Q: Five years ago, I planted several "Magic Lily" bulbs. Every spring, the leaves come up on cue. They die back in the summer, but no flowers come up in fall. What is wrong with this picture?

MRS. J.M. SMITH, Dallas

Walter Reeves / Special (ENLARGE)

Magic Lily, also known as Surprise Lily and Naked Ladies, sends up multitudes of light pink flowers in fall.

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A: Magic Lily, also known as Naked Ladies (Lycoris squamigera), is a fascinating plant. As you note, the leaves come up in spring and die back in summer. They should be followed by pink, trumpet-shaped flowers in fall.

If yours are not blooming, the bulb is not receiving enough water, sunshine or fertilizer. Are your bulbs growing in soft soil in a sunny bed? Did you feed them each spring and fall? Consider digging and replanting the clump into a better environment.

Although this may result in few blooms this fall, it will ultimately help your plants bloom properly.

Q: Information I read says to use a fertilizer analysis with the biggest number (nitrogen) first. Why would I not need to use products with the second number (phosphorus) higher, so my fescue roots are deeper for the summer heat?

GORDON DENNY, e-mail

A: It's true that strong roots need phosphorus. But if your soil has adequate phosphorus, you won't help your fescue by adding more.

Dr. Leticia Sonon at the University of Georgia Soils Lab says only 35 percent of the samples they get from north Georgia have low phosphorus content. Adding more phosphorus doesn't help roots grow. Soil test details at www.georgiasoiltest.com.

Q:Deer have ruined my garden for the last two years. Would it be wise to put out something to distract the deer, such as a feeder?

PAM ANDERSEN, e-mail

A: You'd like to think that deer would be polite and avoid your garden if they had other food nearby, but this will not happen.

Wild animals behave according to the "carrying capacity" of the area they're in. If you provide food, more deer will come to your garden area. Somehow they communicate to each other that your spot can host more deer. More deer means more damage to your garden, it's as simple as that. Your best choice is an electric fence. Details at xrl.us/DEERFENCE.

Q: I found a spiked plastic mat that discourages cats from rolling around in my perennial flowers, but it seems pricey. Do you have a more economical way to scat the cats?

CHERYL CROCKETT, e-mail

A: How about using sweetgum balls among the plants? I can offer you all you ever need! Or try cutting coat hanger wire into 4 inch lengths and pushing lots of them halfway into the ground in your bed to poke the cats when they roll around.

Q: Our dwarf Burford hollies had tons of berries, which the birds dutifully picked off. Now the bush is buzzing. There are hundreds of bees living in it. How long will they be here?

SANDY DEVITT, McDonough

A: All of our nectar-loving insects, including honeybees, ground bees and small wasps, are desperate for food in early spring. As a result, they flock to anything in bloom. Holly is a favorite because it has so many flowers in a compact space.

Since their activities are so focused on the flowers, these insects sting only if you really make an effort to swat them. Leave them alone and you can approach within a few inches. They will be oblivious to your presence.

I recommend you enjoy them, and enjoy the berries their work produces later in the year. The bees will disappear when the flowers fall in a couple of weeks.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on NewsTalk 750 WSB-AM from 6 to 10. Call 404-872-0750 to ask questions. His website, www.walterreeves.com, contains thousands of answers to lawn and landscape questions. You can buy his autographed gardening books at www.walterreeves.com/books.