Hydrangea grows in the shade

Email your gardening questions to Keith at keithfuller602@att.net.

Q:   Are there any flowering plants for the shade?

 A:    You can try hydrangea, camellia, impatiens, begonia, gingers, lycoris, fire spike and dogwood.

Q:    I have a bed of salvias. It is mixed with red and blue varieties. The red ones always die out but the blue remain. What can I do to keep the red ones going longer?

A:   The blue salvias are perennial while the red are annuals. This is something you have no control over.

Q:    I want to start an area with wildflower seeds. Should I buy a mix or just start with some packets of seed and, if so, what kinds?

A:   You can buy mixes that are formulated for the South. Many of the seeds in these mixes do not grow this far south. I would just buy a few packets of seed. Gaillardia, coreopsis, cosmos, purslane and stokesia are some seed to try.

Q:    The single pot of yarrow I planted has grown into a large mat of plants. When can this be dug and divided?

A:   Dig and reset the plants once blooming ceases in the fall or late winter.