Q I had no idea how invasive the little wild violets are. I have always thought they were cute and pretty. I have had a huge pot of them and watered them all summer and kept it until the next year. But since I moved to the country, namely Mountain Home, I have been invaded by these little devils. They are everywhere -- my flower yard, my raised bed gardens. I have pulled enough of them to cover the whole county. I was doing a really good job of pulling the little clumps of them and getting rid of nearly all of them last spring when a dreaded thing happened -- a snake moved through. I left the rest to him. I am deathly afraid of any kind of snake. I didn't get all the violets pulled before they died down. I know I will have the same thing to do over again this spring. Do you have a solution to my problem? Since they have a bulb, how do they go from one part of the yard to the other side or get out of the pots?
A Have you considered moving again? All jokes aside, you will probably fight wild violets for the rest of your life. I fight them every year, and each year I think I have gotten a handle on them, but the following spring they are back every bit as strong. They multiply rapidly by producing more bulbs underground, and every flower that is left in place can produce seeds that also help to spread them. They usually get started in shadier areas of the yard where they don't have much competition and then they spread. I do not have them in my raised beds, but they are in all the shade gardens and adjacent lawn areas. As soon as I see them, I hit them with a string trimmer at the soil level and then I keep doing that if foliage tries to regrow. I put down cardboard or newspaper and mulch over it. That does help, but they aren't gone. If you can spot spray with Roundup, that will give you some control, but it doesn't work in the lawn or where they are right next to other perennials and shrubs. If you have the time and patience to dig up the plants and bulbs, it will definitely help, but you will probably miss some. A spray with 2,4-D can manage but not completely kill them, and that chemical is only for lawn use. Let's hope the snake has moved on.
Q I have five or so fairly large loropetalum (5 feet tall though not very wide) as foundation plantings at the rear of my house. Because of water issues, they will need to be moved. What is the best procedure to move them? Cut them back and then move them? Or move the entire plant?
A Move them as soon as possible. Loropetalum plants have been the prettiest I have ever seen them this spring, and most are still in full bloom. The best time to move shrubs is in their dormant season, which for loropetalum has passed. Moving them while they are dormant is preferable, but you don't have that option anymore. The sooner you move them, the easier the transition will be. When I was in college, they taught us to remove a third of the top growth when transplanting, but that theory has changed, and now they recommend keeping as much of the foliage as possible to make food for the roots. I would compromise and do what you can. If you are not capable of moving a plant that large, prune to make it manageable and get it replanted quickly. It will probably look sad for a couple of weeks with wilting leaves, but if you keep it watered and mulched, it should recover and begin to grow again. Baby it all summer and water while it is re-establishing a root system.
Q I am sending a photo of flowers growing in my backyard. I didn't plant them. What are they and where did they come from? Are they harmful?
A This member of the lily family is commonly called star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum). Depending on who is growing it, it can be classified as a wildflower or a weed. It is a spring ephemeral -- here today and gone tomorrow. The flowers usually last about two weeks. They are growing from a small bulb underground, which can multiply. Also, the plant can set seeds and spread that way, too (see wild violets above). A few plants one year can result in a lot more the next. I leave them alone, as they aren't around too long and they add some extra color in the early spring/late winter garden. Folks who like a weed-free lawn don't always share my opinion.
DEAR READERS: I wanted to share this comment from a reader: "I read your column Saturday addressing bad pruning of crape myrtles for another reader. I realize my husband commits 'crape murder '; but ... 49 years of marriage still hasn't taught me how to handle certain things, especially when he tells me he is 'trimming ' the crapes after the fact! Old dogs, new tricks. But, thank you for your help. I will continue to try to retrain him. There is always hope!"
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
jcarson@arkansasonline.com
HomeStyle on 03/26/2016