Question: Alan, my landscaping is looking absolutely gorgeous thanks to you and Carroll Gardens. However, along my fence, from my neighbor's yard, the past year he has a weed that gets quite large that comes through our fences. It has big green leaves and a thick stalk. In the fall or late summer, it gets purple berries on it. I tried to kill it last year with some stuff I bought at a discount store, but it didn't work and is going strong again this year. What can I use to kill it for good? My neighbor told me that whatever it takes, he is fine with it, since the weeds are growing behind his shed and into my flower beds.

Answer: The weed you have is commonly called "Poke". You can dig it out, but it has a very large deep root system. If you don't get most of it out, it will re-sprout. You can kill it by spraying with Remuda. Better yet on larger pokes, cut to the ground. Then pour concentrated Remuda right into the cut stem. If any re-sprout spray the leaves with Remuda when they are about a foot tall. Spray the leaves on any of the small pokes also with Remuda.

Question: Is it possible for a rose to change color? I don't think I am going crazy, but I now have a dark red rose blooming where I know I used to have a yellow one. I don't think I had any blooms at all last year. Can roses change color?

Answer: Most roses are budded, which means their root stock is a different rose than the top. Most root stock is a dark red once-a-year blooming climber called Dr. Huey. Dr. Huey is a very tough growing hardy rose; that is why it is used for root stock. But most people don't consider it to be a very beautiful or desirable rose. What happened is that your yellow rose died and the root stock sent up shoots from below ground.

Those shoots have now developed into a blooming size plant. If you are going to keep it as a climber, Dr. Huey requires support - a trellis, a fence or an arbor.

Question: I usually try to have my vegetable garden planted by Memorial Day, but where we live it was very cold and I didn't even try. Now it has turned very hot. If I plant my vegetable garden this weekend will it be too late? Will I still get anything to harvest? We went to my local nursery and they said they didn't have anymore vegetable plants. It is a long drive, but does Carroll Gardens still have vegetable plants? I usually do part of my garden from seeds and part from transplants. Because I am so late should I do everything from transplants?

Answer: I have planted a vegetable garden here in Maryland on the 4th of July and had a bountiful late summer harvest. For most crops, I suspect if you plant your vegetable garden this weekend, because of the weather you have experienced, your first harvest will only be a few days later than if you had planted in the middle of May and probably only a day or two later than if you had planted on Memorial Day. Your situation is not unique; so Carroll Gardens carries vegetables plants in our retail store through the 4th of July. You should try and plant as many vegetables as possible from transplants. But some vegetables, like beans, can only be done from seed. Certainly there is still time to plant beans. When I have planted zucchini from seed at the end of June, I had the best crop I have ever had -- with no worry about squash vine borer!

Question: My neighbor just got a Double Knockout Rose from Carroll Gardens and it even had a bloom on it when it came out of the box. She was so excited. I ordered mine sometime after she did and it hasn't come yet. When will it come? I am so anxious to get it.

Answer: We have started to ship Double Knockout Roses to the folks that ordered the earliest. Double Knockout seems to be just as beautiful and disease-free as promised, but in the pots it seems to develop more slowly than regular Knockout or than anyone anticipated. Our orders with our grower are confirmed and every few weeks, as the Double Knockouts mature, we will ship more orders. I think you will find Double Knockout was well worth the wait and we appreciate your patience.

Our grower has promised us additional Double Knockout Roses for fall shipment and we are now accepting fall orders.

Answer: Apply Mach II now, in June. Mach II will not only control this year's crop of grubs before they can damage your lawn, but it also controls sod webworms. Always read and follow the label instructions. Please note that Mach II should not be applied to lawns with a heavy thatch build-up. Also note that Mach II needs to be watered in.