QUESTION: I have a large plant called Confederate rose and need to know how to take care of it for the winter. It is as tall as the gutters on the house now and full of blooms. They are white on opening and fade to pink.ANSWER: The Confederate rose really turns heads from mid-to-late autumn when the white to pink blooms open all over a medium-sized tree. This plant is not a rose at all, although its fluffy flowers resemble those of an old-fashioned shrub rose. It's a hibiscus that originated in China.Cut it back nearly to the ground after cold weather damages the stems and leaves; new growth rises each spring from the roots and this will bear flowers late in the year. The botanical name is Hibiscus mutabilis. Its popularity in the South in the 19th century generated the common name, Confederate rose.Although garden centers sometimes offer it, the Confederate rose is often acquired by rooted cuttings handed out among friends. It is very easy to propagate. Take cuttings in late autumn, before cold weather affects the top of the plant, and root them in water. Plant in spring.

QUESTION: Wild strawberry is the bane of my existence. How do you recommend battling this yard-destroying weed? It never seems to die.ANSWER: This is a common weed in lawns and prone to keep growing through winter when it stays on the mild side. This weed will not die on its own. You must help it. Use a weed killer formulated for broad-leaf weeds that states on the label it works against wild strawberries. This weed killer must be specifically targeted for broad-leaf weeds so that it doesn't kill the grass. This weed is one indication of wet soil and low pH. Have you put lime on your lawn in recent years to raise the pH? Do you have a sprinkler system that is overused? You can kill the weed with an herbicide but should also work to remedy the conditions that allow it to prosper. If you are not inclined to use a chemical herbicide, the soil is damp and soft now, and you could dig up the weeds. Then resow the bare spots in grass.

QUESTION: Please refresh me on when to cut back monkey grass: spring or fall?ANSWER: Neither. The best time is late winter, about late February. The reasons are: You don't have to look at the sheared monkey grass all winter and you do the cutting just before any of the fresh new growth begins. This new growth is what you want to keep.By MCT News Service