Question: I am interested in planting a shrub or two in my yard that will attract multiple kinds of birds. I would prefer the shrub to grow no taller than 8 feet in height. My yard has sunny and shady areas. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: Vina Lindley, Food Systems and Home Horticulture Professional […]
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Question: I would like to know the proper way to overwinter plants I’m propagating. I have one pot with five Cardinal Flowers (to divide for a Spring plant sale), two pots with ornamental shrubs (from cuttings made last Spring), and three pots with apple rootstock (less than a pencil width that were pulled and potted […]
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Question: My onions have been hanging in the shed but now it’s getting cold and I’m afraid they will freeze. Last year when I brought them in they all got condensation inside the skins and eventually rotted. (This had never happened before,) what to do now? I don’t have a really cool area in the […]
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Question: Is it good to leave fallen leaves in the garden over the winter? Is it beneficial? When can they be raked up in the spring? Answer: Viña Lindley, Food Systems & Home Horticulture Professional Absolutely, leaves make a great mulch since they’re free, readily available, and full of nutrients that release slowly over time. […]
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Question: Should asparagus plants be cut back in the fall after they’ve turned yellow? I read that they should be cut just under the top of the soil, but wanted to confirm this information. Answer: Lynne M. Holland, Horticulture and Social Media Professional Once the asparagus tops have yellowed their work is done for the […]
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Question: We have a summer camp that is located on a salt water cove. This past year we have lost trees from all the storms/high winds we have had. Are there any shrubs/bushes/trees that we can plant that would help stabilize the banking these trees were on? Answer: Lynne M. Holland, Horticulture and Social Media […]
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Question: I bought this River Birch ‘Fox Valley Dwarf’ about three years ago. I lost the second and third stem the first winter but the now-single stem has done okay since then, it’s currently about 5′ tall. But it has these galls or something every year. It doesn’t seem to be hurting the tree too […]
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Question: I harvested some black walnuts from a tree in my yard. After removing the husks and letting them dry for a couple weeks, I put them in an uncovered plastic box. Now some of the nut shells have white mold on them. Can you advise me if they are safe to eat? Answer: Viña […]
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Question: I live in Bar Harbor on a hill where it is very windy. I routinely have mulch blown off the garden beds, petals blown off my daylily flowers, etc., when storms blow through. I have several tree peonies that have been in my perennial garden for the last three winters. Each winter I have […]
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Question: I am looking for a small evergreen to go in front of the deck. There will be loam brought in. Answer: Lynne M. Holland, Horticulture and Social Media Professional First of all, I am going to send along a recommendation to consult this chapter from our manual for some in-depth information on the things […]
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