We have a vacation home in Central Michigan and were considering planting Amazoy zoysia grass plugs. The ground is very sandy soil and we have a lot of poplar trees on the property. Is this a good product for Michigan’s climate?

At first glance zoysia grass appears to be a pretty perfect turf plant, if you consider all of the advertising hype:

• Grows by spreading; no seeding necessary
• Winter hardy
• Requires minimal watering & mowing
• Perfect for play areas

All true statements. Unfortunately, for those of us in the North, you will need to add the fact that while your neighbors’ bluegrass/rye/fescue lawns are emerald green in the spring, you’ll still be looking out on your straw-colored yard waiting… and waiting… and… you get the point. Zoysia is a warm-season grass and won’t even begin to green up until the daytime temperatures are well into the 70’s and nighttime temperatures are above 40. Zoysia will also need full sun. Michigan summers are short enough as it is. Having a lawn that only greens up after the last frost and promptly browns out at the first frost doesn’t make it a highly recommended turf in our area.

I have a climbing hydrangea which is growing beautifully on a northwest facing wall. It has never bloomed, however, and I’m wondering if there is something I can do to encourage blooms? It shares a space with clematis, hydrangeas and hostas, which are all doing very well.

Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) is a true climbing vine that attaches itself to brick, stone, trees or just about anything and will, if not pruned, grow to 60 or 80 feet using its root-like holdfasts on the stems. When mature, this plant has four-season interest, with beautiful dark green, glossy leaves in spring, followed by flowers for several weeks in late June or July, and finally peeling and exfoliating shaggy bark in the winter.

This plant is hardy in southeastern Michigan, and your northwest exposure should be ideal. The growing conditions appear to be just fine since your other plants are flourishing. The encouragement you can provide will be to simply wait for this slow-to-mature plant to establish itself. Although you do not mention how long the plant has been in its present location, it may not have been there the three or four years necessary for it to start taking off. Climbing hydrangea does not like to be transplanted and is slow to grow the mature root system necessary for blooming. Patience will reward you.

I love spring-flowering bulbs, but I was wondering if violas are the only spring annuals for our area. For the period before our frost-free date, I would like to try something else for color that will fade out with the heat and need a summer replacement.

Violas and pansies, related but separate species, are the kings of cold-tolerant, early annuals. Violas are a more petite plant, producing smaller but abundant blooms. They also reseed, as evidenced by a long-time favorite, Johnny jump-ups. The cute purple and yellow blossoms pop up anywhere. Pansies are actually biennials or short-lived perennials in Michigan and have become the darlings of hybridizers for unusual color combinations. They mix well with the spring bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinth varieties.

A few early, cold-tolerant annuals you might not have guessed are sweet alyssum, stock, snapdragons, dianthus, forget-me-nots, sweet peas, calendula, and lobelias. Start them in pots indoors or purchase hardened stock from your favorite greenhouse. Then nestle the sprouting pots in small clusters into the soil amongst your flowering bulbs. Surrounding them with soil protects and insulates their roots from freakish cold snaps. The refreshing color jazzes up the traditional spring bulb show and lends interest and texture to the overall display.