Flower Questions Answered

By Mark Johnston: This is my first year growing daffodils. My state is Louisiana and this is May getting hot and the leaves are looking like they have had enough. I am wondering if it is ok to mow the tops and still get blooms next year.

Answer By The Flower Expert: If you remove the leaves prematurely, the bulb will suffer and blooming will decrease or stop altogether. So, wait until the foliage turns yellow.

By Pat: What is the best time of year to transplant established iris? After blooming and before fall?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Though, the best time to transplant established Iris is 2-3 weeks after they finish blooming.Usually, Irises need to be cut back in late July or early August. Cut them back to 4-5 inches tall. By this act, the leaves continue to feed the roots but makes your garden look neater. Remove any spent or damaged leaves.

By Barb: I'm not sure what fungus looks like on plants but the stems are definitely brown and I haven't seen any insects. Lots and lots of ants this year though. I'm hoping they'll come back next year and that I won't lose them all or you might see a grown woman cry! Thanks for your help.

Answer By The Flower Expert: There can be various types of fungus on plants. Like mildew, which may appear on houseplants, garden vegetables and other vegetation. This fungus can retard plant growth or even kill the plant.

By Ken Adelson: Was reading info about kangaroo paws.
One statement (near the bottom) said to keep them almost dry in winter.
That is pretty much impossible in Southern California or most anywhere in the desert southwest.
That is our rainy season.
I suspect that you may need to revise the information to address the hemispheric differences.
I've read other things about kangaroo paws and realized that the source was Australia.
The seasons are exactly the opposite, so the dry season here in local is summer, not winter, the dry season in Australia.
Needless to say, it is confusing and misleading for those of us trying to figure out how to handle the plant.
I want to try to divide and propagate, but want to be sure of the correct time of year to do so -- where I live, not in Australia.
The confusion is completely understandable. When a gardening buff is also a technical writer, these things get noticed.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Usually, people divide these plants in the fall or early spring when new growth emerges in the california region.

By Missy: I have white daisy's when the flower dies off does that flower pod produce seeds.

Answer By The Flower Expert: The white daisy flower has some interesting facts.
There is no flower pod as such produced on the flower.
The ray and disc florets produce 2 types of seeds.
These are formed on the flower itself, when the flower dries out, that means after fading seeds are formed on the plant. Here 2 types of seeds are fromed on the flower.

By Bob: What is the difference between Asian and Asiatic jasmine?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Asian Jasmine - Asiatic Jasmine are one and the same plant. Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) or Asian jasmine is a vine with small, glossy green leaves and veins of a lighter green color. It is also also known as small leaf Confederate jasmine. The leaves produce a milk-like substance called latex when broken or crushed. Extreme winters can severely kill the plant. Average winters may even burn the foliage brown, but recovers in spring. They belong to Apocynaceae family.

By Charles Holinka: I have two Jasmine bushes approximately 4 feet high and 25 feet apart. One the leaves are turning brown and the other appears just find. I live in Arizona which in the winter is considered the "Valley of the Sun" however in the summer it is considered "the face of the Sun". Any idea how to rectify?I have the same situation on a rose bush that the leaves are going brown. The roses around it are not. Go figure?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Are there any symptoms of mites or any insect pellets around the surroundings. If there are any plant pictures you can send them for identifying the disease. It looks like some Southern blight or flower blight causing the problem.

By Ruth Martin: I am wanting to know about a butterfly bush. I have a deer problem and was told this would be good for my region.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, Butterfly bush is one of the top most shrub which are definitely deer repellent. You can plant this bush. These plants can be planted anytime in the South, whereas in North they are planted in spring.

By Loren: Why do our Dahlia plants which have tons of buds turn black & not flower?

Answer By The Flower Expert: The Dahlias might have been infected with Southern bacterial wilt. This is a difficult disease to control.

By Cortland A. Mathers: Can you advise me as to what I am doing wrong to cause a number of me lilies to grow as high as 9 feet before the blooms open. Some of my plants remain at normal heights, i.e. 36-40 inches, but others grow to ridiculous heights. Thanks for your anticipated advice.

Answer By The Flower Expert: May be your lily varieties are madonnna lily which grows tp 1-2 metres in length. And probably your place has all the fovourable conditions for lilies to grow and thrive extremely well.

By Guest: I planted last summer it had flowers this year growing well but not 1 flower should i root prune and fertilize in spring or is there something else I can do please reply thank you.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yellow jasmine vines should be pruned in mid to late spring, after the plant has finished flowering.

By Dave: Hi, last year I bought three potted yellow chrysanth's at Tescos and planted them in a large planter, which bloomed beautifully. I have fed them, watered them, but this year though, they have grown to about eighteen inches high without a sign of a single bloom. Am I expecting too much? Maybe they're depressed or just being rebellious, whatever the problem I am a bit miffed at their reluctance to pretty my veranda up. Any Ideas please?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Fertilizing the plant is an important step in growing chrysanthemums. You can give organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion during this time for the plant, so that it may bud. After it starts budding then do not fertilize. That means fertilize when the plants are ready for blooming and discontinue fertilizing after flower buds are formed.

By Jesse Packard: I have a question about Tiger Lilies. As silly as it sounds, I was wondering if they can evolve into a different kind of lily. The reason I ask is, I have lived where I live now as a child and now as an adult and 5 years ago and most of my life I remember and have picked Tiger lilies. I remember a few years ago even, they had semi curled orange leaves with black dots. I was out with my kids picking wild flowers and noticed that these once spotted flowers, are a dull orange with a hint of a yellow stripe on the pedals. I looked around my yard where I knew other tiger lilies were once planted in abundance and sure enough, they were not the lilies I once knew. I called my mother, who used to live where I do, who planted these flowers years ago, and confirmed that we did , for years have tiger lilies. She confirmed and described what we had there. These other lilies are in the exact same spot as the tiger lilies were. I am not crazy honest. Up until a few years ago, I was picking the tiger lily. Now it is different. I have heard of planting Easter lilies and they change after coming up the second year but this is strange is it not?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Usually lilies like Oriental lilies cannot change to Asiatic types, nor can lilies change their basic color. Mutations are remotely possible in lilies, but extremely rare. Though, sometimes color intensity can be affected by environmental variables, but this is possible only for a single season fluke.

By Marie Marsden: I live in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. Zone#3. What is the most impressively beautiful flowering perennial that can be planted in an area where it would get the morning and evening sun? I look forward to your answer.

Answer By The Flower Expert: The perennial garden flowers which are some of the most beautiful flowers and also which receive 6 to 8 hours (that means Full Sun) of direct sunlight everyday can be Lavender, Astilbe, Salvia, Artemisia, Chrysanthemum, Iris, Poppy and Japanese Anemone and Day Lilies.

By Cara: I have been searching everywhere to try to find the name of these flowers that are along the mediterranean, seen them in Greece, and recently in San Francisco. They are fushia/pink small flowers that grow along houses/building like a vine/bush. I attached some pictures, would love it if you could help me out.Also can you grow them in Texas?

Answer By The Flower Expert: They are red and pink bougainvillea flowering plants. They are tropical evergreen vines with double pink flowers. They need partial shade to sun and produces best growth flowers. They are low cold tolerant, but prefers mild winter areas with no frost. If there is no frost problem in winter at your place in Texas, then bougainvillea will grow.