Ashley Frasca

A: I can identify a few things here. The black along the bark could be sooty mold from sap-sucking insects. That is what they excrete along bark or on leaves. The damage and stress on those trees seems pretty far along. The heavy presence of lichens are a sign that the tree is in decline. If you cut the trunks down, all the way to the ground, you could leave two or three suckers coming up from the ground, let the strongest one stay in a year or so, and you'll have a new crape myrtle.

A: Based on the pictures submitted (not the one seen here), it's likely Bermuda. The soil looks compacted, so run an aerator over it this summer to poke holes in the ground. Always aerate only when the grass is actively growing. Put some seed down after that. Keep it watered this summer, and you'll have some grass grow!

A: Even if roses were pruned in late winter, new spring growth will create small limbs that cross one another. When pruning anything, at anytime, it is always okay to prune dead limbs, those which are broken, dying or diseased, and crossing limbs/branches.

A: If our home is good enough for us, it’s good enough for honey bees! Coming in and out of a small opening at the top of an exterior wall gives a swarm the height of protection, and dry and sheltered safety from the elements. Having a swarm extracted can be expensive and may involve removing an entire wall.

A: It sure is! One of the most fun curiosities is discovering how each tree develops for reproduction. Here are some of the seed pods I’ve identified over the years.

Summer is well underway, but there is plenty of time to add new flowers and vegetables to the garden!

I guess it makes sense. This pest of kudzu plants in Asia somehow travelled to the US and now anyone living near a patch of kudzu often spots the insects on their green beans, on their home walls and sometimes crawling in their home.

A: That can certainly become a problem, and even more so for containerized plants, like we see in downtown areas. UGA horticulturalist Bob Westerfield says, “rocks are going to be there long after we are gone. The radiant heat coming off the rocks can burn or stress more fleshy plants like perennials.” Organic mulches work best. These include pine straw, pine bark, wood chips and leaf litter. But the downfall is that they need to be replaced seasonally.

This is about the time of year Cercospora leaf spot is obvious on hydrangea leaves. This fungal disease is brought about by humid weather but is also more prone to affect plants that are watered overhead or that receive poor air circulation.

Recently, after an extended weekend with family in Tennessee, we arrived home once it was dark. Startled is an understatement when I describe what it was like to see glowing eyes staring back at me through the kitchen window. My brain couldn't comprehend the LARGE snake, coiled up in my bird house, which was suspended from the soffit overhanging the back deck. A few bluebird families have enjoyed that See Rock City birdhouse, but no more!