Climbing Hydrangea 'Moonlight Magic' (PP#13247) Hydrangeas are the top-selling plants at CarrollGardens.com, and for good reason. Our customers can't get enough of these beauties and all that they add to the garden. Many people only think of shrub hydrangeas, but climbing hydrangeas can add an incredible amount of beauty and interest to your landscape. The effect created by a hydrangea in bloom, climbing up the trunk of a large tree or a masonry wall, can't be matched by any other plant. This week we are featuring an exciting new variegated-leaf climbing hydrangea introduced by Hines Nursery - 'Moonlight Magic.'
A New Shade-Loving Hydrangea with
Variegated Leaves
Planting and Care
Nice, full plants from one-gallon pots for $28.85. |
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Garden Club
Questions and Answers Question: I have a row of dwarf Japanese holly shrubs, about 10 in all. They look like boxwoods. About a month ago the shrub at the end of the row suddenly had all the leaves turn first pale yellow, then brown, and finally fall away. About 90% of the leaves are gone and the branches appear almost black. Meanwhile, other shrubs in the line appear to be going through the same thing. Any ideas? T he first shrub now appears to be showing some regrowth with new green leaves starting to sprout.About one or two weeks ago I heard Mr. Summers' radio program and caught the tail end of a similar topic in which he advised a particular fungicide. I'm wondering if that was related to what I have. Answer: The fungicide I recommended was Bonide's Infuse. However, I am not sure you have a fungus. Your hollies may simply have dried out from lack of water. I suspect you have a form of Japanese holly called Ilex Helleri. This holly is not easy to grow unless the conditions are perfect. They prefer very well-drained soil (not clay) that never dries out thoroughly. They like a brightly lit spot, but with protection from the sun all afternoon, as well as protection from the winter wind. When Helleri holly is not happy, it dies sporadically—either a branch at a time or the entire plant dies suddenly, often one of a group that all seem to have the exact same growing conditions. Later, another one of the group may perish suddenly. If the hollies continue to perform less than satisfactorily, I suggest replacing them with some of the superior boxwood varieties like True Spreader, Chicagoland Green or Vardar Valley. Question: I keep getting spider mites on my indoor ivy. What can I do to save my plants and keep the mites from spreading? Answer: Turn the pot over and dip the entire foliage mass into a bucket of insecticidal soap. To prevent recurrence, use systemic granules (Di-Syston) sprinkled around the surface of the soil. Spider mites on ivy are caused by conditions that are too warm and too dry - especially the atmosphere surrounding the foliage. I suggest locating the plant in a cooler spot, as well as regular misting of the foliage. You can also increase the humidity by placing the ivy pot in an oversized waterproof saucer kept partially filled with water. Place the ivy pot on an inverted clay saucer (almost as big as the waterproof saucer), partially submerged in the water of the larger saucer. Question: I finished with my total makeover of my front yard. The grass (Black Beauty) is coming up nicely after three weeks, but I have a few questions. How long do I need to wait until the first mowing? How long should I wait before I can put weed killer down or fertilizer? Can I rake the new grass when the leaves start to fall? I've noticed a couple weeds coming up here and there. A nswer: Mow the grass when it gets four inches tall.Weed killer should not be applied this fall. Wait until spring. If you did not fertilize when you seeded, use Turf Trust at half strength now and at full strength at the end of November and in March. If you fertilized when you seeded, omit the half strength feeding. No matter how careful you are, you will tear out some of the new grasses when raking. I suggest you use a leaf blower. Most of the weeds you see now are probably not lawn weeds and will die from being cut off with the lawn mower. Any weeds that survive several cuttings this fall can be treated with a lawn weed killer this spring. Question: I would like an amaryllis to bloom in our home for Thanksgiving. Is there anyway to achieve this? Answer: The double flowering salmon pink amaryllis, Lady Jane, blooms unusually early, at least the very first year it is planted. I am not sure if Lady Jane will bloom early reliably ever year or whether the early blooming is a reaction of this variety to the treatment it undergoes in Holland. However, I feel quite certain that if you planted a new Lady Jane amaryllis this weekend, it would bloom around Thanksgiving time. This is the only variety of amaryllis that I know to perform this way.
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