ArcaMax

Q: What can you tell me about ladybugs? We have aphids on our iris and rose plants. Do ladybugs really help by eating them? Should I buy some or wait for the ones living nearby to come?

A: There are about 5,000 species of ladybugs worldwide with about 500 species in the United States. They start out as yellow, orange or red eggs laid in small ...Read more

Winning a Perfect Score says a lot about a plant that goes through rigorous trials. But that is just what happened to one of my favorite lantanas by the name of Luscious Orange Marmalade. The location was at Oklahoma State University. Then it took the Director’s Select at Penn State and Leaders of the Pack at North Carolina State University’...Read more

Q: Last year, our yard was infested with voles. They ate the bark off several shrubs during the winter. We called somewhere to take care of this problem. They came out and sprinkled some poisoned food down in the vole holes and in their tracks. We spent about $300 for this first-time procedure, and then the company wanted $49 a month to do any ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Some people see trash and weeds and walk on by. Others rail against the slobs of the world, or agencies that don't do their jobs.

And some, like environmental scientist Marie Massa, roll up their sleeves and get to work.

In Massa's case, that's meant spending six to nine hours a week since early 2023 working mostly alone to ...Read more

This has been a breakout year when it comes to my prized, golden needle conifers by the name of Fluffy. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved them from the start, but they were trial-sized in the beginning, which was 5 years ago. So proper spacing meant they would look a little lonely for a while.

This year the partnerships with azaleas were ...Read more

This is the Easter season, during which we celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday. So, I thought we could look at some plants that have the word resurrection in their name. There is a fern native to the U.S. commonly called the resurrection fern; a spike moss from the Chihuahuan desert is commonly called the resurrection plant; and there...Read more

The last few weeks, I have been showing my followers on Facebook their favorite flowers used in combinations. Last week someone requested that I post combinations with hostas. Now, the hosta pros would probably choose a different hosta as a partner. While that works, I’ve been on a 6-year adventure trying special partnerships. I get more ...Read more

Q: My home state of Kansas is going to ban Bradford pear trees in 2027. I like this tree and was thinking of buying another one as a local nursery is having a sale. Is the tree as bad as they say it is?

A: Bradford pears are probably worse than they are saying. Let's start at the beginning and bring you up to date. Bradfords are a variety of ...Read more