ArcaMax

A year ago, a lot of us had the opportunity to try Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia. Even more importantly though, these new plants were part of the university trial programs. My first reaction was that these petunias were just a fancy novelty. These trial programs proved me wrong and this year the gardening public is showing their delight...Read more

Q: We were looking at our flowers the other evening and saw an amazing insect with huge pincers on its rear end. What is it, does it do any damage and how do we get rid of it, if it does?

A: An insect pest many people seem to have this summer is the earwig. They are 1-inch-long insects with pincers on the back end. They can pinch, but not too ...Read more

After seeing the flowers at the Young’s Plant Farm annual garden tour in Auburn, Alabama, I felt a sense of desperation to get my hands on the Luscious Basket Tangeglow lantana. I don’t always think about lantana being a component plant in mixed-container designs, but they had several that were simply dazzling.

Luscious Basket Tangeglow is ...Read more

Q: We bought some early sweet corn from the farmers market. It was the sweetest I have ever eaten. I want to grow some in my garden next year. The lady at the market didn't know what kind it was. Any ideas on what to look for?

A: In the case of many garden plants and sweet corn in particular, a great deal of work has been done to produce new ...Read more

During The Garden Guy’s stint as executive director of the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, I was completely taken by a native plant named the Manfreda maculosa. The common names associated with this plant are false aloe, spice lily and Texas tuberose and it was comfortably residing in the Agavaceae or Agave family. I’ll chase ...Read more

Q: I am having a problem with thistles in my flower beds. I can't seem to get rid of them. What is the best treatment?

A: The key to many weed problems is timing. Most thistles are biennials. This means that during this spring, summer and fall, new plants will sprout from seeds. A rosette of leaves will grow a taproot to store energy so it can ...Read more

As a national garden writer, I can tell the trumpet call has gone out for the long summer ahead. This is a call for petunias, summer’s favorite flowers, and they are trumpet shaped, of course. This call is also one of panic as I hear it in the voices of gardeners saying "I can’t find my Bubblegums."

This means they can’t find their ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Looking out the front windows of their northeast L.A. home, Kyle Anido and Katie Cordeal say their front yard is barely recognizable from a year ago when it was a lawn.

"It's crazy to see how lively the garden is now," says Anido, a 37-year-old camera operator. "There is so much bee activity."

"It has absolutely exploded," adds ...Read more

Q: A few weeks ago, I bought a columbine plant that had pretty red flowers. The plant tag said that the blooming time was May and June. The flowers lasted only a few days. We aren't even halfway through the time the tag said they will bloom. Was this short blooming time because I just planted it, because it is a young plant or because of some ...Read more

The National Garden Bureau designated 2024 as the Year of the Hosta, but I would dare say that once you start growing hostas, every year thereafter will be a cause of celebration. It is a job well done, however, that the National Garden Bureau made this declaration as there will always be gardeners, both young and old, who need to experience the...Read more

Q: My daylilies are usually beautiful, but they already have long stripes of yellow and dead areas on the leaves. I looked for insects but didn't see any. I don't think I over fertilized, but I don't know what else to look for.

A: The most likely problem is a simple fungus disease called daylily leaf streak. The first thing you might see is ...Read more

Boy, have I got a fairytrail for you gardeners about an incredible new hydrangea. That sounds so funny and you are probably thinking a horticulturist is about to tell you a tall tale about a hydrangea that doesn’t exist. This column however, is about an award-winning hydrangea that does exist and it is called Fairytrail Bride. If you decide to...Read more

Q: I have a peach tree that I am worried has a problem. Last spring, I noticed the leaves started curling up and got quite lumpy, for lack of a better term. It is back again this year. I don't see any aphids or other insects in the curled-up leaves. What caused this? Is there a cure for it? Will it affect the fruit?

A: Hopefully you only have ...Read more

Last year I had the opportunity to trial a new daylily and I can tell you it went out in a blaze of glory. This happened for a couple of reasons. The first and foremost is that its name is Blazing Glory and it is making its debut this year as part of the Proven Winners Rainbow Rhythm collection.

This group now consists of 16 varieties and if ...Read more

Q: My amaryllis bulbs bloomed nicely, but now the leaves are breaking off. There are red spots on the leaves and on the sides of the bulb. The red spots are even on bulbs that had white flowers, so I would not expect red coloring on the leaves or bulb. What could be causing this?

A: You are accurately describing a fungus disease called red ...Read more

Sitting on my driveway right now are three Luminary Sunset Coral tall garden phlox, Phlox paniculata. Just saying that color makes me expect a bolt of lightning to strike, and a mysterious voice to say it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature. This variety, still new to most everyone, is so beautiful in color and defies description.

There was a ...Read more

Q: A coworker said that her allergies were acting up because there were so many male trees blooming. I didn't think there were male and female trees. I don't remember what I learned in botany class. Are there male and female trees?

A: There are some tree species with separate male and female plants, but most trees have both male and female ...Read more

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column that stressed you grow containers in a mono culture style and cluster them together to create a garden look, when designing mixed containers. This week we’ll take it up a notch and say keep it ‘"all in the family." To be taxonomically correct, I should say keep it in the genus, but you will easily see what I...Read more

Question: We have a koi and goldfish pond with a few plants in it. We have heard that we should add salt to the pond, but we are unclear about how much is OK, how much is too much, what it does and if it will hurt the plants.

Answer: Let's first cover why you should add salt. The fish's bodies are saltier than the water in the pond. So, water ...Read more

Sparkling Rose may sound like an adult libation at your favorite Italian restaurant, but in the gardening world it is a Superbena or should I say a Super Verbena. Some in the green industry might consider it a novelty bedding plant, mainly due to its coloration. Personally, I don’t like the adjective novelty, mostly because of the dictionary�...Read more