Container groupingSo you're planning a vacation this summer? Dennis Patton has tricks for keeping those beautiful containers full of healthy plants going while you're gone. To see them, click here.

Harry Lauder's Walking StickFrom blogger Judy Aull:

What is the ideal speciman plant for the Midwest? According to many gardeners, it is Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’). It is a strikingly beautiful architectural plant/dwarf tree that has something to offer for all seasons. However its most desired qualities, the twisted and curled branches, are seen in the winter landscape. (These ‘contorted’ branches also suggest its other common names: corkscrew filbert and contorted hazelnut). With the coming of spring, the shrubby plant sports long yellow catkins, very similar to pussy willows. Summer brings unusual leaves; dark green and so curled and crinkled that at first glance they almost seem wilted.

I have 2 grapevines, a Thompson seedless & a Niagara, that I planted a few years back. There are lots of clusters of grapes on both vines, & I was going to ask how to know when they are ready to pick, since they are both white grape varieties & won't change color, but then I noticed recently that the grapes are developing brown spots, then are turning completely brown & shriveling on the vines. What is going on & what should I do?

LettuceIf you were too late this spring to plant cool season vegetables like broccoli, potatoes, carrots and lettuce, you're not too late to learn about fall vegetable gardening. Chelsey Wasem is offering a class on July 14. To learn more, click here. Photo thanks to illnois.edu.

I am going to use some of my soon to be harvested potatoes for seed potatoes for a fall crop. I would rather use commercial potatoes but I've never seen any for sale this time of year. What do I need to do to prepare the potatoes for planting?

Have a container garden. They flowered , but the flowers fell off. they are reflowering but no fuit as of yet. Witht he rains and the hot weather is there anything I can do to get fruit fromt hese plants?

Hi, I have some questions regarding self watering planters. Last year I purchased two big self watering planters because some of my indoor plants were rootbound. The new planters were one size bigger than the old, traditional planters. I didn't change my watering habit to these plants. However, one of the plants (Dragon tree) got root rot and didn't make it. After I emptied the pot, I tried to clean it and I poured water in it. The water didn't seem to be draining. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be the water reservior design.

I have three jalapeno plants in my garden that have yellow apperance I water daily and have used plant food but I dont know why the leaves are yellow.

BuffalograssChelsey Wasem tips us this week that it's time to fertilize warm weather grasses like zoysia and buffalograss. To read more, click here.

I have a young lilac bush that looks worse for wear. It is less than one year old. The leaves are curled, scorced, and brown. Is this from the intense heat?

I've avoided spraying fungicides and insecticides during this intense heat, for fear of frying foliage, but I was wondering if I could spray my arborvitaes for bagworms when it's hot and sunny. I've already treated them once, and they're still full of bagworms, which are now about 1/2" long. Should I wait until later in the weekend when the temperatures fall a little? Thanks.

I have tried several times to incorporated Shasta Diasies into my perennial garden. The plants do well for one year but do not come back the next year. Will this new variety be better?

Squash on the deckFrom Sue Waltemath:

I have become and Urban Deck Farmer this summer. With an acre of shady woodland garden, the best place to grow veggies is my sunny second-story deck.

Pictured are yellow crook neck squash which have been producing for a few weeks. We are harvesting baby squash and cooking them on the grill with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Yummy.

In addition to the yellow squash, the

HI,
My potted geraniums held over from last year have not developed since taking them outside...the leaves form and develope holes and the edges of the leaves seem to be eaten away...could it be something in the soil and if so is it safe to put soil in compost?
Thanks, Al

Our next door neighbor has exactly the same problem as we do -- Leatherleaf 'Allegheny' Viburnum has just suddenly collapsed and looks like it can't survive. Both were planted in Spring 2008. Both did fine all year, bloomed nicely this spring, and then began to turn a pale green all over. The whole plant showed symptoms all over -- there was no progression from top to bottom or stem by stem. We have two other Alleghenys in the same area as the dying one, and they're doing beautifully. Do you have any suggestions as to what might be happening here?

I'm doing a landscaping job for someone who has a large 4 pillar front porch and wants 4 tall, narrow shrubs that require NO maintenance in front of each pillar. I am not a horticulturalist (sorry if I spelled that incorrectly), I am doing this on the side.

Do you have any recommendations as to what is available or IF there is anything available that will work for his requests?

- Paula

Ice Star shasta daisyHere's an unusual and kind of new shasta daisy that's work checking out. To read more, click here. Photo thanks to whiteflowerfarm.com. - Craig

Joe-Pye weedI was going to wait but this weekend I had to trim back my Joe-Pye weed, which was getting near 6 feet tall and ready to bloom. Now it will bloom in the fall and attract flocks of butterflies -- and it won't flop after it rains. I took mine down to about a foot. Too severe? -- Craig

Urban Farms & Gardens Tour
Sunday, June 28, 10am-5pm
Pre-Tour Events, June 18-June 27

http://urbanfarmstourkc.com/

Come meet the local urban growers and see what they are doing to provide food for our area. Admission includes 30 sites on the self-directed tour with different events at each site.

For a list of farms see this link

Pre-tour events this week:

Monday, June 22 - 12:00-1:00pm:

The leaves on my maple tree have begun to look like this within the last few days. It is uniform over the entire tree. Also, can you identify the maple variety from the picture?Maple leaf problem