Trouble Areas

Allergic to pollen? Some plant ideas to ease your misery!
"Bless you!" If you've been hearing that a lot from your family and co-workers recently, maybe you're one of the millions who begin to suffer from allergies around this time every year.

Attack weeds early... and replace with elegant backdrops
Weeds! If you already see them poking their nasty little heads above the surface of your flowerbeds, now is the time for action, if you’d prefer NOT to break your back (and do a lot of cursing) throughout the spring and summer!

Beware of vines that could damage your house!
It’s question time again. With spring just around the corner, many readers are sending me questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping. If you e-mail a question or comment to steve@landsteward.org

Cicadas and Ivy: can they damage your landscape?
Plants that some folks call weeds, and insects that are sometimes called "locusts." Working on your landscape and garden can get pretty darn confusing!

Critter-proof your shrubs before they’re just stumps!
With the Holidays behind us and spring on its way, I’ve been receiving a number of e-mails from readers who are already working on ideas for the planting season just ahead.

Damp soil? Here are seven plants with wet feet!
So you have soggy soil and everything you plant seems to sink in the mud or drown? Why fight Mother Nature when you can go with the flow?

Dogwoods dying? Here's what you should do
Dogwoods are dying. It's a sad fact but a lot of Dogwood trees in America are getting sick and in many cases dying from Dogwood Anthracnose, a disease that mainly infects flowering and Pacific Dogwood (Cornus florida and C. nuttallii).

Dry soil? Six plants that will brighten your landscape
For farmers, there are only two kinds of rainfall: too much and not enough. Those of us who are into gardening and landscaping can sympathize with that! However, unlike farmers, most of us don’t have thousands of acres to worry about.

Groundcover can solve problem of sloping clay yard
QUESTION: "I have a problem with a side yard. The ground is red clay that currently has no vegetation on it except weeds.

Help your lawn breathe during the dog days.
It's time to catch up on answering some of the questions you've been e-mailing to me recently. But first... the hot, dry weather that many of us are "enjoying" right now can be a tough time for our lawns.

Japanese Beetles can devestate your greenscape
Many Japanese imports - from cars and trucks to electronics and video games - have helped to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. But there's one import that gardeners and landscapers wish had stayed at home: The Japanese Beetle.

Keep deer and rabbits away from your tender plants
My family and I all love wildlife. It’s a pleasure to take our coffee out on the back deck in the morning and sip quietly as we watch deer (and sometimes more exotic creatures) while they forage.

Lawn brown spots cured with... tomato juice?
In one of my recent columns, I included a question from a reader who was having problems with brown spots on his lawn, apparently caused by urine from his pet dogs.

Oak trees targeted by voracious caterpillars
A new year is upon us and already landscape and garden enthusiasts are anticipating the coming spring! Here are some recent questions I received from readers of this column.