For those of you who are enjoying Encore Azaleas in your gardens, the Encore Azalea company  sent TheGardenLady this email with advice on summer care.  Encore Azaleas are the azaleas bred to bloom in spring and throughout the summer.
The heat of summer can be harsh on all plants, and we at Encore Azalea(R) would like to help [...]

                                                       Alternaria
TheGardenLady received this question from Helen.
I just put in marigolds next to my tomatoes, as companion plants. I think I’ve overwatered them and it’s been rainy in Ithaca this year…White spots are forming on them. I don’t have a digital camera handy, or I’d show you what they look like. My daughter says [...]

 
TheGardenLady received this question from Shelly:
My daffodils have grown, but after a few days, they fall over, should I put some bone meal in the soil? I have Tulips and day lillies in the same bed, around a tree.
If your plants look healthy, no diseases on them, there are a few reasons that your plants [...]

As TheGardenLady was eating her morning banana, she found this fun website that seems to answer every question one might have about the banana. She thought that her readers might also enjoy reading the facts about this plant.

 
TheGardenLady spent Wed. at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show. Her reaction? WOW! What a show!
The Flower Show is always a spectacular show visually. And this year with the theme ‘Jazz It Up’  is no exception. From the minute you enter the show and walk under an archway of floating piano keys and exotic cut flowers [...]

TheGardenLady received this question from Beth:
What planting zone is Toms River in? By the maps it appears to be inbetween 6 and 7.
Toms River is in Zone 7. The newest hardiness Zone Map clearly shows this.
In another location of the arborday.org site, it specifically shows Toms River as Zone 7.  See here.
To understand how these [...]

The following FAQ information was provided by the PR people from Novalis:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Novalis®?
Novalis®, an alliance of top annual, perennial and woody ornamental growers who market exclusively to independent garden centers, re-wholesalers and landscape professionals, is making its mark in the green industry and changing gardening for plant lovers from coast to coast. [...]

In the last post, TheGardenLady reported about three plants that will be coming out in 2008, Hypericum ‘Mystical Beauty’, Philadelphus ‘Snow White Sensation’ and Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mystical Emerald’.  Here are two more plants that are coming out in 2008, according to Novalis, the group that introduced the Double Knock Out and Pink Double Knock Out roses.
Gaillardia Commotion [...]

 
Acadia National Park - Photo taken by beforethecoffee
TheGardenLady received this question from Clive:
I am a UK citizen and live in England.  Recently I purchased some waterfront land looking out towards Acadia National Park, in Down-East Maine. In the next year I hope to have an all-year-round house built on the land, which I hope to visit a [...]

 
TheGardenLady received this question from Chance.
I’m going off to university next school year, and I’d like to grow something in my dorm room (hopefully organically) to brighten things up.  I’d like to have something I can throw on salads or sandwiches and something else that’s a bit bigger (maybe flowering?)  I’m not too hot on [...]