plant maintenance

Anybody know a good book on plant maintenance? Though we have gardened for years, we now have more plants than we know how to keep up with. And questions galore.
1. how do you deal with liriope, i.e. lilly turf? what do you do with it? prune? shape?
2. how do you prune weigela? like rhodies, pruning just after bloom?
3. do you dead-head day lillies, remove the seed heads from canna lillies?
4. and that is just for starters
5. I know many of you are long-time gardners, and we certainly don't want to consume your time with such elementary questions. Any help? A landscape designer suggested we buy Landscaping Principles and Practice by Ingel. Ha! It not only costs $99, but also seems much more oriented to the person doing landscaping as a business. And some of the Sunset publications are so generic to be unhelpful. Any thoughts? HELP!!
Thanks - one this GORGEOUS 85 degree in Washington State!

<< And some of the Sunset publications are so generic to be unhelpful. >>

Although it's a Sunset publication, you might take a look at the "Sunset Western Garden Book" -- maybe check it out of the library first before you buy. It seems to be pretty comprehensive and geared to the western states

Ok, first of all elementary questions often lead to a thread with a broad discussion and a lot of information for everybody, so don't be afraid to ask. A search on DG will help you with a lot of questions. Check out the data base for information on specific plants. there's also a thread somewhere on favorite gardening books. I'm not sure if its in the Book forum, or possibly here. You could run a search for that, too.
here's a good thread:
http://davesgarden.com/showthread/206984.html
I've never grown liriope or weigela, but deadheading daylilies will allow them to put the summer strength into the plant rather than the seed. I imagine it's the same for cannas, too.

hey, we all started somewhere, and if what we've learned isn't to share with others, then we've learned it in vain!

This message was edited Saturday, Jun 22nd 9:10 AM

Yes, ask here, Bill! That's really what this place is for, that and chatting and showing off things you've grown. No need to go pay $99 for something when you've already paid $15 for here ~ MUCH better deal here IMHO. I certainly don't mind answering questions and I love reading the answers to questions someone else has posted ~ I've learned a lot that way.

1. Just leave liriope alone to do it's thang. If it gets a bit thick or starts spreading out somewhere you don't want it to, just dig it up and thin it out. Plant the excess somewhere else or trade it for something new on the Plant Trading forum. This is the only way I've ever treated liriope, so I don't know if trimming it would do any good or any bad. Seems it may make the leaf tips at the cut brown and crisp and unsightly ~ ??? Someone else may know better. If it's just way to long for where you have it planted, shop around for a lower growing kind and replace it (maybe trade it for the shorter kind?).

2.I don't know about pruning our weigela either, but a good rule of thumb in pruning is find out by asking or via an internet search if it blooms on new wood or old (last year's) wood. If on new wood, it's safe to prune anytime. If on old, prune after flowering and don't prune in fall or spring.

3. Unless you're saving seed, I'd dead-head. Not only does it conserve energy like Kathleen said, but it keeps your plants looking more neat. Take off the entire flower stalk down to the leaves on both.

4. This is just for starters? Good! Ask away, Bill! If someone has time to answer your questions, they will and if they don't, they won't. Simple as that. But most people here will make time to. :)

5. "I know many of you are long-time gardners, and we certainly don't want to consume your time with such elementary questions." In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "I may be an old man, but I am yet a young gardener." No matter how long you've been at it, you'll never learn it all. I'll bet you have something to teach us, too! So buy some books, bone up if you'd like, and still ask questions here!

85 degrees in Washington state?! Oh, I'm jealous! It's been 90+ here for weeks, even topped 100 a couple of times. Sizzle...

Pruning weigela......I prune mine sometime after it blooms and starts putting out new shoots.. I have four and the oldest one is over 10 years old. It blooms on old wood.
Sometimes after pruning, it will reward you with some blooms in late summer. They are a lovely bush. I have two red and two pink. THe pink stays fairly small. The red, I have to keep after. It is in a limited space. But it was there first, before we added a deck. It is too big to move. So I just keep after it.

Happy Gardening.

I cut the liriope back to the ground before new growth starts in late winter. If you wait till it starts putting up new growth to trim, the ends will be flat/cut.
My wigelia is only 3 years old, so haven't pruned it yet.
I let my daylilies go to seed, hasn't hurt them yet, I have 600.