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Poolesville, MD
Native plant nursery
I want to grow wildflower starts for tough-to-grow plants for retail and commercial sale. And I prefer organic, but, jeez, one step at a time. Any guidance on the ins and outs of this business? D...
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Ashburn , VA
When to plant wildflower spring mix seeds in Ashburn VA
I just bought wildflower springmix and want to know when to plant them, is there a specific temperature?
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Leesburg, VA
Failure to flourish of Trumpet Creeper in Leesburg VA
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: Late last year I planted a trumpet creeper vine to grow on my fence and attract hummingbirds. It gets full sun, is in average soil and gets adequate water. I put a few daylilli...
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Ashburn, VA
Need to know how to plant trees to create a windbreak in Ashburn, VA.
I want to know how to plant trees to create windbreaks. I live on a slope of a hill, the front of the house is steep and the back of the house has neighbors in a cul de sac. I swear I live in a wind...
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Ashburn, VA
Colorful Maples for Virginia and Pennsylvania
We are trying to find out which trees have three or more leaf colors in the fall in Virginia and/or Pennsylvania. We found that Sweetgum and some maples do. Can you please let us know which maples hav...
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Ashburn, VA
Low maintenance replacement garden in Ashburn , VA
We live in Ashburn, VA (Northern VA). Our house is 10 years old and the contractor grade plants have died. We are planning on digging everything up and re-doing the landscaping in our front yard - r...
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Gaithersburg, MD
Looking for a source for Atlantic pigeonwings (Clitoria mariana)
I hope you can help me a little. I'm trying to find a way to get Clitoria mariana (Atlantic pigeonwings) in my garden, but can't find a seed source anywhere. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks...
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North Potomac, MD
Deer resistant plants for MD
My home backs to the Muddy Branch Creek parkland,which is suffering greatly from a large deer population. Many of the plants that existed in the woods when we purchased our home (1986), such as mayap...
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Waterford, VA
Deer and rabbit repelling plants at nature sanctuary in Waterford VA
We have established a native pollinator garden at our nature sanctuary. Last summer deer and perhaps rabbits devastated it. Now people are proposing surrounding it with boxwood which deer don't like-...
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Great Falls, VA
Deer--resistant plants for Great Falls, VA
We have just moved to a house with a rural garden enjoyed by us and the deer. Can you recommend any deer resistant plants for ths location ? ( We have full sun and shade - zip code 22066. Thanks,
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Great Falls, VA
Vine for Chain Link Fence in Virginia
I am from Great Falls, Virginia. I would like to know what the best vine is to grow on aluminum fences to cover them up quickly but also doesn't damage expensive fences in a long term?
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Reston, VA
Native plants for dry shade in Virginia
I live in Reston, Virginia and have dry shade. What are the best plants to use for my garden. Xeriscaping and native plants are important considerations.
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Reston, VA
Identification of Beetleweed or Galax as
My mother will soon celebrate her 100th birthday. For her 1st birthday her mother decorated her highchair with "smilox". I am trying to find out what plant this is. I have found "smilax" but it is...
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Reston, VA
Chipmunk in the garden.
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a rogue chipmunk this year (never had one before doing this) who is eating roots and digging holes in all my plant containers. I have tried Plant Skyd (excellent deer r...
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Rockville, MD
Cutting Back Perennials in the Fall?
We have large beds of flowering native perennials that we planted around our house as part of a landscape conservation plan (various Joe-Pyes, goldenrods, turtlehead, blazing star, brown-eyed Susans)....
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Rockville, MD
Listing of plants matched to specific pollinators
Could you refer me to a listing of plants matched to specific pollinators? I have completed the conversion of a local nature center garden to a pollinator garden with all natives. We hope to place ed...
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Rockville, MD
Eliminating black locust volunteers in Rockville MD
I am a landscape designer whose client has a very large, mature black locust in her front yard. Not surprisingly, she also has multitudes of black locust volunteers popping up all over her yard. The...
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Rockville, MD
Maryland native plant source
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Great answer to the man from Severen, MD with list of Maryland natives. Did you know that some of these natives are propogated from seed collected in the wild by Chesapeake Nat...
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Lovettsville, VA
Plants for bird garden in Virginia
I am expanding on a bird attracting garden and would like to know what plants to plant. It is a shade to partial sun area, in an approx. 9' circle, both small shrubs and flowers would be nice.
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Laytonsville, MD
Plants to filter dust from a road in MD
I live in MD next to a dirt/gravel access road. I would like to plant something along my property line to block the clouds of dust we regularly get from cars and dirt bikes. Is there something fast ...
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Purcellville, VA
Plant Identification
I recently found a GIANT green seed pod around my small town in Northern Virginia. It's about 1 ft. 3 in. in diameter (15 in.) and its making me very curious as to what exactly it is. For the life of...
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