Getting to the root of problem with rhododendron

Theresa H. of Santa Rosa asks: The leaves of my rhododendron are curling inward and turning brown, and the plant is wilting. What's going on?

Phytophthora cinnamoni (root rot), is a root rot disease which is usually fatal and often kills a plant very quickly.

The symptoms are a sudden collapse of parts of the plant, or the entire plant, during the growing season. Check the roots and cut into the infected part of the stem. The disease is characterized by the roots being a deep brown color instead of white, like healthy roots should be.

If you scrape away the bark at ground level you will find the cambium layer below the bark has been stained a dark reddish-brown. The disease is caused by inadequate drainage and warm or hot soil temperatures. The combination of these two is often fatal to rhododendrons.

It is most common in areas with hot summers but can occur anywhere with poor drainage. Phythopthora cinnamomii is most active at a soil temperature of 65-75 degrees. Plants in containers are particularly susceptible, especially if watered overhead.

Be sure that the planting area is well prepared with coarse organic matter to ensure good drainage and aeration in the soil. Freshly composted bark has been shown to have some root-rot resistant properties. Packaged mixes for rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias would be good to use.

Make sure that the soil where the rhododendrons are growing does not become compacted by people or animals walking over it.

Growing rhododendrons in shade and mulching with organic matter will help keep the soil temperature down.

If you have a heavy clay soil, the best thing to do is to plant above soil level, either in raised beds or by mounding up the soil around the root of the plant.

Tom M. of Windsor asks: I would like to use my cold frame this year and grow a few greens, other than the usual Swiss chard, lettuces, etc. Any suggestions?

With a little protection from the elements, you can keep harvesting fresh greens well into fall and winter. Choose frost-hardy crops that continue growing during the transition to colder weather and shorter daylight hours.

Plant them early enough that they're nearly mature by the time the day length drops below 10 hours.

Here are a few good choices for the more unusual fall and winter greens, along with timing tips to help you get the most out of your greenhouse or coldframe.

Claytonia, also known as Miner's Lettuce, is one of the most cold-tolerant of salad greens and is hardy to about 0 degrees. It is easy to grow, is not bothered by moderate frosts and you can get multiple harvests over the course of winter.

The heart-shaped leaves have a wild flavor, and have a crunchy, succulent texture that is especially delicious.

Each stem has tiny white edible flowers. Sow seeds directly into the ground about 1/2 inch apart, 1/4 inch deep, in rows 12 inches apart, thinning to 4-6 inches apart. You can even plant in succession.

Mache, also called corn salad, is a very hardy, low-growing plant that produces tight rosettes of thick glossy leaves hardy to 5 degrees.

Late-blooming flowers worth the wait for your garden

You can't avoid flowers in the springtime. Most plants burst naturally into bloom as warm weather returns, with the flowers producing fruits and setting seed that will ripen over the summer and germinate during the following seasons.

But that doesn't mean you have to forgo flowers in the fall. Annuals will keep pumping out blooms until cold weather turns them off. And perennials? Well, let's take a look at just some of the most dazzling late bloomers.

No fall flower garden would be complete without hybrid Japanese anemones (Anemone x hybrida). Around Sonoma County, they bloom in September, with some sporadic follow-up bloom in late September to early October. They grow 3 to 4 feet tall on slender stems in a sunny to partly shady site with some summer water to get them through the seasonal drought. They'll reward you in September with the most charming 3-inch-wide flowers with a cluster of bright yellow stamens in the centers. Depending on the cultivar, the petals may be white, pink, or purplish pink, but my favorite is a variety called "September Charm" with clear shell pink petals that are strikingly beautiful. Kept watered, the anemones will spread into a wide stand that produces a sea of these exquisite blossoms.

In 1961, botanists changed the name of the Chrysanthemum genus to Dendranthema, which caused such a horticultural uproar that botanists restored the name to Chrysanthemum again in 1995. Thank goodness, because our fall gardens just wouldn't be the same without our mums — possibly the most beloved of all the fall flowers, all exhibiting typical fall colors: rusts, ochres, white, reddish browns, and yellows. We cut them and make big, poofy vases full. Ladies use them for corsages at football games. They are the essence of fall in a flower. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite cultivar because there are so many flower forms of this perennial: cushion, pompon, button, decorative, single, spoon, quill, anemone, spider, cascade and exhibition. You choose.

Did you know that there are a range of autumn-blooming crocuses? So this genus is not only the first up and flowering in the spring, but has representatives that are the last to go to bed in the fall. One of the most popular species is Crocus sativus, the saffron crocus. The late September flower is pale pink to purplish mauve and the orange, feathery stigma, when dried, is our precious culinary saffron — which is why it's no longer found in the wild. Saffron hunters plucked it to death. But it's widely grown in cultivation.

Although not particularly showy, Kirengeshoma palmata, commonly called waxbells, is an interesting native of the mountains of Japan. It makes a 3-to 4-foot mound of large, maple-like leaves, and hangs out pale yellow, shuttlecock-shaped flowers in September. It likes shade and moist soil, so plant it where you can water it during summer's drought.

Among trees, the floss silk tree (Chorisia speciosa) blooms with pink, rose, or purple star-like flowers in September and its subsequent fruits burst open into cottony masses of fluff. It likes full sun and some summer water and grows into a tall tree with a studded trunk. It's perfectly suited to our climate.

The Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha) is persnickety, like its namesake Benjamin Franklin, and takes extra care to grow. It was discovered in Georgia by John Bartram, a friend of Franklin's, who brought it to Philadelphia. It disappeared from the wild in 1790, and all Franklin Trees since are clones of Bartram's rescue. It's an exquisitely beautiful small tree, especially when its last white blooms in September are seen against its reddish purple senescing leaves. I tried growing it in Sebastopol, but it lasted only a couple of years. Maybe you'll have more luck. It will be worth the effort.

From October to December, the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo "Compacta"), a cousin of the madrone, hangs out pendulous clusters of white, urn-shaped flowers and bright red strawberry-like fruits at the same time, making quite a show. It's an evergreen, like its cousin, and loves our coastal climate.

Among shrubs, definitely plant a Blue Mist (Caryopteris x clandonensis "Heavenly Blue"). It's compact, growing from 2 to 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall, likes full sun, and produces scads of deep blue fringed flowers from August until December. Give it some summer water to keep it going strongly for its fall display.

Of course, nature in her profuse enthusiasm for flowers in all seasons, has more: escallonia, camellia, gardenia, chaste tree, and others, but the suggestions in this article may give you ideas for plantings this fall or next spring that mean your garden will not peter out just when harvest season rolls around. Your Thanksgiving table will always need a centerpiece, n'est pas?

Animals spring in to flower show

EVERY spring, Janelle Noble likes to share her joy at seeing her daffodils bloom.

"We try to involve all our pets and horses," she says. "Our Arab mare is very gentle and lovely, and was quite accepting of the garland of flowers."

Noble, pictured here adorned in flowers last spring at her family's Claremont farm, began growing daffodils for show about five years ago. She began by planting daffodils in pots around her home and now "they're everywhere – scattered in garden beds, pots and in my husband's vegetable patch, though he's come to terms with that now".

The ebullient gardener, who is also the Mona Pavilions manager, produced some award-winning daffodils last year, but she isn't resting on her laurels. Her daffodils are again contenders for awards in the Claremont Daffodil, Camellia and Spring Flower show today and tomorrow.

"Showing flowers isn't intimidating. It's a laid-back and fun environment," she says. "People don't just take daffodils, they take all sorts of spring flowers.

"There will be a magnificent display of camellias. Walking into the showroom is like taking a lovely breath of fresh air. You know it's the start of spring when you see all the vibrant colours."

Sans flowers, women lose out on medicinal values

Women wearing flowers is a common sight in the country, particularly in South India, but the tradition is vanishing. Though the women in western countries are accepting the medicinal and aromatic values in wearing flowers, our women are slowly abandoning the time-tested convention and are rushing to the cosmetic dermatological clinics, wasting time and money.

Not only for beauty, there are several benefits and values in wearing flowers. Flowers are a symbol of love, good luck, happiness and prosperity. Besides this, there are several aromatic values of each flower. According to experts in flower therapy some flowers could prevent hair loss and help grow healthy hair and also help in prevent dandruff.

Noted women welfare organisation She Association of India found fault with the educational institutions, which are not allowing the girls wearing flowers into schools. "After wearing flowers the women definitely look very beautiful. Every flower has its own qualities and values. However, the women in the present era are not following the habit. According to the Vedic culture, wearing flowers represents love, good luck, happiness and prosperity.

In several "ithihasas", it is mentioned that wearing flowers is believed to bring happiness and prosperity in the women's house. Meanwhile, the girls and ladies are of late most habituated to deodorants instead of wearing flowers," lamented M Sree Devi , President, She Association. By wearing flowers like Jasmine, the wife and husband relations will be more strong and would  give a pleasant and romantic mood to the spouse.

The tiredness, other professional and daily tensions will automatically vanish with the aromatic values of jasmine. However, the women, now a days are not following the age-old suggestions 62-year-old B Padmavathi underlined the importance of wearing flowers. There are no festivals or marriages without flowers. At least, the 50- plus women wear any one flower on the head, but the present generation  are not following this, she lamented.

If, one observes, in mythological books, Shakunthala, wore flowers not only in her hair,  but also on the hands and also as garlands as the flowers will boost up the entire body. " Flowers should not be kept in refrigerators but should be worn soon after they are plucked" internationally renowned Professor in Vedic Ecology and Flower Remedies B Lakshmi told The Hans India.

Flowers for a fall table

One of my first jobs was a floral assistant. I worked weddings most Saturdays through high school, pinning boutonnieres while most of my friends were sleeping in. After college, it became quite clear that I was built to be an entrepreneur and would thrive working for myself. I pinched pennies working a few jobs until I was able to pull together the funds open my flower shop. I owned and operated Peppertree Floral here in Bloomington for over 10 years and loved nearly every minute of it. As my kiddos got older the schedule became increasingly more difficult to maintain, so sadly I moved on. Now, years later, I still find myself yearning to clip some stems and create colorful arrangements for my home.

This month I got the itch and decided to take a trip to Harvest Moon Flower Farm. The owner, Linda Chapman, walked me through the farm and handpicked some blooms for me to work with. The farm was an inspiration. Fall colors cascading through the rows, sunflowers, dahlias and zinnia in shades of orange, brown and red.

Arranging flowers can seem intimidating, but there are a few things to keep in mind to make flower arranging a cinch.

Buy quality

Start by purchasing high quality flowers. When you get them home, give them a snip and let them drink in a bucket of warm water.

Pick the right size vase

It's easy to get frustrated when your flowers keep slumping to the side, but you can avoid this by choosing a container that isn't too big. If you are doing a tall arrangement gather the stems in your hand and make note of how wide the neck of the vase needs to be to accommodate. With a short, squat arrangement, like this one, look to the flowers heads. The vase should be slightly smaller than all the blooms pulled together. Don't overthink it. If the first vessel you pick doesn't work, just pull the flowers out and start again with a different vase.

Start with the greens

For your blooms to stand up you'll need a sturdy foundation. Create this with ample greenery. The greens don't need to be fancy. In this arrangement, I nipped some branches off my baptisia plant in my garden. As long as it's leafy it'll do the trick, but don't overstuff it. You still need room for the flowers.

Big blooms first

Create the shape of your arrangement with the larger blooms. Think of these flowers as an outline. It was clear the café au lait dahlia was the showstopper for this arrangement so I chose where to put that stem first, followed by the dark chocolate sunflowers. Try to space them throughout the vase without being too symmetrical. Nature is not perfect, so your flower arrangement shouldn't be either.

Medium blooms second

Next, I placed the peach dahlias, gold zinnia and fuscia cockscomb. Use these buds to fill out the arrangement and give it structure. Turn the arrangement as you work so you don't create it one sided. You'll want to work all stems toward a central point to give the bouquet a natural look.

Finish with the filler

Use your small filler flowers, in this case feather Celosia and marigolds, to fill any empty spots. This is another opportunity to give your arrangement shape. Wispy tendrils or woody branches can be added to make the arrangement more romantic or impressive.

Now that my arrangement is complete I can enjoy it at my dining table. I added votives and tall glass candle sticks to add to the ambiance. Fall is not the time of year most people think of cut flowers, but it's a wonderful time to bring those autumnal colors to your table.

Next time you need to jazz up a table, don't think twice. Just roll up your sleeves and make something beautiful.