Let’s Talk Gardening

May 27, 2006

Tropicals for the garden by April Enos: Plants listed in order of appearance: Jungle Gold Impatiens, Nonstop Begonias, Strobolanthes, Jasmine, Blue Plumbago, Endless Summer Hydrangea, Gardenia, Hosta, Philodendren, Limelight Draceana, Palms, Antherium, Rubber tree (Ficus Elastia rubra), Maiden Hair Fern, Jurasic Dark, Variegated Panadorea, Mandevilla, Passion Vine, Sable Palm, Basjoo Banana, Crossvine, Grapevine, Digitalis, Oleander, Shooting Star, Ruella, Duranta, Alamanda, Pineapple sage, Brugmansia, Croton, Magilla Perilla, Mosquito Plant.

Plant Combinations used for color or texture presented by Cindy Townsend: Japanese maple ‘Crimson Queen’, Juniper Blue Creeper ‘Monam’,  Spirea ‘Goldmound’, Picea pungeus ‘Montgomery’, Cytisus x praecox ‘Allgold’, Loropetalum chinense ‘fringe flower’, Magnolia ‘Little Gem’, Euonymus fortune ‘Emerald Gaiety’, ‘Emerald ‘n Gold’

Walk thru on Shaun’s backyard makeover:

Marching Orders:

1.     Feed lawn and trees with a slow release fertilizer.

2.  Prune roses.

3.     Plant another pot.

4.     Mulch

Garden Questions:  Mop head hydrangeas have black spots and the book says that it is probably water, either too much or too little.  The feel method is the best way to decide if it is too little or too much water.

I have 3 windmill palms and one of them has black edges.  It is probably a water issue and the old feel method is checking to see if the soil is too wet or dry is the best way.

Best of Show: Vera Allen with a bed of amaryllis.