Columns

Breaking ground It has been one of the prettiest springs on record here in Arkansas. Our gardens have gone from bloom to bloom, and it gets prettier every day. by JANET B. CARSON Special to the Democrat-Gazette - May 4, 2019

JANET B. CARSON: In the Garden Q I was wondering if you have ever seen bumblebees making a nest in a decorative birdhouse? Last summer some bumblebees decided to raise their baby bees in our ... May 4, 2019

IN THE GARDEN: A camellia that drops its buds before bloom, palm not performing as well as neighbors Q I have had a camellia — don't know the variety — for at least 12 years. It was given to me by a friend here in Sheridan. It is probably 12 feet tall. It sets ... by Janet Carson - March 23, 2019

In the garden Q We have a birch tree in our front yard that I am considering removing. I don't like cutting down trees but this one sheds its limbs year-round and is destroyi... by Janet Carson - February 9, 2019

IN THE GARDEN: It's hard to say why Phalaenopsis, or any orchid, blooms, or not Q Thank you for the informative article recently in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about orchids [see the Jan. 19 Style section]. I've dabbled in Phalaenopsis fo... by Janet Carson - February 2, 2019

IN THE GARDEN: Ornamental pears will not set edible fruit, but eager birds still spread its invasive seeds Q I have a large pear tree in my backyard that has been there for more than 25 years and has been trying to yield pears for the past 15 years. In the early spri... by Janet Carson - January 26, 2019

Growing orchids at home can be easy Orchids are among the world's oldest flower groups and one of the largest, with more than 30,000 species. They emerged about 100 million years ago -- 30 million... by STORY AND PHOTOS JANET B. CARSON Special to the Democrat-Gazette - January 19, 2019

Not quite time to prune confused early-blooming roses 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, o... by Madeline Allin - January 19, 2019

IN THE GARDEN: Is it too late to divide hostas? Q Have I missed my window of opportunity on dividing/moving my hostas? We live in Conway. by Janet Carson - January 12, 2019

Arkansas gardeners should prepare for just about anything with state's unpredictable January weather JANUARY Happy New Year! 2018 was a year of extremes, from an extremely dry January to a wet February and an even wetter fall, but overall we had a pretty good ... by JANET B. CARSON Special to the Democrat-Gazette - January 5, 2019

Key to overwintering tropical blooming plants is to prevent them from freezing Q A couple of years ago I bought a Bougainvillea in bloom. It was very nice and at the end of season I brought it into my garage. The first thing it did was los... January 5, 2019

Acorn production varies from year to year Q: We live in west Little Rock and have several large oak trees that drop many, many gallons of acorns each year. But this year, there were none at all. Any ide... by JANET B. CARSON Special to the Democrat-Gazette - December 29, 2018

African violets are easy to grow indoors Q: I recently won an African violet as a door prize. I have not had much luck growing houseplants and would like to know how to care for it -- how much water, s... December 22, 2018

Janet B. Carson answers readers questions about gardening in Arkansas Help! I do not have a green thumb, and someone gave me a poinsettia last week. It is already dropping leaves. I fear it will be dead in a week if you don't tell... by JANET B. CARSON Special to the Democrat-Gazette - December 15, 2018

Breaking ground Here we go again on a roller-coaster of weather. We have seen some early low temperatures -- low 20s or below -- shoot up to 70 in the same week. Everyone is ta... by JANET B. CARSON Special to the Democrat-Gazette - December 1, 2018