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Southern Living, Jun 2006

Two years ago, a plant with a tiger lily-type blossom of orange and red about 2 inches across came up in my garden. This year, it had many, many bloom spikes and foliage that looked like gladiolus. Do you know what it is? JUDITH LEATHERS

DICKSON, TENNESSEE

Absolutely. The mystery plant is an old Southern pass-along called blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis). It bears orange flowers with red spots and gets its name from shiny black seeds that look like blackberries. You can purchase this plant from Bluestone Perennials, 1-800-852-5243 or www.bluestoneperennials.com.

Our bushes have been totally devoured by Japanese beetles. We were advised to spray with Malathion and use beetle traps, but this wasn't very successful. We would appreciate any advice.

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JOAN ASHMAN

FRANKLIN, NORTH CAROLINA

First, forget about beetle traps. In my most humble opinion, they just end up attracting more beetles. Try spraying your plants with neem oil, which is made from a tropical tree. Its active ingredient, azadirachtin, repels Japanese beetles and other insects and also causes them to lose their appetites. You'll find neem oil in Green Light Rose Defense, available at home and garden centers.

I had to move a Chinese hibiscus bush from western exposure to a northeast corner that gets little direct sun. It's growing quite well, but there isn't a bloom in sight. What can I do?

HELEN GALLUCCI

TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA

Unless you can shift the Earth on its axis to provide your Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) with more sun, you'll have to be satisfied with foliage. This plant likes lots of light. The more it gets, the more blooms you'll get.

We have a 'Sioux' crepe myrtle that starts blooming around now. Can you tell me the names of some tree-form selections that bloom earlier and longer?

DAWN REDMOND

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

Of course. The expert knows all. Two of the longest- and earliest-blooming crepe myrtles are 'Natchez' (white) and 'Muskogee' (lavender), which bloom for 100 days or more. Readily available at garden centers, they grow 25 to 35 feet tall and wide, averaging 3 to 4 feet of growth per year while plants are young.

Other tree-form selections worth considering include 'Biloxi' (light pink), 'Byers Wonderful White" (white),'Dynamite' (red), 'Miami' (medium pink), and 'Red Rocket' (cherry red). All of these selections are highly resistant to powdery mildew, a common fungal disease in the humid South.

TIP OF THE MONTH

To extend the summer tomato season, take 6-inch cuttings of plants in late June. Put the cuttings in water, and the container will be full of roots in about a week. Then you'll be ready to plant your second crop of tomatoes.

YVETTE HERING

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

ACCORDING TO STEVE

Gardening is truly the noblest profession (with toll-taking running a close second), but that doesn't mean it lacks its share of scoundrels. I'll never forget the time I ordered a dozen trees through the mail. When I opened the box, I found tiny pots holding seedlings too small to be eaten by gnats.

So how can you protect yourself from mail-order nursery fraud? First, pay only by credit card so you'll have some recourse in case your plants arrive deader than Jerry Garcia. second, if you're ordering from a company for the first time, place only the minimum order as a test. Third, call their toll-free number (if they have one), and talk with them. If they're rude, uninformed, or sound like Ernest T. Bass is the smart one in the family, look elsewhere. Finally, check out 'The Garden Watchdog Guide to Gardening by Mail" at www.davesgarden.com/gwd. It rates more than 4,800 mail-order vendors according to service and quality, and you can read actual comments from customers. Don't look for Bogus Gardens, though. I made that one up. -STEVE BENDER

Tips of the Month are ideas readers say work for them. We do not test them. Submit tips on a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address to Garden Tips, Southern Living, P.O. Box 523, Birmingham, AL 35201 or by e-mail to southernliving@customerservice.com. For each tip published, you will receive a copy of The Southern Living Garden Book.

ask the expert

Southern Living, Jun 2006

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