Q. I put out a brand new hummingbird feeder with visions of hummingbirds darting in and out of my garden. But so far, none have visited. What am I doing wrong?
A. Success with hummingbird feeders depends on a number of factors: how hungry hummingbirds are, whether there're plentiful natural sources of nectar, where your feeder is located, etc. Most hummingbirds are not regular feeder visitors because they don't encounter feeders in the wild. A hummingbird must find a feeder before it will recognize it as a food source. When natural sources of nectar are available, hummingbirds may not visit at all. Place feeders near flowers that hummingbirds visit. However, this can be complicated by the fact that you also want to place the feeder where you can see and enjoy the visitors. The key is to be patient!
Q. My mother always chastises me whenever she visits and encounters my roses with bloomed-out flowers on them. My rose plants are very healthy and I get tremendous blooms. What's the big deal about cutting off old flowers as my mother maintains?
A. Ah, mother always knows best! Actually, this is kind of a pet peeve of mine, too. Cutting off old flowers, particularly on roses and other large-blooming flowers, is a garden method known as "deadheading." Regular deadheading throughout the summer is important in several ways. First and foremost is that dead, dying falling blooms is unsightly. First impressions in gardens are important, and old flower petals scattered about describes a lazy gardener and an unkept garden. Secondly, cutting off dying blooms before the seed has developed will stimulate the plant to throw out more flowers in a determined attempt to produce the seed that will ensure the plant's survival the following year. Essentially, by cutting off old blooms, you're fooling the plant into continuing to bloom. lastly, keeping a clean garden clear of old flowers helps prevent fungus diseases, as well as prevent hiding places for insects to harbor.
Q. We're renting a house for a short time, but I still want to plant something to hide an ugly cyclone fence. Is there something that is cheap and easy?
A. Cheap and easy? I know there's a joke in there somewhere! Fact of the matter is, consider old-fashioned morning glories or nasturtiums. Both are easy to plant by seed and are also cheap. Both will flourish in our hot summer weather, and will come up in no time, despite the fact we're late in the season. They'll do best if you prepare your soil beforehand with organic matter. There's no need to fertilize, just water moderately.
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