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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers Nan Hampton, Jimmy Mills and Barbara Medford to be the culpable and capable parties. Yet, others think staff members Damon Waitt, Joe Marcus and Philip Hawkins might play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

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Hebron, CT
Ground cover for Connecticut sandy gravel bank
What ground cover plant can I use on a sandy gravel bank behind my house?
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Amston, CT
Male pollinator to produce berries on Juniperus virginiana from Amston CT
We have planted 3 juniperus virginiana 'Glauca' (on our Connecticut property) that have a few blue berries on them. Will they need a male pollinator to make berries? We do not have other juniperus...
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Glastonbury, CT
Failure to thrive of non-native Japanese maple
My 10 year old Japanese red maple leaves suddenly started to curl up and die at the end of summer last year. Only about a quarter of the tree leaved out this spring, branches are dead. Can I plant ano...
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Lebanon, CT
Plant Identification from Lebanon CT
What is that plant-- a wildflower --large thick stalk--flowers can be purple, pink, and very light pink. 3 branches off of stalk--flowers growing up each branch. Flowers smell similar to peonies.Leave...
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Coventry, CT
Identification of shrubs with red berries in Connecticut
In my yard there are bushes about 4 1/2' tall with red berries. The berries are bright red and somewhat translucent with striations visible through the skin.I thought they were gooseberries perhaps, ...
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Vernon, CT
Beans growing under artificial light from Vernon CT
What bean plant will grow the best under a flourescent,spot gro light,green transparent light,or Natural light and why.What caused it to grow like it did?
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Franklin, CT
Re-landscaping neglected garden in Franklin CT
I am starting from scratch in a yard that has no planting beds or, for that matter, plants at all. House was vacant for quite some time, grass was three feet tall when we moved in. I would like to p...
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Hartford, CT
Learning to garden from Hartford CT
Hello, I just recently found an interest in gardening, and have discovered "cultivars." I am having trouble finding what exactly a cultivar is, and if they are bad or not. Can culltivars ever occur ...
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Hartford, CT
Recommendation for red raspberry species for Connecticut
Hello, I was wondering if you could recommend any red raspberries that I can grow in Connecticut. Thanks!
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Oakdale, CT
Growth on underside of squash plant leaves
I have a mold in my garden that is oval in shape and has spikes growing out of it, the color is yellow. This mold (yup it's not a bug I checked) is all over the underside of my squash plants. Any hel...
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West Hartford, CT
Native trees for privacy screen in Connecticut
I am looking to replace a row of white pine trees with something else along the border between our yard and neighbor's yard. We only get afternoon sun and we need something that will grow to around ...
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West hartford, CT
Growth rate of the American beech tree from West Hartford CT
What is the growth rate of an American beech tree?
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New Britain, CT
Non-blooming rhododendron in Connecticut
A two or three yr old rhododendron has not blossomed - ever! All other plants in landscape doing well, but not this one. Help
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Ashford, CT
Windthrow Resistant Trees for Northeast Connecticut
We live in northeast CT, and prefer to plant native trees. Many people here do not want trees around their homes, despite the benefits of shade and shelter they provide, because they are afraid of win...
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Uncasville, CT
Control of out-of-bounds Virginia creeper
Our Virginia creeper (Woodbine) has outgrown its planned location this past summer. What is the best way to prune ivy stems for next years controlled growth?
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Windsor Locks, CT
Is Echinacea poisonous to cats?
Is the echinacea plant poisonous to cats?
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Brooklyn, CT
Non-blooming yuccas in Brooklyn CT
I have outdoor yucca plants that don't flower - - in full sun. Why?
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Old Saybrook, CT
Identity of shrub with brownish flowers called cinnamon bush
When I lived in Vernon, CT, my neighbor had a small shrub/tree approximately 5 ft tall with small ovate slightly serrated leaves. In spring it produced reddish brown flowers that were of a hardened p...
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Niantic, CT
Plants that will grow on the Connecticut coast
I live on the coast in Connecticut and have a hard time growing plants here. I live about 1/2 mile from the beach and find that my soil is very rocky. The only plants that have done well in my yard ...
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Wallingford, CT
Will catalpa roots damage a nearby swimming pool?
Will a catalpa tree cause problems to my swimming pool? It is 8 feet away and I cut all the branches off every fall. It then grows back to about 6 feet in diameter an makes a great garden feature but ...
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Wallingford, CT
Non-blossoming trumpet vine
About 9 years ago I started a trumpet vine, from seeds that I got from plants that were invading an empty home. I saw how invasive it was. It had worked its way into the windows and front porch and ...
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