In Good Thyme - by Mariana Graham

Questions to this column seem to arrive in clusters. It'll go for a long time without any questions (Hello! Is anybody out there?). Then all of a sudden, I'll get a bunch. I'll answer them as quickly as possible, but if you don't see a reply right away, it's because I'm researching it for you. If your problem is immediate, may I suggest calling the Master Gardener Telephone Hotline, which is staffed each Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 679-7327.

Q: "I moved here in March 2000 from (horrors!) Southern California. Last year I planted my first Pacific Northwest flower garden. I was pleased, especially with the bulbs and perennials. This year, however, I'm having a problem. My hollyhocks are all in bud, but there are ugly orange spots on the leaves and all the lower leaves are drying up and turning brown. I'm sure they get enough water, so they can't be drying out. Am I going to lose them? What should I do?" - Sheila (via e-mail)
A: Welcome to gardening in the great Pacific Northwest, Sheila, where hollyhocks and rust go together like, well, hostas and slugs or lawns and moss. Yes, I said rust. Not the kind on your wrought-iron garden furniture. The rust that afflicts hollyhocks is a fungus that causes orangey-brown pustules on the undersides of the leaves. Inside of each nasty spot are hundreds of tiny, rust-colored spores that are carried to other plants by rain and wind. You've been here long enough to know that we get plenty of THAT most of the year.

The good news is that you probably won't lose your plants; the disease won't affect flowering and they should bloom nicely this summer. The bad news is that in our maritime climate, it's very difficult to eliminate rust. We just learn to live with it, as do the hollyhocks. You can do some things to help them out, though. Hollyhocks should be planted in full sun in a part of the garden where they get good air circulation. In other words, don't crowd them. They appreciate well-draining soil and a nice topcoat of compost. They may grow as tall as seven feet, so if you live in a windy area such as West Beach or Greenbank, plan on staking them to sturdy supports. Water in the morning so leaves and stems will dry out quickly. Here's another plug for soaker hoses and drip systems: try to keep water off the leaves!

Fall cleanup is a vital maneuver in your war against hollyhock rust. The fungus overwinters in diseased plant detritus, so when your hollyhocks have finished blooming, cut the stalks all the way to the ground. Pick up all leaves, stems, even spent flowers, and get rid of them. Don't even think about putting rust-spotted hollyhock debris in your compost. Then mulch around the plants to keep diseased soil from splashing onto them. In spring, as the leaves begin to unfurl, you may opt to spray with a commercial garden fungicide, following label directions carefully. You'll have to spray every seven to 10 days, and even then, you'll probably see some symptoms of rust. For now, pick off all the infected leaves and burn them or put in the trash. The hollyhock will still bloom, but it does look kind of gangly in its leafless state. To avoid this bare look, next time, do what hollyhock-loving Pacific Northwesterners do: Plant them in the back of the garden where their naked stalks will be hidden by the foliage of other perennials. There are some rust-resistant varieties of this old-fashioned cottage garden flower. If you're a die-hard hollyhock aficionado, you might try an Alcea ficifolia hybrid. One of them, the Antwerp hollyhock, is available (in seed) from Swallowtail Garden Seeds, 122 Calistoga Road, #178, Santa Rosa, CA 95409, phone (707) 538-3585, or e-mail info@swallowtailgardenseeds.com.

TENT CATERPILLAR MOTH ID
For "Jack" who called last week to ask for a description of the tent caterpillar moth: Your best option is to find a good color photo in a book describing butterflies and moths of the western U.S.; the library has several. The species you're seeking is the western tent caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum. There are also excellent photos of these critters on The Web.
In my inadequate words, the male is medium sized, has four reddish brown wings, a thick, fuzzy body and feathery antennae. The female is similarly described, but with beige-gray wings. Hmm, haven't I seen some of them fluttering around the porch light recently?

Garden questions or comments? Call 675-6611, e-mail wnt@whidbey.net. Mariana Graham is a Master Gardener and member of Garden Writers Association of America.

MASTER GARDENER CLINICS (click on picture)
Master Gardener plant clinics are being held at various Island locations throughout the summer. On the North end, bring questions and plant samples to The Greenhouse Nursery each Saturday in July from 9 a.m. to noon, Cenex on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or the Navy Exchange Garden Shop June 30th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Central Whidbey, it's at the Coupeville Farmers Market each Saturday through the end of July from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. South end clinics include Freeland Ace Hardware from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 23, July 28, Aug. 25 and Sept. 22. You can also find Master Gardeners at South Whidbey Tilth on July 7, Aug. 4, and Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Clinics are held at Bayview Farm and Garden June 30th, July 7, 14, 21, 28; Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Clinics may be scheduled at other locations when volunteers and resource materials are available. 'Can't make it to a plant clinic? Call the Master Gardener hotline (360) 679-7327 each Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of September.