Jessica Walliser stories, Page 3

Question: I have two gorgeous, big burning bushes in my yard that are really, really in need of trimming. I don’t want to trim before they put on their autumn show, but I need to know when is the best time to trim and how much can I really cut...

Late every summer, I’m amazed at how different my flower garden looks than it did in the spring. While I grow many perennials that produce beautiful blooms, the show-stoppers in my garden are often the annuals I plant. I always make it a point to grow cosmos, sunflowers, marigolds and...

Question: I know there are three types of clematis. And that the specific type determines when the clematis should be cut down. Can you give some direction as to when each should be cut, and perhaps what some of the most common varieties are? Answer: Clematis is a popular flowering...

While some gardeners still think that any bug in the garden is a bad bug, change is in the air. Most plant-lovers now realize that insects and plants go hand-in-hand and that there are far more beneficial insect species than there are harmful ones. In fact, of Earth’s million insect...

Question: Can rhubarb be eaten even though deer roam through the rhubarb patch? Amswer: Deer droppings do have the potential to transmit both E. coli and chronic wasting disease (CWD), the latter of which is specific to deer and elk and has symptoms similar to mad cow disease. CWD has...

Compost is often referred to as “gardener’s gold” and rightfully so. Its ability to add organic matter, nutrients, and beneficial microbes to the soil, along with improving the soil’s over all structure, is unparalleled. Adding compost to our clay-based soils opens up pores within the soil to allow easier passage...

Question: I have a bleeding heart that was given to me by my mother-in-law. My daughter would like to have a piece of the plant, but I’m not sure how to divide it since it has died back for the season. What is the best time to divide a bleeding...

Have you ever come across what looks like a blob of spit clinging to a plant in your garden? If so, then you’ve had the “pleasure” of meeting a spittlebug. While finding the white, bubbly blobs of spittlebugs clinging to the stems of your precious plants is pretty disgusting, there...

Question: This is a photo of our daylily. The flowers are beautiful, but the leaves are striped with brown. Do you know what’s wrong with it and what we can do to keep it from happening in the future? Answer: Daylilies (Hemerocallis species) are popular perennials for sunny areas of...

Gardens can be really beautiful places, full of color and interest, that bring peace and joy to those who tend and visit them. But, gardens can also serve purposes far beyond their beauty. Gardens can foster and support pollinators and other insects, increase local biodiversity and provide food and shelter...

Question: I was given a Philodedron scandens oxycardium. The original plant was around 20 years old, was divided, and I was given 1/3 of it. The plant is in a container and weighs about 150 lbs. It is outside on a screen in porch that gets the morning sun. It...

I’ve heard from a few gardeners this season, asking about what’s happening to their flower buds. The damage, at first, seems like it may be rabbits, deer or groundhogs nibbling off the flower buds before they can open, but after a bit of investigation, it’s often discovered that a small...

Question: We have a few raised beds in our backyard. We’ve grown zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and basil for the last few years, and we planted seed potatoes in one of the beds earlier this spring. The plants are green and very big, but we aren’t sure when to dig the...

There’s a joke among gardeners who grow zucchini. During good years, we tease about leaving a few baseball bat-sized zucchini on the neighbor’s stoop and doing the old ding-dong-dash just to get rid of them. But, the truth is that it always seems to be feast or famine when it...

Question: I grew kohlrabi in my garden this year. Most of them split. What causes them to split and are they still safe to eat? Answer: For those not familiar with this delicious and crunchy vegetable, let me sing the praises of the kohlrabi before I dive into what likely...

Winter squash varieties are a staple in many gardens, thanks to their prolific fruiting, their ease of growth, and the long shelf life of the fruits. Whether you grow acorn, butternut, delicata, Turk’s cap or any one of the other dozens of types of winter squash, the most important part...

Question: I’ve pulled out the spring crops I had in my garden, such as the peas, lettuce and spinach. I now have lots of room to grow some new things, but I’m not sure what to plant. There’s not enough time to add more tomatoes and peppers. What do you...

Summer garden maintenance typically involves a lot of watering. But this season, we’ve had more than our share of rainfall. Since watering chores are off our plates, at least for now, gardeners would be wise to spend their time focusing on a handful of other important summer gardening chores. Deadhead:...

Question: Something is eating the leaves of many of my flowers, including my zinnias, hostas, dahlias and petunias. I don’t see any Japanese beetles or other bugs on them, but there are holes in the leaves or the leaves are eaten in from the sides. Do you know what might...

Dahlias are a beautiful addition to summer gardens. Grown from tuberous roots planted in the spring, dahlia blooms come in a near endless array of colors and forms. From spiky-petaled cactus-types to round and tight pom-pom dahlias, this tender plant brings some serious bloom power to the garden. Planting dahlias...

Question: Help! We have some little slug-like creature eating one of our shrubs. I don’t know the name of the shrub, but it gets white flowers in the spring and then clusters of red berries in the fall. We’ve always called it a cranberry bush, but I don’t think it’s...

I often hear from gardeners who are worried when they discover a few aphids on their favorite rose. While aphids can be troublesome garden pests, especially when their population numbers more than about 12 aphids per square inch, more often than not, aphids aren’t anything to worry about. In fact,...

Question: I have a fairly steep bank in my backyard that is very difficult to mow. It is partly sunny. What would be a good ground cover to plant that would look nice and solve my problem? Thanks so much! Answer: The slopes of Western Pennsylvania certainly cause issues for...

Cover crops are a useful (and inexpensive!) way for vegetable gardeners to manage weeds, improve the soil, and help control erosion. Not intended for harvest, cover crops are planted either before or after the harvest of a vegetable crop, or in fallow gardens. Many gardeners think cover crops only have...

Question: We have two peach trees in our backyard and we have two different issues going on that keep us from seeing any ripe fruit. Can you advise us on what’s going on and how to handle it? First, there are holes in the growing peaches. When you crack one...