The Garden Plot

Got a chronic case of green thumb? Like getting your hands dirty? Adrian Higgins , garden editor for The Post's Home section, is here to help. Higgins is a firm believer in "tough plants for tough times" -- the varieties that combine good looks with stiff resistance to disease and pests. He currently rules over a garden filled with spring bulbs, daffodils, ornamental onions, perennials, asters, yarrows, hostas and day lilies. Higgins, an avid organic gardener who believes chemicals are a last resort, also tends his own herb and vegetable gardens where he grows peas, garlic onions, lettuce, rhubarbs, radishes, carrots and more.

Catch up on previous transcripts of The Garden Plot.

Higgins is the author of two books, "The Secret Gardens of Georgetown: Behind the Walls of Washington's Most Historic Neighborhood" and "The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region."

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Arlington Va: Love your chats and have learned a lot. Is this a good time to move cone flower, black eyed susan and hydrangeas? Are they best moved in fall or spring? Mine are all clumped in one area and need to be moved because they are choking each other out. Also what do you know about growing Crown Imperials in this area. I remember them as a kid and would love to grow some. I know they are mouse, rat, mole and rodent repelant, as well and I have had a huge problem with that this year. Will they do well here?

Adrian Higgins: It is still too hot and entirely too dry at the moment to be moving established plants around. Wait a month and water the garden in the meantime. Crown imperials are a showy bulb of the fritillary family. They peter out in our soils after a couple of years, so they are good for at least one spring of show. One of the problems is that they have a hollow in the top of their bulb which collects moisture when they are dormant and this leads to rotting. One solution is to plant the bulb at a tilt so that this basin effect is minimized.

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Dublin, Va: I have Cecile Brunner rosebushes on each side of my front steps that I want to move because they don't look neat throughout the summer. What type of rose would you recommend as a replacement? Or would something else be better, maybe a low-growing Viburnum if there is such a thing? Thank you for your help.

Adrian Higgins: There is a dwarf variety of the doublefile viburnum named Shoshoni, that should work for you.

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Arlington, Va: Hi,

Thanks for doing these chats! I'm looking for some suggestions for shrubs that we can plant this fall (versus next spring), especially along the foundation and fences (both sunny and shady areas). We have very little planted around our new house so far and would like to make some progress on the garden before winter. Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: Not sure the last reponse carried through but the answer was a doublefile viburnum variety named Shoshoni.

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Washington, DC: Is it possible to grow fresh mint indoors? What is the best time to start growing fresh mint? Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: Conceivable, I suppose, in a cool bright room, but it is much happier outside, even in a pot.

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Burke, Va: Hi Adrian, thanks for taking my question.

I am writing to ask if you know of any fast-growing evergreen that works as a privacy screen but grows in shade? From what I understand, the usual suspects, Leyland Cypress and Arborvitae, would not like my shady, wooded backyard.

The only thing I have come up with is planting a hedge of rhododendrons, but those don't grow that quickly, and I'm not sure they will attain the height I am looking for. Thanks for your help!

Adrian Higgins: If you are looking for a tall evergreen in shade, consider some broadleaf plants such as the Chindo viburnum or the Prague viburnum, or even some holly varieties. I no longer recommend planting hemlock in shady conditions due to the woolly adelgid problem.

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Washington, DC: Adrian,

I'm finally admitting to myself that I'm a somewhat lazy gardener. As much as I'd like to kid myself otherwise, I'm just not going to get out there several times a week in all manner of heat, battling mosquitos to work on my garden.

My coneflower, catmint and salvia seem to be thriving in spite of my neglect, and the creeping phlox and a few small shrubs seem to be hanging on, too. The jury is out on the Veronica. What else can I plant in my sun garden that can tolerate my shameful absences?

Thanks...

Adrian Higgins: I admire you candor. Certainly perovskia is a truly low maintenance plant in sun, as is goldenrod, and annuals such as sunflowers and gomphrena.

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Alexandria, Va: Hi - I live on the 10th floor of a high-rise with an eastern/southern exposure. In addition to heat it's windy. Can you recommend a few container plants that might tolerate that? I'd like to have a few that flowers.

Adrian Higgins: If you can water religiously, I'd consider some lantana and salvias, if you can't try an arrangement of stonecrops.

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Washington DC: I have an ugly drain pipe running across my lawn, and would like to camouflage it with something. Are daylilies a good choice? Do they last, or will they die out over the course of a few years? Is there anything that would provide year-round cover?

Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: Ubiquitous but useful dwarf nandina would work. Can you cover over the pipe and plant on top?

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Silver Spring, Md: In June I planted a hydrangea acrophylla "Miss Belgium". The leaves on the bottom two-thirds of the plant have brown spots. Any idea what might be causing them and what I can do to care for the plant?

Adrian Higgins: Hydrangea can get a leaf spot disease called Cercospora. Some varieties are bred for resistance to this and should be selected if it's a problem. Otherwise practice good sanitation. Make sure you remove and bag all the fallen leaves this fall, and do a little pruning to thin out the plant if it is congested.

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Canas: Adrian,

Can I split the Cana this fall when I cut them down or should I wait until spring ?

Adrian Higgins: Divide them when you lift them for winter storage, and treat any wounds with an anti-fungal powder.

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Arlington, Va: So glad you are back. We are heading out of town on Sunday for a week, and I was dismayed to notice the earlier forecast for rain on Friday has been changed. Any steps we can take this week to get the plants in shape for a week of total neglect? Should we give everything a really good soaking on Saturday and hope for the best?

Also, we had a TERRIBLE tomato year (except for the cherries). I'm considering giving up on tomatoes because they are more often than not failures for us. I think we got five tomatoes off of three plants. Something else got a few more. Should we just throw in the towel?

Adrian Higgins: Soak everything that doesn't move, (including the spouse). It's awfully dry, depressingly so. A lot of tomatoes were beginning to flower when it got really hot, and the heat causes flowers to abort. I wonder if that was your problem. Are other people having a disappointing tomato year?

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Arlington, Va: Even though in Feb or March I cut my butterfly bushes back to 20", they still get enormous and quickly become scraggly. What do I need to do to keep them under control? (Say, not more than 6' tall.)

Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: Trim them by half in late May and do the same in late June. This will promote bushiness and better flowering, though somewhat delayed.

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Washington DC: Adrian Higgins: Ubiquitous but useful dwarf nandina would work. Can you cover over the pipe and plant on top?

Nope, the pipe sits about two inches above the ground. And the yard is tiny, so I'd like to avoid planting something that would take over all the space. What are your thoughts on daylilies? Are they compact, longlasting, tolerant of benign neglect? I've never had them before.

Adrian Higgins: Daylilies would work, but look rather dull 10 months of the year. Whatever you plant, you will have to improve the soil.

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Arlington Va: I have what I think is a Clivia Solomone indoor houseplant. Unfortunately, I have no outdoor space and have only north-facing windows. The plant receives indirect sunlight all day. Is this enough for this type of plant or am I unwilling killing it?! Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: Clivia will take low levels of light and will work for you. Give it watering dormancy in the fall for spring flowering. Watch for mealy bugs.

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McLean, Va: On the topic of butterfly bushes, I noticed that Washington state has added them to its list of noxious (weed) plants. I do try to avoid adding such plants to my garden, but alas, I planted two butterfly bushes this year! Are they considered a pest in this area?

Adrian Higgins: They do not seem to have the same level of invasiveness as they do in more temperate states. I don't know, frankly if they are on any hit list in the mid Atlantic, but if you remove the flowerheads before they seed, it's not a problem. This will promote reblooming.

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Laurel, Md: Is there any way measure what fraction of this season's rainfall came in those two days in June and compare it to other years?

Adrian Higgins: In my garden in Alexandria, we had 14 inches in one go, and our annual average is approximately 40 inches. Why could we not have had one inch per week for 14 weeks, he asked, rhetorically.

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Pittsburgh, Pa: In my efforts to cut down on the amount of front yard devoted to grass, I've decide to edge one sunny side with peonies. Is there any thing I might intersperse them with that would bloom after the do? I want low maintenance. I read that I should not plant daylilies with peonies which would have been my first choice.

Thank you.

Adrian Higgins: I have seen long paths planted with peonies on both sides: Looks spectacular for three weeks (with luck) and dull as dishwater the rest of the year. What I might suggest is that you forget the herbaceous peonies and plant tree peonies instead, spacing them appropriately. They have the architecture of handsome shrubs year round (even in winter nakedness), hardy as can be and don't flop over.

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Loudoun, Va: Bad tomato year indeed! I planted 20 tomato plants and got six tomatoes! The deer ate all the plants, which astonishes me because I thought tomatoe plants were a member of the Nightshade family and were therefore poisonous!?! It doesn't seem to have affected the deer because they come back from time to time for a snack...!

Adrian Higgins: I still don't understand why yew is poisonous to cattle and candy to deer. Deer 1, Tomatoes 0.

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Are other people having a disappointing tomato year?: Yes, my worst ever !

Adrian Higgins: Nightmare on Tomato Street!

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Arlington, Va: Cheers Adrian. So when should I be ready for post-summer lawn care? Added some new weeds to the lawn this year and am ready to treat, overseed, whatever is necessary. I know there are some things I can do this time of year to help.

Adrian Higgins: I'm with you, the only thing my dusty old lawn is lacking is tumbleweed, but that should arrive any day now. I would start earlier rather than later this year. Let's get that grass established before the leaves fall. Even September 1 might be good.

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Arlington Va: regarding tomatoes. This is the worst year I have ever had for tomatoes and for that matter my whole garden. I have 8 heirloom tomato plants and have produced only 3 tomatoes. 3 of my plants never flowered at all. My squash and melons have produced NO melons and only two squash. My cucumbers all start, then round off to little nubs. I have gotten NO fully developed cucumbers. Normally I feed the entire neighborhood. By this time of the year the neighbors are tired of seeing me come with bags of veggies. I have heard others in my area say they are having a bad tomato year as well.

Adrian Higgins: THis is actually quite interesting. Perhaps you would be kind enough to email me your name and contact info. higginsa@washpost.com. Other tomato victims should do the same, if they wish.

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Springfield Va: Would you suggest planting fall vegetables around this time of year? I think lettuce / spinach, and garlic would work. What are some other common Northern VA fall crops? Thanks so much!

Adrian Higgins: It's a little late for brassicas such as cabbage, kale and broccoli and brussels, unless you can find started plants. Otherwise, it's a perfect time to sow beets, spinach, arugula, lettuce, Asian greens, turnips, even peas might be worth a go.

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Tomatoes in Potomac, Md: We grew from seed a dozen tomato plants, about half of them cherries, three beefsteak, and three heirloom (Black Krimm and a "peach" variety). The cherries are outstanding and v. productive -- the best year so far. The beefsteak have large fruits that have been green for months and don't seem to redden. The heirlooms (which I suppose were not as disease-resistant as the cherries and beefsteak) succumbed to blight/fungus soon after the June flood. Interesting experiment.

Adrian Higgins: Thanks for that. I guess we won't be having that bloody festival they have in Spain where people throw tomatoes at each other. (What a waste of good fruit).

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Alexandria, Va: Welcome back Adrian. I have two wygelias that are afflicted with something. The leaves are slowly turning brown. The browning starts with the leaves at the base of each branch, moving to the tip of the branch until all of the leaves are brown and falling off. I have been watering my plants once a week during this dry spell, so I would not think it's a lack of water. I thought these plants are hard to kill, but I guess not for me. Do you have any ideas what the problem may be? Thank you.

Adrian Higgins: They naturally suffer dieback after flowering, and I would suggest trimming out the affected branches.

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I am writing to ask if you know of any fast-growing evergreen that works as a privacy screen: It's not fast growing, but boxwood is the perfect privacy plant.

Adrian Higgins: WE have been steering people away from Leyland cypresses and toward an arborvitae variety named Green Giant, which is more handsome and healthier.

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Loudoun, Va: My Dwarf Alberta Spruce is losing its needles. There is new growth however. Is this normal or do I have a pest?? Thanks!

Adrian Higgins: I would check for spider mites. Take a white sheet of paper and hit a branch over it to see if you have tiny litle dots crawling around. Webs in the branches are another sign. You can water the foliage thoroughly, trim out the dead branches and move the plant into the shade, if possible.

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Hillcrest Heights, Md: I have a 25 year old potted miniature orange tree about 5'tall; I keep it indoors in the winter and out in the summer. I have had oranges about once every 5 years. It gets full leaves every summer, but no fruit. It needs to be repotted now, but what else can i do to make it more "fruitful?"

Adrian Higgins: Oranges are magnets for scale and mealy bug insects, so the first thing I would do is relieve it of those problems. It sounds as if you are doing the right thing in summering it outdoors (best in partial shade)and now is an excellent time to repot the plant and give it fresh soil. I would dunk the rootball in chlorinated water before repotting to kill insects and eggs. Bright, cool and humid conditions are a must for winter health.

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Tomatoless in Virginia: Three of my four tomato plants have been ravished by blight faster than I can pick the diseased leaves off. I still haven't picked an edible tomato off Mortgage Lifter because the first tomatoes rotted while green. Tomato plant number 4 is an odd cross between a cherry and a plum tomato. The tomatoes are rather tasteless, but at least it has lots of them.

Not quite as bad as last year when I tried a different way of trellising and the whole thing collapsed, but still very disappointing.

Adrian Higgins: Thanks.

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Tomato Trouble, Md: For the nth consecutive year my cherry tomatoes, planted in new pots with fresh soil, have been attacked by something that kills the plant from the bottom up. You've described it elsewhere as a fungus - what can I do besides thoroughly cleaning the pots each spring and using potting mixes from the gadren store?

Adrian Higgins: This was early blight, which is exacerbated by planting in bare soil. The key is to remove the branches as they yellow and then not to touch the clean foliage, or you may spread the spores.

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Cheverly, Md: Welcome back!

I'd like to keep my russian sage as-is through the winter for visual interest--what's the latest I should cut it back?

Thanks.

Adrian Higgins: When you cut back your roses and buddleias etc in late winter.

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Grosse Pointe Park, Mich: Dear Mr. Higgins, I'd like to plant a couple of blueberry bushes. Any advice on how to prepare the soil?

Adrian Higgins: Although blueberries have surface roots that mustn't dry out, don't make the mistake of planting the shrubs in waterlogged soil. You have to achieve a balance that will give them near constant moisture but freedom from standing water, especially in winter. This is achieved by adding a lot of organic matter to the planting areas, especially chopped, rotted leaves, and throw in some pine needles and peat moss, if you have it. Give them a light mulching of chopped leaves.

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Arlington, VA: a good tomato year for me: This was actually one of my more successful years for tomatoes. I have only four plants (one hasn't put out anything, the rest are lovely), and I've got more beautiful and tasty ones than I did from last year's 8 plants. Last year, the squirrels got every one just as they started to ripen. This year, the rotten little creatures have mostly let my tomatoes alone.

Biggest difference, I have to assume, is a drip watering system I put into my garden. Although it's hard to tell how much water the plants are getting, the results seem to suggest it works.

Adrian Higgins: A success story:

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Tomatoes: My dad and I planted about 100 tomato plants and actually got quite a few to begin with. However we are down to getting about on or two tomatoes a day now. We might even till up some of the garden soon because the we are pulling up so many unproductive plants. We just need rain!

Adrian Higgins: That's a lot of tomato plants. Well done.

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Baltimore, Md: Hi Adrian, Thanks for taking my question. My father-in-law wants to give us some hostas that aren't doing well in his yard. When is the best time to transplant these? We'll be planting them in our patio garden underneath a tall crepe myrtle. Any suggestions on how to ease their move?

Adrian Higgins: Again, in a month would be better than now. You may need to get a sharp axe to clear planting holes. Crape myrtles have greedy surface roots and are difficult to plant in unless you put in your ground covers at the same time the tree is planted. But give it a go. At this point in the season it doesn't matter if you mangle the leaves a bit, but you might take the opportunity to divide the hostas to keep them vigorous and free flowering.

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Greenbelt, Md.: The neighborhood cats have killed most of my catnip patch. Is it too late to plant catnip from seed or will it be hardened-off in time for the first frosts?

Adrian Higgins: I think it would be difficult as you say to get seedlings big and hardy enough now, unless you grow them in a cold frame. You might also try taking some cuttings and overwintering them in a protected area.

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Greenbelt, Md.: Can you suggest a somewhat drought tolerant flowering plant that would do well in part-shade? It will be sharing a flower bed with purple coneflowers and black-eyed susans, which are in the front/full sun part of the bed. Something that is at least 3 feet tall so the other plants don't block it would be best I suppose. Thanks for your help.

Adrian Higgins: I would consider some stinking hellebores (Helleborus foetidus), Brunnera Jack Frost, or some acanthus.

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Fairfax, Va: Adrian,

Time to start thinking about filling in the bare spots in the lawn, as well as what to put down for the final feeding.

Will it matter what type of seed I put down ? I'd like to mix some fescue with bermuda, but I'm wondering if the bermuda will germinate at all in the cooler weather.

Adrian Higgins: I would stick with turf type tall fescues and get a named variety that has been developed for southern climates.

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Roanoke, Va: Hello Mr. Higgins. I want to "top dress" my lawn this fall, but I don't really understand how one actually does it. I assume I need to find some nice, fine compost, but do I just fling it about with a shovel? Use some sort of spreader? I just can't quite visualize the process. Any illumination you can provide would be most appreciated. Thank you.

Adrian Higgins: It is simply the dressing of the top surface of the lawn with rotted compost or manure, which will improve the soil structure and add some small amounts of nutrients. A layer of an inch will soon make its way to the grass crowns, and you might take the opportunity to overseed at the same time. Top dressing with screened topsoil, in my view, is a waste of time, money and labor. Dump a wheelbarrow of compost in an area and with a hoe or a rake spread the pile in every direction. Alas, we have run out of time, but you will find me on the radio tomorrow (WTWP)around 11:30 a.m. and again on Saturday between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. More gardening information and entertainment in Thursday's Home section.

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