This article was written by Marsha Overton, Coles County Master Gardener.

Memorial Day is upon us—a good reminder of this is the annual Garden Ramble at Wesley Whiteside's Five Acre Garden. He has rare botanical species as well as familiar well-known flowers, shrubs and trees. Master Gardeners will be stationed around the garden to answer questions and have some demonstrations. We will have some items for sale such as: plant markers, new and slightly used garden books and magazines. Along with these things there will be flowers available to purchase. Just to name a few are Coneflowers, lavender, asarina (climbing snapdragon), and heliotropes. So if you are in need of some ideas for your area then this is the walk for you. There will be refreshments.

I am sure you all will agree that this year has really been one for the records. It has been reported this is the 3rd wettest spring since they started keeping track of the weather. I told some of my friends –I think I know how it feels to live in the northwest—everything is very lush—but hardly any sun. I want the sun! It is very surprising how "lush" everything looks with very cool temps. Oh well, I am sure by the time you read this article it will be in the 80's. I certainly hope so. You know what they say about Illinois weather—if you don't like it today—just wait and it will be different tomorrow. I have hardly gotten my plants planted that I got at the Herb Plant sale the end of last month.

GARDEN QUESTIONS FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Q) How late can it be for me to plant some annual seeds and summer bulbs? A) I know we all are very anxious to get these seeds and bulbs in the ground but just have a little patience. I planted my hyacinth bean seeds last year in the middle of June and the vine turned out beautifully. If the temp does not warm up and stay warm then it is just to cool to put your bulbs and seeds in the ground.

Q) When should I prune my rose of Sharon, which has become rather messy looking? A) The rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a summer-blooming shrub whose flower buds develop on the new twig growth made in spring. It is best to trim it back early just as the grass begins to green up and before leaf buds start swelling.

Q) When should I put out my Japanese beetle traps? A) According to Dr. Warren Johnson, Cornell University entomologist, Japanese beetle traps might protect your neighbor's garden more than they protect yours. The chemical attractant used in the traps will probably bring more beetles to your garden; thus plant damage will increase. Johnson suggests using the trap before the beetle season begins and watching it carefully. As soon as you see the beetles, remove the trap and begin your spraying program.

Q) I have an old garden book that says of several plants: does best in sweet soil." What is that?—A) Sweet soil is alkaline, with a ph of at least 7.5; sour soil is acid, 6.5 or lower. It's not just a figure of speech. Though the sweetness of sweat soil is hard to taste unless conditions are extreme, sour soil really does taste sour. A soil test is more accurate than your taste buds, however.

Q) What are some good evergreen plants for a shady area? A) Among the best evergreen plants for shade are Vinca minor, or periwinkle, pachysandra, liriope, or winter creeper euonymus, English ivy, Canby paxistima, and ajuga. Among non-evergreen plants suitable for shade are hostas, sweet woodruff, goutweed, wild ginger, mock strawberry, violets, lily-of-the-valley and ferns.

Q: I just transplanted the tender little pepper plants that I had grown from seed into my garden. Now they all look like they've been knocked over. What happened? A) Cutworms are to blame. These insects live in the soil of your garden waiting for a tender young stem to nibble on like your pepper plants. They feed at night, severing stems below the soil line. The best way to protect young seedlings is to place a barrier around the base of the stem—a collar cut from cardboard works fine.

Q: What is rust? A) Rust refers to a fungus whose different species infect a wide assortment of backyard crops such as asparagus, apples, beans, carrots, corn and onions. A plant with rust has a reddish-brown or rusty-looking spots on its leaves and stem. Eventually, the leaves turn yellow and the plant's growth is stunted. It thrives in areas with little wind so be sure your plants have good air circulation around them. If your plants succumb to rust, get rid of them or the affected part to avoid spreading it to other plants.

Q) You're probably going to think this is a "silly" question, but here goes anyway. It seems every spring I have a couple of clay pots that have their "bottoms" busted due to the fact that I never cleaned them out in the fall. Do you have any ideas on how they could be used in other ways? A) First of all, there is no such thing as a "silly" question. Secondly, I seem do this every spring, also. I came across an article with an idea for this problem. If you have a stump in your yard, then take the pot and place it over the stump and plant it with some of you favorite annuals. You can even scatter these pots around in some of your other beds to add color where and when you want to. You could use vegetables or even herbs. I think this will add a lot of charm and interest to our flower beds. Don't you?