In the garden

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette "Velvet Elvis” Illustration
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette "Velvet Elvis” Illustration

Q Is the plectranthus “Velvet Elvis” winter-hardy in Northwest Arkansas, and is it available at local nurseries?

A Plectranthus is not winter-hardy anywhere in Arkansas unless we have an extremely mild winter, and then it might overwinter in southern Arkansas. It is still a great summer annual to use in your partial shade garden. “Velvet Elvis” should be available at local nurseries, or try “Mona Lavender,” which is a somewhat older variety. Both do well until a hard frost.

Q We are hosting a wedding rehearsal dinner in late September. The event will be outside and casual. Since it will be a busy summer, we are paring down our vegetable garden, and I want to plant flowers to enjoy now but also to use for the party and also for the wedding and reception, which will be held outdoors at my sister’s home. Are there any particular flowers you might suggest that bloom more in the fall, besides mums and some sedums? I bought lots of seeds thinking this would be a perfect opportunity to try out lots of flowers in a big,

fertile, sunny, fenced area. But now I’m worried that many may not bloom through Sept. 24. I have sunflowers, several packs of different zinnias and marigolds, beautiful orange calendula and hot orange Mexican sunflowers (tithonia). I’m ready to plant (a little late but thinking that might be good — I don’t want them to stop blooming before I need them). Do you think I’ll still have flowers blooming then?

A Summer annuals should bloom up until a killing frost. Zinnias and tithonia should still look great if you water and fertilize all summer. Regular sunflowers have a finite bloom time. It should say on the seed package how many days a plant needs from seeding until bloom, and then they bloom several weeks. Calendula usually will play out with heat. Many perennials bloom well in late summer to fall — purple coneflower (echinacea) comes in the normal pink but also in orange, yellow and red — which seems to be your color scheme. Other late summer/fall bloomers include goldenrod, asters, toad lilies, Japanese anemones, the many salvias, pineapple sage, Russian sage and sweet autumn clematis.

Q I have a tall beautiful Japanese magnolia that is probably over 10 years old and has never bloomed. It seems healthy. It put on lots of new leaves but no blossoms. Can you help me? Is there a chemical or fertilizer I need to put on it?

A Is the tree in sun for at least six hours? Does it set flower buds that don’t open? Usually Japanese magnolias bloom at a relatively young age. The flower buds are fuzzy, and they form in late August or September. Sometimes they begin to bloom before winter is over and then the flowers get frozen, but we had no such troubles this year.

Q I have two beautiful gardenias in pots on my patio. They are full of buds that have been there for a few weeks, but they haven’t bloomed except for a couple. Is that normal or is there something wrong that I might be able to fix?

A Different plants bloom at different times. I have one single-bloom gardenia that has already finished, one double that is in full bloom and another that is just beginning. As long as the buds are green and firm, I think you should be fine. Don’t let them dry out or that can hurt the flower buds.

Q We have had a dogwood tree in our front yard for 16 years, and it has hardly grown at all and has very few blooms. Do we need to move it or trim it, or what do we do? There are two large trees near it, and it doesn’t get a lot of sun. But the dogwoods in the forest don’t get much sun either, and they bloom.

A If the tree isn’t growing much, I would say something is impeding the roots from growing well. Dogwoods are understory trees that need filtered sunlight or morning sun and afternoon shade to bloom well. They will not bloom in deep shade, but they should still grow. Is the soil extremely rocky? If you think it needs to be moved, fall would be the time to do so.

Q I planted an oakleaf hydrangea in my front landscaping, and it is really crowding the other plants. Should I move it before it gets any bigger?

A If it is already too big and it is newly planted, I think you should move it this fall. Oakleaf hydrangeas come in a variety of mature sizes. Always read the plant tag to know the mature size of the plants you are planting. They all look cute in a gallon container, but some can grow up to be giants.

Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or email her at

[email protected]

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