Q: I recently bought a home and am excited to plant daffodil bulbs in the yard. I have planted daffodils previously with limited success. My question is: Do more expensive bulbs mean higher quality or is it more a matter of cultivating the area correctly? — Alicia Young, email
A: I think the biggest factor is soil preparation and the bulbs' subsequent care. All bulbs love to grow in soil that drains fast in winter. Cold soil that holds water is a recipe for bulb root rot. I mix expanded shale (PermaTill, SoilPerfector) into my bulb planting spots. You'll do fine buying bulbs locally but the limitation to local stores is that they can't offer many cultivars. If you want a particular color or bloom time or flower size, you need to shop at a reputable online bulb source. I trust oldhousegardens.com, brentandbeckysbulbs.com and any of the companies listed at Garden Watchdog, davesgarden.com/products/gwd.
Q: I am interested in the disease-resistant qualities exhibited by roses developed by Bill Radler, the originator of Knock Out roses. Which climber would you recommend? — Varese Chambless, Harris County
A: I found online these climbing roses with links to Radler: 'Morning Magic', 'Winners Circle', 'Ramblin Red' and 'Cancan'. I haven't had experience with any of them, but Radler is well-known for his breeding ability.
Q: I have large Leyland cypresses, which I would like to prune. The trees are 20 feet wide and 30 feet tall. I want to prune back 3 feet at the bottom of the trees all the way around. But if I prune this much, I get into the older parts of the limbs that do not have much green growth on them. It is possible to prune like this without harming the trees? — Curtis Watson, email
A: This could be very problematic. Leyland cypress does not regenerate much green foliage from the brown parts of a limb. I fear you'll have a permanently piebald brown and green tree when you're finished. It is possible to prune Leyland cypress to reduce size, but only if cuts are made beyond a green shoot, leaving green foliage behind to resprout. This kind of pruning is best performed in mid-March, right before new growth begins on landscape plants.
Q: I planted a blueberry bush back in the summer and it has thrived. Do I need to protect the bush during the winter months? — Chris Wong, Gwinnett County
A: Blueberries are perfectly winter-hardy, so there's no need to protect them from cold. Eventually, you'll find that birds cause the biggest need for protection. A neighbor constructed a "cage" made from 1 1/4-inch PVC pipe that he erects over his large blueberry bushes each summer. Painted green and covered with bird netting, the enclosure is attractive and keeps marauding birds away effectively.
