Hello, and thanks for joining us for another episode of Mid American gardener.

I'm your host Tinisha, Spain and joining me in the studio today are two of our panelists that you will no doubt recognize the dynamic duo is back in the house today.

Before we get into all the things that they brought to share with you, let's have them introduce themselves and tell you a little bit about their specialty.

So Ella, we'll start with you.

Hi, I'm Ella Maxwell.

I'm a master gardener and horticulturist in the Peoria area, and I like trees and shrubs and specifically perennials as well.

Excellent.

Okay, care.

Hi, I'm Karen Ruckle, and I live in the Peoria area and I'm a horticulturist and I love annuals, perennials house plants.

a generalist, yeah, a generalist.

Okay, well, they brought a ton of stuff.

So we've got to get started if we're gonna get all this in.

So we'll start with you, you brought in something that you don't like from your yard, right?

I brought in a plant that I, I don't remember when or how I got it.

But I found out now it's very invasive, and I'm having to remove it from my garden.

And I just wanted to let people know that sometimes you need to research your purchase, or find out more about it or actually positively identify it because I don't believe I bought what I thought I was getting.

So what I have here is a an air froid.

And this is in the like Jack and a pulpit family.

And there are native species, the jack in the pulpit is native here to our woodlands.

But there's a lot of different Asian species.

And this is a close relative, this is a Pinilla.

And that's p i n e l l i A, maybe I'm not pronouncing it right.

But this one happens to be a variety called Pettus sector, which I identified after I found out how aggressive it is.

And so what it is, is it grows from a quorum, and it is Hardy.

And so you can see here, these core drums and this clump that it makes.

And it sends up the traditional space, kind of like a Jack in the pulpit.

And it sets these little bulblets like seeds.

And this thing has gone crazy.

It is everywhere.

And it's I've had it, I probably had it eight, eight or nine years, but all of a sudden, it has just spread everywhere.

And I started researching it.

And there is also another Asian species that is also very aggressive and an exotic invasive and you wouldn't want to have it in your garden.

So at first I thought well, I'll just pull the flower, you know, so it can't reseed itself.

Well, it's, it sends up.

I can't remember one of these had like four or five flowers on it every time I pull one out and another one to pop, and it flowers and drew June through August.

So, you know, if I miss some and they fall down, then you've got all these little bubbles.

What a mess the neverending cycle, right?

Right.

So there are some pineapples that are that don't spread that are very attractive that and this one I thought was green dragon, which is an era Semia dragon item or something like that.

And I thought that's what this is, but this is what they call a Chinese green dragon.

And again, very aggressive.

very invasive.

So pinching off or getting rid of the flowers is one way are you going to be you know, jumping in to really try to get rid of this in your yard or just controlling it.

I am.

I am going to try to get rid of all but maybe two clumps.

Okay.

Yeah, I made a mistake.

It happens.

Yeah.

Now you'll be fine with that for a while, but that's alright.

That's, uh, well, I'm gonna figure it out.

All right.

All right, Karen.

We're gonna go to you.

This is a question from Jen Baker.

About heucheras Am I saying it right?

Okay.

She says I have several different varieties of coral bells of different ages.

And two of them are literally growing themselves out of the ground and they don't look happy about it.

The crowns are above ground.

How do I replant them?

And is this normal?

She says the books do not mention this happening.

So yeah, that kudos to you to have such a healthy, happy choral Bell.

But eventually, as they age, some of the varieties, this is my caramel and my caramel has gotten to be a monster in the yard and like yours, it's just sending out these long stems.

And then if it does become kind of overly bushy, overgrown.

And what you'll want to do, there's a couple different things you can do.

In spring, I trim these back these long things that are going wild, clean these up, snip off the end, dip it in a little bit of rooting hormone, and stick it in a pot.

And I put it in a shady place on the porch so that they don't get stressed.

Sometimes I tend them just to keep the humidity level higher.

And then by summertime, you'll have this just looks like a plant you'd have in the nursery that I'm I'm actually growing it for Ella.

So these were stems just like what I did here, and I propagated them and routed them on.

Now my sister in law is a very aggressive propagate propagator, and she's pretty brutal.

She'll just yank this off of her plant, go to another spot in the yard, take her little trial shove this guy in a walk away.

Well, I think she waters it and hers she claims route.

So during the summer, if you're going to do this, you will want to have an area that that's shady that you can protect them a little bit because it will be really rough reforming those roots.

I do mine in spring, just because I feel it flourishes a little bit better.

But yeah, that's that's for this big clump, taking it back starting new plants, or if the center has kind of died out, you could do this to then reset your plant to kind of start all over.

Yeah.

And we did have a question from March and Taylor Ville, about her perennial geraniums when to change when she could transplant those.

And Karen and I talked about that on the way down and I don't think we would do anything during the month of July.

It's just too hot to dry weather.

Right.

But the perennial Geranium is a pretty hardy plant.

If you want to do that later in the fall or next spring be a good thing to dry.

Well, they're kind of gangly growing.

So to me, they're easier spring just before they're popping up or when they're popping up.

Because, you know, you would break off all the stems trying to do it later in the year.

Excellent.

All right.

Let's see Carrie Crisco.

Excuse me, an effing Ham has a question about her star MC magnolia.

She says we've got some leaf curl going on.

I know that we've watched the show in June about leaf curl, didn't know if we were having the same problem.

Would it be beneficial to just give it a hard prune?

This is pretty big to try it and spray with insecticidal, so lots of hostile varieties planted underneath.

So we're trying to paint the picture here.

Thank you in advance, keep up the great informative show.

So what do you think is going on with their magnolia?

Well, I wasn't quite sure because again, there was a picture and the leaf curl.

So it's just affecting the leaf.

It's not really causing any significant dye back on the plant.

It could have been aphids, who knows you need to identify what the problem like might be.

And maybe all it really takes is to pick off a few leaves.

Now I think at one time we had talked about Magnolia scale could be sticky or something.

But what I did is I brought in my Magnolia here.

This is a yellow Magnolia called butterflies.

But right here I've stripped the leaves off.

And you can see these are the buds that are growing.

That will have the flowers for next spring.

So there wouldn't be any reason for pruning a hard prune on the Magnolia now because you would lose all of the potential flowers for next spring.

The plant wouldn't have enough time to make new terminal flowers on the on the new growth.

So maybe she could cut out a few limbs to thin it out if necessary or something like that.

But again, anything that blooms in the spring any of the flowering trees like red bud, and Magnolia and flowering dogwood all I'll make their buds during the summer months, and they will actually go through the winter with these buds so they'll be ready to pop out in the spring.

So no pruning.

No right now.

Now, that being said, that's a flowering tree.

Maples have a tendency to bleed in the spring or if you prune them in the late winter.

So going now through summer into fall is a great time to prune maples.

And I think that was a question yesterday that Sherilyn had from Kendall County.

So if you want to limb up your Maples or remove some branches, not a problem now, oaks?

No, you're not doing any summer pruning on oaks.

But certainly, you could do that with your maple.

And of course, if anything's dead or dying diseased, now's the especially from that storm that marched its way through here.

We've all got Oh, so cleaning up to do in our yards.

Okay, thank you, ma'am.

All right, Kim, we're back to you with a lovely craft that you made.

I love when the garden and crafts sort of intersect.

I grow lavender in my yard because my husband loves it.

He loves the fragrance of it, and I've not had the best luck.

And one plant I had died, receded, oddly enough, has a couple of baby plants.

But then I tried a variety called phenomenal.

And that has just done fantastic.

I've got it in a area where it's kind of under a tree but gets still a lot of sun so it's very dry there.

So that's what it likes.

It likes a real, not dry but well drained, and especially our winters it that's a lot of times people will make the mistake they think it's dry.

But if it stays really too wet through the winter, that's when our perennials rot out.

So looking at my lavender plant, it was so pretty and I follow a couple of lavender farms and what they do after I should do something with this.

So what I've done is I've made what are called lavender ones.

And so what this does is you're using the the stems from the lavender plant.

And once they flower, the flower stem, then you can can kind of swish this a little bit to get the fragrance of the lavender even as it dries.

So what you're doing, there's tons of video out on the internet that you can pull up that shows really quite quite easily then we can quickly tell you now, but you're actually going to take an odd number of stems, and you group them together, buying them and then you're actually folding that flower head over and then weaving your weaving the bent over stems with the ribbon.

So you're in casing all these little flower buds and flower pieces.

So as they dry then you can stick them in someplace that you want the lavender smell but you've got to let them dry completely before you do that.

Or they'll just mold very print.

I'd stick cows in like a drawer.

Yeah, so you just you just use a little thin ribbon and back in the day I did a lot of corsages and boutonnieres so I've got an odd supply of that but mix gay makes good use of what you got right?

Yeah, yeah.

And how long guessing how long do they stay fragrant?

If you kind of activate them you know it lavender?

I think like a lot of your dried herbs about a year okay, and then things I think six months Yeah, honestly, I hate the smell of lavender you when you said my husband likes I thought I'm gonna ask her after the show if if she cares work.

I love it but I you know, I don't like I don't like lilac but I love lavender.

So you know, it's just personal preference, but I find it very obnoxious.

But those who like lavender really like Yeah, so the soaps and the lotions and again, she has a friend who likes lab.

There you go.

It all works out that way, doesn't it?

All right.

Let's see what do we want to do next?

Let's do a question.

Bush relocation.

How about 234 This one's for you is from Doug Fink.

He says I have a well established bush that I would like to relocate.

Can you please tell me what type of plant Oh, sorry, I just read to I have a well established bush I would like to relocate.

Can you tell me what type of plant this is?

And how best to move and reestablish that plant.

So what do you think it is?

Well, from the pictures that were accompanied with this request, I thought it was a wide jeulia So it would be a spring bloomer, early summer and it looks like he's trimmed the bush back to be more of a you know globes shape.

But again, as Karen and I have talked about with these perennials and and such now would not be a good time.

And I think with most of The shrub relocations, or if you're going to try to do roses, or anything larger, it would be best early in the spring, just as it's starting to come out or right before that.

So some March type thing once summer comes around, if for some reason it's not viable in this spot, and you you know you're having construction or something like that.

Maybe you could try it, but more likely, it would be easier to just, you know, get rid of it and buy a new one, Nick over like we would ever do that we would always try first try to save it.

That is true.

But after if it doesn't make the move, then get a new one.

Right?

That's true.

But try.

Try right.

Yeah.

So now Now certainly wouldn't be any time to do any type of transplanting, it's just been temperatures are too hot.

And you don't want to be a slave to the watering, yes, would be required to try to keep it alive.

And it's a lot of times people are very disappointed with how their plants react with the transplant.

It's not that the roots aren't there.

It's just the water is moving out faster than the roots can take it in.

So the plantain you know, it's a deficit situation, and then you get, you know, permanent wilt or you get definitely brown edges on your plants.

I mean, the idea is, let's just limp it along.

But it's very, very difficult for a plant and that's where maybe you could do some wilt proof for you know, use an anti transplant to kind of slow that evaporation down.

But yeah, at the at the nursery, we don't move anything with a tree spade during July and August.

Good center.

Good advice.

Because it is hot and dry.

Okay, would you like to do your arrangement?

Or would you like to talk about the pictures that you just brought the arrangement to be flower?

Well, we have to talk through that before the end of it because there's some some beauties in there.

So you sent us some pictures of things that are growing at your place.

Yeah, I brought two pictures of pots and one of the pots is I actually did a proven winner recipe out on the website proven winner does all these you know, combinations and stuff and on and on.

One of them was pink, and I love pink and I thought I'll do it.

So it's the first time I've ever done one of their recipes.

And I must say one they said to put it in a 14 inch pot, and I put it into 16 inch pots and this picture was taken in June.

I wrote it somewhere.

I forget when and it was already too full.

So they had me plant too many plants but it has a salvia GM Farina, super to Nia and a confetti plant.

But I was I was pleased with with the combination.

And you know, like I said, it's the first time I've ever done one of their combinations.

So that was a score, but it was expensive because a lot of these were other than the polka dot plant.

All the others were Proven Winners.

So you're paying the price for the brand.

Then my other pot was Karen's combo.

And so this one was a lot cheaper because one It had one of my cannas that I overwintered, which was supposed to be labeled, I've labeled it red but it's Rose.

And I did a unplugged not unplugged sorry.

Rockin deep purple.

Salvia has a Kufa in there and a coleus.

And so that thought was a lot cheaper because it just had one proven winner plant and then other things that you added into it.

But what I love about these pots is one with the salvias in them is every day now that the hummingbirds are back more in my yard consistently.

I will see a hummingbird multiple times during the day working the flowers that's right by my kitchen window.

So I get I get to see it all the time.

And it's right there and they are good sized pots.

I still have to water them every day.

But they're not stressing the plants out because they're too small of a pot.

Those are gorgeous.

So it's almost like you work at a nursery or something.

Alright, so we've got a few minutes left and I would love for you to walk us through your arrangement because this is all from your yard.

Yes, this is all from my yard.

This is gold.

This is gold one day.

So and and my yard it's not all in one area there sprinkled here and there.

Stuff like the bells of Ireland came up on its own a volunteer I planted at one year because the the flowers were supposed to be fragrant.

They're not.

I've got a couple of different hydrangea blossoms in there cone flowers Oh, butterfly bush.

You got flocks.

And then from the coral bells.

Yeah.

When coral bows down Diantha ANSYS.

And oh, the red one is what was this one?

I guess Danshui AG is Stan shot which variety?

I love hummingbird mint.

I just love that plant every every year I'll buy a couple of them just because Oh, and then because you know, you don't have to use everything in flower arranging.

You always kind of have a base.

So I did a couple of hosta leaves.

This is actually parsley.

Yes, I saw that.

I thought we can have it as a I did a couple of horrible leaves in here.

coleus.

And then there is actually basil somewhere in there.

Wow, that is gorgeous.

And wait, the yellow one is a this one right over here.

The yellow.

My spin?

See everything?

Sunflower Hill.

Oh, hilly, absolutely opposites.

Yeah.

Oh, I want the newer variety that has the darks downs.

You know, there's always there's always that plant and V of who I want something else.

Oh, it's just lovely Karen school.

Some of these are in my pots and some you know, our plants in the ground.

Very nice.

Do you often make arrangements like this and just have them around the house?

No, unfortunately, because I have cats in the house.

And you bring anything in?

And they're like, Well, what's this?

We'll play with it.

So rather than worrying about what could be poisonous, what's bad for them?

I, I don't, unfortunately, well, we get to enjoy them.

So I guess they're just it's just stunning.

We've got about five minutes left.

And I thought there was a question that came in.

And you guys could maybe speak to this.

So Terry sent in an email that says I plan a small vegetable garden.

I did not pit plant any hot peppers, but he ended up getting hot peppers.

So that was that happened.

You know, the seeds get mixed up, the plants get mixed up mislabeled, because how did this person end up with hot peppers when they were not trying to grow them?

So is that a whoopsie?

At the it's a whoopsie at the nursery, or it's a whoopsie from the seed grower or somewhere along the line?

Because a plant can't change its genetics in that single season.

So there are Hungarian wax yellow, you know, hot peppers that can be extremely hot.

So chances are they were mislabeled.

And that's unfortunate.

And you had that agave or you had a pepper I always grow poblano and one of the packages I bought it the nursery was was poblano and it's it I don't know what it is.

But it's it's not what I wanted.

So thank goodness, I did a lot of work last year on putting my peppers away in the freezer.

And I've still got some left because it's not looking hopeful for this year.

Yeah, yeah.

So, you know, again, now I have heard that some people can get the fruit can be mildly hot.

A sweet pepper could be mildly hot.

If you're you're growing it in a sweet pepper in amongst peppers, but the end that's in my garden, one half is hot peppers the other half, you know, just in case.

But we like either either way that happened to me this year, I ordered two packs of just red xenios and both packs were the multicolor.

Kind of like the pastel looking ones.

And so yeah, whoopsie but they're still pretty good.

I still got to enjoy them.

Right?

Well hopefully.

Yeah.

And that's the beauty now with the farmers markets, you can find all different kinds of produce and everything out there or sharing with your neighbors.

So you know, it's too bad that that happened.

I don't think the plant can change but somewhere there was a misstep.

Okay.

Sharon wants to know if she could use leaves in the vegetable garden this fall would you mulch with old leaves in your garden once everything is finished and harvested?

I saw that question and the thing I have a problem I don't have a problem but I think one it sounded like she was trying to do like a no till kind of just layer them up.

And I think with the getting the benefit of the leaves one you almost have to shred them and then do more like what you would do maybe have a flat composting.

She needs to layer that with other stuff to get it to compost because if she just lays the leaves down there, I don't know it's really going to benefit her her ground.

But I think either if she dug some trenches and kind of did a layering of leaves, grass clippings, you know, green material with the carbon material and dirt that's existing there.

I think that would benefit the ground or doing the layer of Lee eaves doing a thin layer of grass clippings and leaves some dirt, that would be more beneficial than just doing a thick layer of leaves and then thinking you'll dig into this beautiful, friable right next spring.

And for me, I have to compost areas in my garden for different things.

And we do sometimes mow in the fall where I'll pick up grass clippings and some leaves on the lawn, and then they'll go into that compost as well.

And then in the spring, I do once that you know, had the whole winter to work, I will spread it because I'm a no till gardener.

But like Karen said, Just spreading the leaves.

It'll help hold moisture and the worms and things I mean, it does break down and such.

But usually you get the benefits from incorporation or from it composting somewhere else and then you know, being on top, so try it definitely is worthwhile a good place to store your leaves rather than sending them off in a brown bag somewhere.

Right.

But I would say definitely try to shred them or run them over with the lawnmower a couple of times and again that that idea of the lasagna.

Yeah, mulching layer.

You know, yeah, the layer between green and brown.

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

We're out of time.

Ladies, thank you so much for coming.

Thank you so much for watching.

We'll see you next time.