Weekend Plantings: Potted Chrysanthemums
If the lowermost foliage turns brown from fungus, apply a fungicide quickly, or the entire plant will be afflicted. Aphids, which can be controlled with horticultural soap, may also attack chrysanthemums. Pinch back mums in summer, up until August, to promote bushiness and increase flowering. Propagate by cuttings. Mums make good cut flowers if they're gathered just as the buds are starting to open.
PLANT PATIO TREES
Gardeners can install many kinds of small or medium hardy trees now to provide beauty and shade for patio areas. Appropriate flowering trees include pink trumpet tabebuia, ‘Little Gem' magnolia, Jerusalem thorn, goldenrain tree, weeping bottlebrush, sweet acacia, cherry laurel and large-growing varieties of crape myrtle. The loquat, a lovely tree, provides flowers as well as tasty fruit. Also useful are native hollies such as "Nellie R. Stevens" and yaupon "Pendula." Yet another attractive small tree is dollar-leaf eucalyptus. Of the trees mentioned, crape myrtle, goldenrain, Jerusalem thorn and pink trumpet are deciduous.
