Hi Chris,

Thanks for taking questions! I saw a beautiful plant at a garden center the other day called a bougainvillea. I'd love to use it in my yard, but I'm wondering how it holds up in the Arkansas climate. Do you ever plant these? If so, would you recommend putting them in the ground, in a large planter, or on a trellis or pergola? Also, does it attract lots of pests?

Thanks!

Hi there,

I love to use Bougainvilleas. They are tropical so you will have to protect them in the winter by bringing them indoors. They love to be fed so any all purpose fertilizer will do. I like Miracle Gro.

The nice thing about this plant is it is very disease and insect free. Give it plenty of sunshine and it will thrive all summer long.

What are your favorite plants to use in Arkansas gardens?

We have a large partially covered concrete patio. How to border and make it look less cluttered less concrete?

I would go ahead and plant a foundation planting of the Varigated Boxwood. Then in front of that I would plant a border off Golden Sweet Flag Grass. Watch out.......your neighbors will be jealous...

My lawn is dying, slowly. It started as a little dry patch and I thought it was because the sprinkler wasn't working hard enough during the last hot/dry spell we had. I resorted to watering some ore and even spot-watered the dry area for a while. All I got in return was further expansion of the dry spot. It is getting so big now I'm afraid its more than lack of water. Can you help? Is it time to call in the specialists?

You have a fungus in your turf. Zoysia grass loves diseases and insects. Just spray several applications with any all-purpose fungicide. I like the products with the chemcial Daconil in it. Remember, several applications are necessary.

Hi Chris!

My husband and I are in the process of building a house so when it is finished we will be starting from scratch on the landscaping. Our land is across the street from a peach orchard and we have been told the soil is great. Our home will be north facing. We have a young daughter and don't want to spend every weekend taking care of the flower beds and such. Do you have any ideas for low maintenance plants that will flower yearly and look good even in the winter? When is the best time of year to plant a flower bed?

Here are some great plants for your shady area........Fatsia Japonica, Golden Sweet Flag Grass, Little Gem Magnolia, Cast Iron Plant, Encore Azalea and the Endless Summer Hydrangea......

Hello Chris,
I am Patti Spradley, director of a day habilitation center for developmentally disabled adults. We just opened and have an outside area we can't wait to turn into our Garden of Paradise. We have a greenhouse donated and have a small plot tilled for veggies. But the rest needs landscaping. Where do we turn to to get started? Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I would take some pictures and draw out a layout. Then brings this info. to your local garden center. They should have someone there to answer your questions and actually show you what plants will work.

My bed is about 3' wide and 15' long, southern exposure, very hot, by concrete driveway. I don't want anything that will grow much above the windows. Grass on end needs to be divided and moved but could still be used in bed. What would your suggestions be as to plants to use in this area?

I would plant low growing Carpet Roses and mix in some Purple Coneflower, Rudbeckia, and reuse your divided grasses.

This area of my yard was overtaken with ivy and we scraped it all up, so it is now bare dirt and mostly shady. The water from the driveway washes through the area when it rains. I'm looking for suggestions, should I try to do grass? A dry creekbed look? I've tried growing ornamental grasses there, but too shady. Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated. Thank you.

I would for sure do a dry river bed. Use some boulders and large river rock. Then plant the groudcover Regular Mondo Grass. This groundcover is tough. It will grow in deep shade and your can rake and blow leaves off of it in the fall and winter.

Two questions, Chris: 1.) I have a sloping garden spot planted with about 75 spring bulbs and there is a lot of grass (some Bermuda, other unknown) which has invaded during the recent rains. Should I use something like Grass-B-Gone and then mulch with something like the new rubber mulch? Would that cook my bulbs or work well? I like the look of it, but worry that it will kill my jonquils and hyacinths. 2.) Russian sage grows fabulously in Santa Fe; any chance it would work in Little Rock or northwest Arkansas?
Thanks so much for your advice, Mary Dee Taylor

I would use the Grass-B-Gone. Then mulch but I like the hardwood mulch. Rubber mulch soon washes and goes every where. Also it is hard to clean fallen leaves out of your rubber mulch.

Russian Sage does great in Arkansas. Just give it full sun and plenty of good drainage.

Hi Chris, we bought a house with beautiful azaleas but they are way too big. Is there anything we can do short of replacing them? They have gotten to a size that pruning would remove a large amount of the plant.

You can cut back your azaleas now if you like. I would trim them back to about half of their size. If you do it soon, then they will flush out and be full and green before the winter.

Chris,
I saw you a few months ago with Dr. Holloway at Baptist Hospital and I asked you a question about potted palm trees. You said when it gets hot (like this time of year) to water the tree every day. It was in a 5 gallon bucket and now it's in a larger pot. I want to ask you this: The tips of my tree were getting brown, torn and weak, like something was eating it. I asked on yahoo about this and someone said it was because I watered it too much. What do you think?

Also, since I moved it into a bigger pot, I put it in Potting soil and a little bit of garden soil that said not for use in pots. I also didn't open the root ball, as I was afraid to damage the plant. Should I have put it in that soil or should I get a soil that is fast draining (the ones they sell for cacti and palms). I want my trees to be as healthy and grow as fast as possible, and I'm just afraid I'm going to damage them.

What about water? I have always used tap water or one from the side of the house, but I know when it comes to certain things (ie hermit crabs) you must use pure water. Since tap has all that chlorine and fluoride in it, can that hurt the plants?

Since we're building a pool and with all the rain we've had, i'm trying to keep mosquitos away from the house. Have you ever tried the water in the ziploc bag thing? Does it work?

Also, just because I lost the things you said at the seminar, can you tell me again, what keeps bugs away, and what goes good in iced tea?
Thanks.

I've attached some photos for you to get a better idea of my situation.

please e-mail me back a response at chris@kuar.org

Thank you for your help!

The bottom leaves of palms will turn brown on the tips as the tree sends out new leaves. This is normal. I usually suggest you water every other day not every day. If your plant is wet then don't water. Tap water will be just fine. Remember to fertilize with Miracl Gro.

For mosquitos I use what is called Mosquito Donuts. They float in the water and kill the larve.

For bugs I would spray with Triple Action Plus. It is a insecticide, fungicide, and miticide all in one. What a great product....

Chris-We live in Scott and have the tail end of a swamp in our back yard. It dries up through the summer generally (but not this year!)for about 5 months. When it fills in, especially in late spring, it becomes choked with huge weeds. Is there anything we can plant there to suppress weeds? (mind you, it will be submerged at least 6 months of the year). The area is in partial shade. Thanks!

I would spray the weeds with a strong solution of round up. It is best to spray when there is no water. This will keep the area clean....If you want to plant something else in the weeds place then plant the Arrowhead Water Plant......A fast grower this will choke out the weeds.