Q: The garden where we sit in the evening is dark and featureless. We are planning to turn it into a moon garden. We’ve made a list of plants we would like to use but still would like to find a trouble-free perennial, with flowers suitable for cutting, that will get about 18 to 24 inches tall. What would you suggest?
A: For readers not familiar with the term “moon garden” it is a garden planted primarily with white flowers and foliage that is light in color or splashed with white. In the evening, under moonlight, these gardens have a serene almost luminescent quality.
After considering your wish-list of plant attributes, I would suggest you consider Shasta daisies, Chrysanthemum maximum. As their name suggests, the flowers have the typical daisy form and are 2 to 4 inches across with white petals and a yellow center. There are many Shasta daisy cultivars that grow to your desired height, and they come in your choice of single or double-flowered forms. All are suitable for cutting and are often included in florist’s bouquets because they are attractive, sturdy and long-lasting.
Shasta daisies can be grown from seed, but this late into the season, they would not reach blooming age until next spring. However, most nurseries and garden centers carry started plants that will be in bloom right now. Since Shasta daisies are perennials, they will bloom for you spring through fall, year after year, with no effort on your part other than standard garden care. Shasta daisies are not susceptible to disease and are not attractive to insects either.
Q: I have a favorite African violet that I would like to propagate. How should I proceed?
A: African violets can be propagated quite easily by means of leaf cuttings. This simply involves cutting a leaf from the parent plant and inserting the petiole (stem) in a coarse, fast draining potting mix. A half and half mixture of peat moss and sand or peat moss and perlite works well. Place the cuttings in a well-lighted area and keep the potting soil moist but not soggy. In about eight weeks, a new plant will begin to grow at the soil surface next to the petiole. Once this growth begins, you can apply a weak liquid fertilizer when watering.
Q: Some of my lemons are misshapen and some have multiple points, almost like fingers, at the end of the fruit. Are they mutations?
A: Lemons develop multiple points when they are infested with bud mites. These very tiny sucking insects feed on tender young growth and can cause distorted leaves and fruits. Although they may look peculiar, the lemons usually are still useable. Water stress and dust on the trees can promote increased bud mite populations, so keeping your tree adequately irrigated and free of dust will discourage these damaging insects. So far, no natural enemies of the bud mite are available, so these simple cultural practices are especially important.
Ottillia “Toots” Bier has been a master gardener since 1980. Send comments and questions to features@pe.com
Ottillia ‘Toots’ Bier
Master Gardener
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