase your survival rate. Plant your mums in the spring so they will be well established before winter and secondly choose varieties that have proven to be hardy, such as: Single Apricot, Crown Jewel and Red Crown Jewel. Single Apricot is a gorgeous glowing pastel apricot pink that makes a perfect 30 inch by 30 inch mound of daisy mums. It is very durable and persistent; it takes real talent to kill it.

Question: I tore an article out of one of my gardening magazines a few years ago and now I can’t find it. It was about container gardening at some public garden. I think it was in New York. They were mixing maroon leaf dahlias that had red flowers with silver-leafed dusty miller and some other blue and yellow flowers. I seem to remember that they used the same dahlias in some of their flower beds. I would like to duplicate something similar in my garden this year but I can’t find any dahlia with maroon leaves and I can’t remember the name. Is they any way you can help me? Also is it too late to plant dahlias?

Answer: You can still plant dahlias for the next several weeks. I am reasonably certain that the dahlia you are describing is Bishop of Llandaff (Japanese bishop), an old English variety. It is one of my favorites. With its red flowers and maroon leaves, it has almost a cult following in fine English gardens as well as amongst sophisticated American gardeners. We still have a few in stock. The Japanese bishop grows about 36 inches tall. To keep it bushy, if you are using a small to medium sized container, you will need to pinch out the top when the dahlia is 4 to 6 inches tall. In a large container or in the garden, pinching is desirable, but not mandatory. The article was correct. The “Bishop” blends beautifully with yellow and blue flowers and silver-leaf accents.

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