E4 GREEN SCENE Amid the heat wave, gardeners still have questions


by Joel M. Lerner Special to The Washington Post


Even though the heat has been record-breaking, you are still working in your gardens and have lots of questions. It’s time to ad- dress some of them. Q. I am having a problem with


my hydrangeas. They were beautiful in the beginning of spring but then started to wilt and turn brown. This happened before the hot weather. We have been watering them, but it doesn’t seem to help. Do you have any ideas about what is causing this? — Ann Distler A. Hydrangeas are susceptible to sunburn because they are a shade plant. Their leaves are sen- sitive to desiccation from heat and sunlight, and it’s common for the foliage to turn yellow or brown in bright sunshine. Al- though the outer leaves look un- sightly, the damage will not injure the plant. The hydrangea will continue to grow and flower. The damage becomes most unsightly when the soil in which they are planted is dry. The leaves will also scorch in the heat of the summer. The recommended care is to pro- vide them with a soaking two or three times a week during dry, sunny periods and move them to a shadier site or provide more shade where they are growing. They will be much happier as temperatures fall later in the sea- son. Q. Do you have any informa- tion about allergy-causing shrubs or trees? — Peter Prakke A. Research has been done on


allergy-causing plants. A system was developed to rate the amount of allergen created by certain plants. “Allergy-Free Gardening” by Thomas Leo Ogren (Ten Speed Press, 2000) and his sequel “Safe Sex in the Garden” (Ten Speed Press, 2003) address this subject. Although some plants can cause skin rashes, the greatest concern is over allergies to pollen. In 1812, Konrad Sprengel first wrote about dioecious (separate- sexed) plants that produce pollen abundantly. Male plants that de- pend on wind dispersal for pollen to reach females produce massive amounts of pollen — the reason


ta). This year I forgot to cut off the stems after they bloomed, and now the plants have gone to seed. Is it too late to cut the seedpods off? Should I allow them go to seed? — Marianne Lymn A. Hyacinth bletilla (B. striata) is a hardy terrestrial orchid that grows quite well in the D.C. re- gion. It should be deadheaded as blooms fade, but since you missed that time period, let the seedpods mature. You can let the seeds lay where they fall and see what re- turns in spring. It isn’t absolutely necessary to deadhead bletilla. This vigorous plant is easily divid- ed from clumps of small tubers (bulbetts) that form on its roots. Q. I found a viburnum that


SANDRA LEAVITT LERNER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST Hydrangeas prefer some shade, and in full sun their leaves may begin to turn yellow or brown. This doesn’t damage the plant, though.


for the chartreuse patina from the oaks and hickories flowering in the D.C. region in spring. The more we are exposed to inhaling these irritating pollens from trees and grasses, the more sensitive we become. Our eyes water, and our noses run. When I moved here 28 years ago, I was not an al- lergic person, but I am now sensi- tive to tree pollen. My eyes itch, I sneeze and my nose runs when pollen is in the air. According to Ogren, it doesn’t have to be that way. Male plants are the culprits, producing pollen but no fruit. During the 1950s and 1960s, the fact that the males left no fruit or nuts to clean up was considered a plus because they required less maintenance. Dioecious trees were selected and bred to be pri- marily males and planted along city streets — producing pollen that we are exposed to daily. Low fruit production on medium-to-


large shade trees was a plus. In fact, the fruit of the female ginkgo was considered so malodorous that females were removed from commercial nursery stock. How- ever, we failed to see the real problem: an urban forest of heavy pollen-producing plants that have created severe allergies for many people. Q. We have a medium-size


container against a brick out- side wall in a semi-sunny part of our driveway. We are thinking of using the container for Chey- enne sky red switch grass, as it stays small and seems suitable for containers. Would this be a good choice, or would you rec- ommend something else? — Peggy Reaves A. This switch grass will grow well in a container in full sun. If you want a taller grass that can be seen by drivers, there is a blue va- riety (Panicum virgatum “Heavy


looked interesting (Cardinal Candy) but don’t know if the ber- ries are messy or whether it will grow in this area. What are your suggestions? — Joyce V. Hoyle A. Cardinal Candy is an inter- esting-sounding, hardy, small vi- burnum. The persistent berries shouldn’t be a problem unless you plant it over a walkway. The fall color is a showy reddish-orange with ornamental berries that might persist through winter, since birds like other berries bet- ter. I don’t know if the same is true for deer, because deer are eating native viburnums, even though they are considered deer- resistant. Try one and see how it performs. It likes moist soil and would have loved last winter. I’m not so sure about this summer. Q. We have a 13-foot margin


between our deck and rear fence and would like to screen out a neighbor’s house. An easement prevents planting within five feet of the fence. Our deck is 30 feet long, about six feet above ground that slopes away from the deck. Can we put 12-foot emerald-green arborvi- tae spaced two feet apart close to the deck rail? — Jane Palio- kas


Emerald-green arborvitae works well as a screening plant along a deck. It should be sheared annually to keep the branches stiff.


Metal”) that grows four to five feet tall with blue-green grass blades. It has a strict upright hab- it that keeps its form into winter. Most grasses used as container plants will need to be watered of- ten, especially during summers


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BROKERSWELCOME HOUSING COUNSEL No winner in family-home fight


by Benny L. Kass Q: Mom died a year ago,


leaving the family home to my brother and me. I live in the house and would like to stay there, but my brother, who lives in California, wants to sell it and take his half of the proceeds.


The house is free and clear


of any mortgage, and I have been paying the real estate taxes and insurance since our mother died. However, I do not have enough income to refinance the house and buy him out. While we generally are on good terms, my brother is now threatening to hire a lawyer. What can I do? A: If it is any consolation, you are not alone with this problem. It unfortunately is very common — and there are few solutions that will satisfy both of you. Your problem is similar to that facing married couples in the midst of a divorce. In those situations, because the parties are already in court, most disputes are resolved by the judge. The court cannot, however, change lenders’ refusal to allow the party not keeping the house to be removed from their mortgage-loan obligations. Have you explained your


www.graysonhomes.com MHBR 4225


financial situation to your brother? Does he really want to throw you out of the house, or is it only about money? Can you agree on the market value of the house? If not, then you should arrange for an independent appraiser to provide a valuation. Some people use what is known as the “three-appraiser” method. Each party pays for its own appraiser. If the difference between the two evaluations is less than 10 percent, they split the difference, and that is the agreed-upon market value. But if the appraisers’ values are far apart, the two parties together hire a third appraiser, whose


decision will be final. I use this method as a last


resort; it’s time-consuming and expensive to pay for three appraisals.


Once you have agreed on the


market value of the house, I would deduct 6 percent, which is about the cost you both would pay if you had to retain a real estate broker to sell the house. Then offer to buy your brother out for half of that


post-commission amount. Your brother could balk at having to reimburse you for the real estate taxes and insurance payments you have already made, because you were not paying rent for his ownership portion of the house. How will you pay for it?


Clearly, the best approach would be to find a mortgage lender willing to give you a loan. Shop around. Keep in mind that you need to borrow only half of the value of the house. Let’s assume that you and your brother agree that the house is worth $400,000. That means you will owe your brother $200,000. Many lenders — even


considering your low income — might be willing to give you a mortgage, because there will be plenty of equity should you default.


But please talk with a lawyer


before you commit to any loan. There are still a lot of loan sharks out there who will try to take advantage of your situation. If you cannot obtain a loan, see whether your brother will allow you to sign a promissory note and a deed of trust. You would agree to pay him monthly for a period of time — say, five or seven years — at which time the entire mortgage balance would come due. This is known as a “balloon note.” Hopefully, by that time you will be able to obtain a new loan in your name; if not, then you could be forced to sell. But your brother wants cash


now. He, or his attorney, will threaten that if you do not list the property immediately for


sale, he will file a lawsuit known as a “partition action.” This simply means that the court will be asked to sell the house — either at the courthouse or through a real estate agent — and the proceeds will be divided equally between the two of you. Partition suits are an acceptable means of resolving property disputes. The courts throughout this country have consistently said that “if two or more people cannot agree on the disposition of their commonly held property, we will force the sale through a partition action.” You will then need an attorney to assist you. Your attorney will advise your brother’s attorney that litigation is time-consuming, expensive and always uncertain. More important, the only ones who win when a partition suit is filed are the attorneys — and the speculator who ends up buying the house. Here’s an alternative that could interest your brother: Can he qualify for a mortgage loan? If so, he could borrow, say, $200,000, and you would agree to pay him rent for the half of the property that he owns. Or, you could agree to sell the


property to him and he would pay you half of the value. With that money, you could stay on as a tenant or use the proceeds to rent a property elsewhere or buy a small condominium or cooperative unit. I have personally handled


several partition suits between siblings. In the end, neither party was happy.


blkass@kmklawyers.com


Benny L. Kass is a Washington lawyer. This column is not legal advice and should not be acted upon without obtaining your own legal counsel. For a free copy of the booklet “A Guide to Settlement on Your New Home,” send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Benny L. Kass, 1050 17th St. NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20036.


such as this. If grasses are being planted where you enter a thor- oughfare, it is most important for you to make sure you allow for good visibility. Q. I have a colony of thriving terrestrial orchids (Bletilla stria-


A. The emerald-green arborvi- tae can be planted on three-foot centers. Eleven would be a good number to use along a 30-foot deck. About 12 feet tall is a good size to begin with. They should probably be sheared annually to keep the branches stiff enough to avoid a massive snow from push- ing the arborvitae over. Or you could consider lattice and a vine, such as cross-vine (Bignonia ca- preolata) instead.


info@gardenlerner.com


Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md.


KLMNO


DC MG PG


SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2010


Ranchers Available!


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