Ask the Expert

I live in the Florida Panhandle a few miles from the Gulf. Is this area suitable for Japanese maples?

YVETTE BEARD

NAVARRE, FLORIDA

Sure, no problem. In your area, Japanese maples benefit from light afternoon shade and moist, well-drained soil that contains organic matter. Many different selections exist, including split-leaved, red-leaved, and green-leaved types. To learn more information about these trees, see page 149 of The Southern Living Garden Book. Now is a good time for you to plant.

When should I cut back my chrysanthemums?

TERESA GUNN

PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA

Do this after they finish blooming this fall. Cut them back to the ground, and discard the withered foliage. If you want more plants, dig up and divide the clumps early next spring, just as the new growth starts. (You can also trim them in early summer to prevent leggy plants in the fall.)

When should I transplant a mature grapevine, and what is the best way for me to do it?

VIRGINIA FELGENHAUER

HAZEL, KENTUCKY

Move it this fall after the leaves drop. A mature vine has an extensive root system, so be prepared to dig a large root-ball at least 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep. Replant it in a sunny, well-drained spot at the same depth at which it had been growing, and water it thoroughly. For tips on pruning and other ways to care for grapes, see pages 328-332 of The Southern Living Garden Book.

I bought a night-blooming jasmine in Florida. Can I plant it in my yard? KAYE HILL

MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE

Nope. It's tropical and won't survive the winter. To enjoy its sweet-smelling flowers, plant it in a large pot, and bring it inside to a sunny room during cold weather.

ACCORDING TO STEVE

I wince when I see folks growing real plants. They're stuck in the primeval world of low-maintenance gardening, while today's discriminating homeowners rightly aspire to the Nirvana of no maintenance at all. To that end, enlightened people choose artificial turf, because who has the time nowadays to program automatic sprinklers? They also spread rubber mulch made from shredded tires. Unlike disgusting natural mulch, rubber doesn't break down, puts a bounce in your step, comes in bright colors (my favorite-Caribbean Blue), and smells like eau de NASCAR on hot days.

But what if you prefer the look of pine straw? Have no fear-you can now buy plastic pine straw that looks like the real thing! Sure, it costs a lot more, but it keeps its color and lasts up to five years. According to the manufacturer, it never decomposes; yet when it does, it breaks down into carbon, hydrogen, calcium carbonate, and rust! Just the thing for your rust-loving plants. So get with it, and join the artificial world. Be a friend of faux. -STEVE BENDER

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Nov 2006
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