IN THE GARDEN

Not quite time to prune confused early-blooming roses

Confused plants for Janet Carson's In the Garden column of Jan. 19, 2019.
Special to the Democrat-Gazette/RON WOLFE
Confused plants for Janet Carson's In the Garden column of Jan. 19, 2019. Special to the Democrat-Gazette/RON WOLFE

Q I know you always say that late February is the time to prune roses, but my Knockout roses already are blooming. Have I missed out on pruning for this year, or should I do it soon?

A It has been a relatively mild winter so far. We did have a pretty cold November, but then it turned mild. I think some of our plants are confused. I have seen blooms on roses, Encore azaleas and even some buddleia (butterfly bushes). Enjoy any errant blooms but wait for mid-to late February to prune. While I suppose it is possible that winter is over, I wouldn't bet on it. The reason we wait for the end of February is to allow any potential winter weather damage to occur before pruning. If you prune now and we do have cold weather, then you may experience more plant damage. Regardless of whether they have blooms on them in late February, you do need to prune them every year. Knockout roses bloom on new growth and if you don't prune them they won't grow as much and you won't have as many blooms during the growing season.

Q I have made a bed in the back corner of my backyard. I need to know what will be the best annuals to plant in this area, which stays in the shade approximately 70 percent of the day. And since it is the lowest part of my yard, it stays moist all the time. I don't care to be re-planting every year, so I want something that will live from year to year and all I have to do is keep it trimmed. What are your recommendations?

A I think you are asking for perennials and/or shrubs, not annuals. If you don't want to replant, then you don't want annuals, which have to be replanted each season. We have summer annuals and winter annuals, for instance, impatiens for summer and pansies for winter. I do want you to test the drainage before you plant. Moist and swimming are two separate things. Dig a hole about the depth you will plant to and fill it with water. See how fast it drains. If the hole fills with water and stays wet, you need to choose something that can handle that or raise the level of the planting. You could easily build a raised bed in the back corner. If you are looking for perennials, consider hellebores, hostas, ferns, toad lily, chelone (turtlehead) and butterfly gingers. If you want to throw a few shrubs into the mix, try clethra, itea or leucothoe.

Hairy bittercress is a prolific winter weed. For Janet Carson's In the Garden column of Jan. 19, 2019.

Special to the Democrat-Gazette ... readers photos via janet
Hairy bittercress is a prolific winter weed. For Janet Carson's In the Garden column of Jan. 19, 2019. Special to the Democrat-Gazette ... readers photos via janet

Q Please help with these weeds growing in our flower beds [the reader sent a photo]. They are taking over and moving into the grass.

A The weed in question is a winter annual called hairy bittercress or pepperweed. It easily pulls up now, but if you allow it to grow it has small white blooms and in late winter/early spring it forms many slender seed pods that are loaded with seeds and explode as you start pulling them. The seeds scatter all over the yard to lie in wait for next year, when you will see even more of this weed. Pre-emergent herbicides can help a little, but are not overly effective. Spot spraying with a broadleaf weed killer or hoeing/hand-pulling early in the season are two methods of control. On a more positive note, they are edible, and you could mix them in your salads. A member of the mustard family, they supposedly have a peppery flavor.

Brazilian candles ( Pavonia multiflora) for Janet Carson's In the Garden column of Jan. 19, 2019.

Special to the Democrat-Gazette ... readers photos via janet
Brazilian candles ( Pavonia multiflora) for Janet Carson's In the Garden column of Jan. 19, 2019. Special to the Democrat-Gazette ... readers photos via janet

Q A friend of mine living in Miami asked if anyone could identify this blooming plant that he has growing in his garden [the reader sent a photo]. Do not confuse it with the dieffenbachia behind it. I just leafed through 923 pages of color photos from my giant color encyclopedia Tropica by Alfred Graf and didn't find it. The flower looked familiar to me. Perhaps it is a new cultivar that wasn't around when my book was published.

A It is an unusual tropical flowering plant native to Brazil called Pavonia multiflora. Common names include Brazilian candles and Many Flowers. The red or hot pink part is actually a showy bract that faces upward with the long, protruding stamens in the center. It is in the hibiscus family, and it looks similar to the seed pods of the Roselle hibiscus. Interesting.

Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72201 or email

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