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3 days ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
About This Episode A reader asks for advice on finding the right plant for small outdoor spaces. Plus, a tip for controlling garden insects. Question Of The Week "We live in a condominium community, and I miss my trees. What is the best small potted tree to grow on my patio? It will only get about four hours of sun daily. That's a great question." - Peggy Grumpy Gardener: My first thought is always Japanese maples.
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3 days ago | 
aol.com | Steve Bender
About This EpisodeA reader asks for advice on finding the right plant for small outdoor spaces. Plus, a tip for controlling garden insects. Question Of The Week"We live in a condominium community, and I miss my trees. What is the best small potted tree to grow on my patio? It will only get about four hours of sun daily. That's a great question." - PeggyGrumpy Gardener: My first thought is always Japanese maples.
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6 days ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
By Steve BenderPublished on June 21, 2025 Credit: okimo/Getty Images About This Episode A reader struggles with what to grow in their sun-drenched yard. Plus, Grumpy’s plant of the month. Question Of The Week "We have a group of crepe myrtles growing in our sunny front yard in Zone 7. Grass won't grow in the area beneath them, so we put down mulch. We'd like to add a mix of plants there for more color.
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1 week ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
By Steve BenderPublished on June 18, 2025 Credit: Ralph Lee Anderson About This Episode A reader seeks advice on why their hydrangeas are fading in color. Plus, Grumpy’s gripe of the week. Question Of The Week "My French hydrangea starts the summer with big, lovely blue flowers. As the season continues however, the blooms turn to white, pale green, or washed-out pink. Is there something I can do to recover the vibrant blue?
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1 week ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
About This Episode Grumpy helps a reader deal with squirrels and offers helpful tips. Question Of The Week "My squirrel-proof feeder doesn't work. Squirrels shimmy right up the post and eat all the seeds." - Jill Grumpy Gardener: My number one solution to a squirrel problem on your feeder does not involve, a baffle at all, it's something called Cole's Hot Meats. And these are sunflower seeds with the hulls off. And, you know, sunflower seeds, squirrels absolutely love. And so do birds.
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2 weeks ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
About This Episode Grumpy answers a question on cucumbers that won’t climb. Plus Grumpy’s plant of the week. Question Of The Week "Last year, I was successful in getting cucumbers to climb large cages in my raised beds. This year, the ones I planted won't climb." I think they're lazy. "Do only certain types do that?" - Lorraine Grumpy Gardener: There are two main types of cucumbers. Climbing cucumbers are sprawling vines that can cover 25 square feet each. So not everybody has that kind of space.
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2 weeks ago | 
aol.com | Steve Bender
About This EpisodeGrumpy answers a question on cucumbers that won’t climb. Plus Grumpy’s plant of the week. Question Of The Week"Last year, I was successful in getting cucumbers to climb large cages in my raised beds. This year, the ones I planted won't climb." I think they're lazy. "Do only certain types do that?" - LorraineGrumpy Gardener: There are two main types of cucumbers. Climbing cucumbers are sprawling vines that can cover 25 square feet each. So not everybody has that kind of space.
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2 weeks ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
About This Episode A reader has a question about their wilting impatiens. Plus Grumpy’s advice on how to root a boxwood cutting. Question Of The Week "My bed of impatience looked fine yesterday, but today the plants look wilted and dying. A lot of the leaves have this gray stuff on them. What's going on?" - Marvin Grumpy Gardener: Yes, indeed. And it's called Downing mildew. This is a disease that targets older forms of impatiens that are still the country's most popular annuals.
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3 weeks ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
About This Episode Grumpy helps a reader deal with chipmunks invading their property. Plus, Grumpy’s gripe of the week. Question Of The Week "Our small garden has become like Disney World for chipmunks. The critters chow down at our neighbor's bird feeders, and then come to our yard for playing and mating. Their tunnels are more adventurous than any ride in Orlando.
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3 weeks ago | 
southernliving.com | Steve Bender
About This Episode Grumpy helps a reader deal with their diseased pear tree. Plus, the plant of the week. Question Of The Week "Do you know what causes some of my pear trees, leaves and branches to turn brown and die? It still produces fruit." - Pam Grumpy Gardener: Well, what she's saying is that some of the leaves and some of the twigs on the tree turn brown or black and they die, but the whole tree isn't dead. So there's still some fruit coming from it.
