I have a Mandevilla vine and I do not know what side of the house to plant it,fullsun or shade.
You should plant your Mandevilla vine in full sun after the night low temperatures rise above 50 degrees.

If you plant ornamental grasses, roses and/or small shrubs (i.e. boxwoods) in containers, what do you do for them in spring? I assume you take off last year\'s mulch and freshen the soil some? Would you take them out of the container, maybe trim the rootball, and put in soome fresh potting soil?
Yes, I would remove last year's mulch, add a little fresh soil or compost, and fertilize with some Holley Tone. I would not trim the root ball.

On climbing roses. What do you do with the canes that are two far away from the arbor to be forced over? I have Golden Showers and have about 8 vigerous canes coming from it.
If you have room, you can let them grow for more blossoms. Or, you can cut them off at side shoots which can be trained to grow closer to the arbor. I hope this answers your question.

When is the best time to prune trees and flowering bushes? Does it depend on the type?
The time to prune does depend on the variety of your trees and flowering bushes. If you would like more information, please write back and let me know exactly what you have. I would be happy to help you.

Are you are selling forsythia plants at this time?
We do not have forsythia plants at this time. They are due to be here on Thursday, April 5, 2007.

I am trying to find the name of a houseplant that has the following. I think it\'s a perennial, because in the fall after the purple flowers are all bloomed, you cut the whole plant down cover it with plastic and put it in the dark until a week before Good Friday, then take it our of the dark, remove the plastic give it some water and put it in sunlight. It then \"resurrects\" itself to grow and bloom bushy with beautiful purple flowers. My friend told me its called a resurrection plant but when I look this up, its a totally different plant.
Our research found resurrection ferns and resurrection lilies, and some desert plants do go dormant in droughts and resurrect when it rains. Perhaps if you sent us a digital photo , we could better identify your friend's plant. Other than that, we do not know of the plant you are looking for.

I planted a lilac bush two years ago and it has not flowered yet. Is there something I need to do to get it to flower or do you think I might not have it planted in the right area of the yard? It gets afternoon sun. Also, when planting vegetable plants is it best to use manure or peatmoss or both?
For your lilac problem, your should try transplanting it to an area of full sun. They need 8 hours of direct sunlight between 8am and 4pm. This is most necessary with lilacs, especially.

When planting vegetables, be sure to use aged manure most importantly. Adding peat moss helps keep them moist especially when young.

I am planning to create a 50-75 pathway (where there was asphalt) and am concerned about the material. I have problems with one foot and sometimes fall on uneven surfaces. I read an article about accessible pathways and they recommended stone dust. Several landscrapers, however, expressed concern because the material tracks dust into the house and causes scratching of floors, etc. Do you have any recommendations?
Stone dust does track into the house and can scratch floors. Brick pavers would be a good alternative.

I planted a saucer magnolia tree 5 ft tall, almost 3 years ago. Every spring i only find a few blooms and it does not look like it has grown much.
Trees and shrubs would probably respond much better if fertilized twice a year with a good granular fertilizer such as Holly Tone. Also, light waterings keep roots near the surface while a good soaking (letting the hose run directly for a good 10 minutes) draws roots deeper so in dry times, they are better able to get their own water.

I am getting foliage on tulip bulbs that were planted two years ago but no flowers. What can be done so this will not happen next year?
There are two possible reasons for your tulip problem.

One : Infertile soil causes weakness in bulbs resulting in small or no flowers at all. Fertilize with bulb tone while tulips emerge in spring and once a month after the plants have flowered until the foliage dies back.

Two: Foliage removed too soon. Foliage uses the sun's rays to manufacture food for developing new bulbs and next year's flowers. Don't remove till foliage completely yellows naturally.

Can Cock-a-doodle-do fertilizer be used in my vegetable garden and will it burn plants if too close?
Yes, Cock-a-doodle-do fertilizer is great for vegetables and is non burning. You can put it right down around the plants.

What should I be doing now to my existing perennial beds?
Hello, without knowing exactly what you have in your perennial beds, my general advice to you is to clean out all leaves and other debris, and then apply a general 5-10-5 fertilizer now in early spring.
Thank You. Happy Gardening!

What would be the best type of flowering vine to grow along a ship-lapped fence? The Clematis I planted have very small flowers, and not sticking to the fence.
Most flowering vines are not self adhering needing initial training along fence or string. You could try Wisteria, Trumpet Vine, or honeysuckle, all requiring full sun. There are also clematis with large flowers and annual vines such as morning glory or tropical vines such as Mandevilla. Thank you.

When should I start my seeds inside?
For optimal growth, plant your seeds inside now; mid March to end of March. The general rule however, is to start seeds about 6 weeks prior to when you plan to plant outside.


When should I put down my first application of grub killer?
Well, if you are using a chemical free organic product such as "Milky Spore," you should put the first application down soon, in the early spring. Then, you should put the second application down in late September, while the ground is still warm and wet.

If you use a chemical product like "Bayer Grub Control", for example, you apply only once in spring.


When should I start fertillizing my lawn?
A general rule of thumb is to fertilize four times through the season; Use these dates as a guide: Patriots Day (April 19), Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day.


How do I know how much mulch or soil to buy for my property?
Two formulas that work well for most bulk products are:
- One yard covers 300 square feet at a depth of 1 inch.

- One yard covers 100 square feet at a depth of 3 inches.