QUESTION: We have leyland cypresses bordering our backyard for privacy, and before we had red tips. The leylands are now diseased just as the red tips 14 years ago. What would be a good fast-growing replacement?ANSWER: Your best choice for a privacy hedge is the Nellie R. Stevens holly. I suspect a lot will be planted over the next year to replace leylands decimated by drought and disease. Nellie has been around a long time and proved its worth in the Southern landscape, even during the stressful years of the past decade.Bred by a cross of Chinese and English hollies, Nellie has a number of important assets: moderate to rapid growth, tolerance of sun or part shade, and beautiful dark green foliage with bright red berries.The mature height is 15 to 25 feet, but this holly is amenable to pruning. The width, 10 to 15 feet at maturity, means you can space these plants farther apart than your leylands. I would set them at least 10 feet apart.Nellie bears only female flowers so a male holly is required to pollinate the flowers to get the red berries. If there is a male Chinese holly in the vicinity, it will do the job because it blooms at the same time. If you have no Chinese holly, include Edward J. Stevens in your assembly.Other choices to consider are the fall-flowering Camellia sasanquas, which grow at a moderate pace to about 10 feet and dwarf Burford Chinese holly, which reaches about 7 feet at a moderate pace.While your desire to replace those leylands now is high, I urge you to wait until autumn to plant them. At planting time, use root-stimulating fertilizer to encourage good development through the fall and winter. Put a soaker hose under the mulch so the plants are adequately watered during their first two growing seasons.Just a tip: Warmer air and soil make this a great time to set out most kinds of herbs in beds or containers. While culinary herbs are typically grown by themselves or in vegetable gardens, they also work well in flower beds, provided they don't get sprayed with pesticides.Parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram, lemon balm and chives are easy-to-grow herbs that also look attractive in the garden. Basil, which comes in many types, is one herb that should wait until it gets a little warmer, in early to mid-May.Herbs require sun and space to develop. They are not water-grabbers, and once established will tolerate dry weather. Thyme makes a great edging plant for beds and produces attractive flowers. Parsley is valued not only for its use as a garnish but as a food source for the caterpillar stage of swallowtail butterflies.

QUESTION: I purchased a house. There is a rose of Sharon that is at least 14 feet tall. It is severely blocking the view from the dining room to the backyard. How much can I prune it now? Can I keep it a bit smaller, say a height of 8 feet?ANSWER: You have the makings of a gardener. You're obviously concerned about doing right by that rose of Sharon. But by blocking your dining room view, it is not doing right by you. So you should feel OK about pruning it well back now.Rose of Sharon plants bloom on new wood, so you will sacrifice the buds that are now forming on this year's new growth. However, it will put out more and blooms should appear later this summer. Then you can judge whether the plant is worth keeping.