Q: I have an area where water stands after we get rain. I've had Leyland cypress there but they are dying because of wet feet. I need an evergreen plant for screening that's 6 feet tall.

Carl King, Alpharetta

Walter Reeves / Special (ENLARGE)

Anise tolerates spots that are occasionally flooded but does not like constantly soggy soil.

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A: The following shrubs can tolerate moist soil. Some are not evergreen but they have a dense branching habit. Others may need pruning to keep them at the size you desire.

Consider these: Florida leucothoe (Agarista populiflolia), inkberry (Ilex glabra), wax myrtle (Morella cerifera), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and Florida anise (Illicium floridanum).

Q: I have a compost pile that is heating up very nicely. Should I be concerned with using grass clippings that may contain weed seeds?

Charlie Whitehead, e-mail

A: If the pile gets hot enough (140 degrees for three days) you'll kill the weed seeds with heat. Get a long-stemmed compost thermometer to check the temperature at the center of the pile. If the pile is smaller than 4-feet-x-4-feet-x-4-feet, it won't reach a high temperature. Grass clippings contain nitrogen and contribute to heating up the pile, hastening the destruction of their offspring.

Be sure to keep the pile moist and turn it regularly. If the pile only gets warm despite your best efforts, weed seeds won't die immediately but they will decompose over several months time.

Q: How does a golf course with Bermuda or Bent grass greens keep them green in the winter?

Bill Oswell, Marietta

A: Bermuda grass is normally brown in winter so golf courses over seed with rye grass in September. The rye grass is green all winter, keeping the color golfers want.

Bent grass is green all year long but it requires LOTS of maintenance to keep it healthy in summer heat. You've probably seen the big fans near golf greens. These aren't for the comfort of golfers, they are for drying the grass after it has been watered. This, along with judicious use of fertilizer and fungicides, keeps diseases at bay.

Q: My turf care company told me that I need to over seed the thin zoysia in my shady back yard with zoysia grass seed. Does this make sense?

Debbie Esl, Atlanta

A: If the thin areas are bare enough that you won't worry about damaging the existing zoysia grass, you can plant zoysia grass seed in mid-May after thoroughly tilling the area.

But my guess is that the shade is too thick for zoysia grass to thrive. If the area doesn't get six hours of direct sunshine, you are wasting your time and money to over seed. Choose mondo grass, mulch or shade-loving ground covers instead.

Q: I would like to grow black currant bushes. Are there any varieties which can be grown in Georgia?

Izabela Szabo, East Point

A: Unfortunately, our summers are much too hot for currants. The only place I would try to grow them is in extreme north Georgia, maybe in Blairsville or Clayton.

Q: Are an over abundance of roly-poly bugs a problem?

Margaret Parham, e-mail

A: These shrimp-kin are not usually a problem except when very young seedlings or transplants are present. They will chew on the stems and consume enough leaves to kill the plants.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on NewsTalk 750 WSB-AM from 6 to 10. Call 404-872-0750 to ask questions. His Web site, www.walterreeves.com, contains thousands of answers to lawn and landscape questions. Watch "Gardening in Georgia" each week on GPB. Details at www.gardeningingeorgia.com .