More and more I am faced with interesting questions, most of which I cannot answer off the top of my head. You can do the same thing I do; research a bit. There are several Web sites that are very helpful. Once into any of these sites, you can enter your question, plant name, etc. and sit back for more options than you probably have time to look at.
The Master Gardeners’ standard is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. This site includes areas on disease identification, as well as a great search tool called the Plant Selector, located in the EarthKind section. This search tool takes your requirements for the color, size, water available, sun, etc. and comes up with a list of several that will do well in your ZIP code area.
For lovely pictures, brief descriptions and plant features and requirements visit ;www.Monrovia.com or www.davesgarden.com.
ecmga.com is a great place to look for relevant information about local plants, concerns and events.
The Master Gardeners of Ellis County have a great monthly e-newsletter free for the asking on that same site. When all else fails, you can search the Internet for the plant name, type or location and ask for images — sometimes that works! There are many pages to go through so be prepared. Do not let your questions go unanswered. If you are not in the computer mode or do not have access to one, call the Ellis County Master Gardeners at the AgriLife extension office, (972) 825-5175. We may not know all the answers, but we can do some searching or may know someone who can help.
Written by Nancy Fenton, Master Gardener