QUESTION: I have a peony that is planted in the shade and has survived three years. But it has not grown very big and has had very few blooms, maybe one or two a year. I know I need to transplant it to a sunny spot. Is now the time?ANSWER: Do it in late summer. Dig up the plant and replant it in a sunny spot. Make sure you set the base or crown of the plant at or just a tad above ground level. That's essential in warm climates so that the crown gets maximum exposure to chilly weather. Considering your plant is in the shade, the few blooms you've gotten are a good show.

QUESTION: Wisteria is coming in and around my azalea garden. It comes up and winds around and never flowers. I am trying to get rid of the wisteria and also ivy. What can I do?ANSWER: You can kill wisteria and ivy in shrub beds by cutting the stems as close to the ground as you can reach. Then use a brush — a sponge brush works well — to paint undiluted RoundUp on the cut end. You must do this right after making the cut, and it may take more than one cutting and application to accomplish the job. Both of these plants are vigorous and hard to kill.

QUESTION: I have hostas that were pretty big bunches last year and should be split this year or next. When would be the time to accomplish that chore?ANSWER: Divide the hostas late this summer or early autumn. But think twice before you do this. I think hostas look better as very full clumps, which take a few years to develop. Don't divide them until:• You are moving and can't bear to leave your favorites behind.• You want to share plants.• Your plants outgrew their place and are smothering their neighbors.

QUESTION: The city installed a new storm drain two years ago. The soil seems to have settled. I had planted daffodil bulbs in the spot. I want to put a bag or two of topsoil in the area to try to level it. Should I dig up the daffodils or just cover them up?ANSWER: It sometimes surprises people that daffodils benefit from deep planting, about 8 inches in the soil, provided, of course, it is not soggy.However, I bet yours aren't planted that deep, so you can safely raise the level a bit without digging and replanting the bulbs. But not more than 2 inches or so. If possible, wait a few more weeks until the daffodil foliage has turned yellow so you are not burying green leaves that are helping build new buds in the bulb for next spring's blooms.If the depression you are trying to make level is more than that, you should dig up the bulbs and reset them after you get the ground as level as you wish and give the added topsoil time to settle as well.

QUESTION: Can you tell me how deep to plant amaryllis bulbs? Mine are in pots now and blooming beautifully, but I want to plant them in the ground this fall when they die back. Will I need to mulch to keep them from freezing?ANSWER: Amaryllis bulbs grow splendidly in the South when planted outdoors in a sunny spot in the garden. This tends to surprise people. The surprise comes when they bloom outside in late spring. The amaryllis that looked Christmas red in December suddenly looks very summery in May or June.After your bulbs finish blooming, snip off the spent flowers. Then take the plants out of the pot and set it in the flowerbed so that the top of the neck, where the leaves first show, is at or just below ground level. Keep them watered so the leaves flourish through the summer. This is really important. Fertilize the plants regularly through the summer with water soluble fertilizer to help build new buds for bloom in the future. The leaves will start to wither away in autumn. Put on a thin layer of leaf mulch or pine needles through the winter. When we had colder winters, it was deemed important to plant the bulbs close to the house for protection from deep freezes. But that's not essential any longer, and a light mulch should be all that's needed.