My hibiscus is a goner. Or is it?

Last year plate-sized blossoms graced my hibiscus. But this winter freeze turned them into a bunch of dead twigs. Is there any chance that under that dead wood there is life?

Oh, yes, there is most likely life and growing green already. These plants are resilient. Your hibiscus may look a little dead, but you most likely have the herbaceous perennial members of the genus, Hibiscus. Their tropical cousins (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) cannot make it through a freeze, and there was a time Hibiscus did well only in Southern and Central Florida. No more.

These new hardy hybrids, developed for our zone, produce even larger flowers, and fall into a deep slumber when cold temperatures attack. These sleeping beauties may freeze right down to ground level, but the roots and lower limbs are most often just fine. Most of us pile up the mulch and wrap these beauties in blankets when old man frost visits, but some species appreciate dipping their toes in the freezer. Some of them need freezing (chilling hours) to spur new growth when spring comes. Use a knife or your thumbnail and scrape the branch down toward the roots until you see green growth. That is where you should cut them back. If the plant was more protected on one side or the other the green may be farther up the limb. Look for tiny leaves and do a little scraping to find the healthy plant that will produce wonder again this summer. After pruning, you will begin to see green growth in a matter of weeks.

This versatile plant makes a gorgeous centerpiece for your yard. Or if you like your privacy but do not like fences, create a screen with these beauties. They grow tall and wide, and their stunning blooms make a beautiful screen between you and your neighbor. Hibiscus love the sun but need to drink water often. If the leaves start to droop, the plant is saying "Water me!" Like most plants, the more attention you give them by fertilizing and watching for pests, the healthier they will be. See how to keep your plants healthy at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep245, and pests to a minimum at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_hibiscus_pest_insects. They will say thanks with blooms that can’t help but lift your spirits.

Is it a weed? Should I pull it? Let it grow? How do you know?

Well, do you like to look at it or not? Is it invading other parts of your garden, choking your petunias? Damaging your hay crop? Does it make a nice-looking mound of flowers in your yard? Part of that answer is simply, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

The Greeks got credit for that phrase way back around 300 B.C. Literally translated, it means, the perception of beauty is subjective. Indeed, it is. By your description, you have Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis Raf,) classified as both a wildflower and a weed. A lot of us think they are beautiful. (So much so that we mow around them and hope they spread around the edges of our yard.)

However, cattlemen who see these blooms popping up amid their alfalfa, or in a pasture where cattle graze, see these wild flowers as crop-destroying weeds. The cows will walk around them rather than eat them, and that reduces valuable grazing land.

Seeing them take over your alfalfa can create real heartburn. Their fleshy stems do not dry at the same rate as the hay and grass. So, when it comes time to cut and bail alfalfa, the spiderwort ends up throughout the hay and grass. That uneven drying process can allow mildew or even rot in the bailed crop and a loss for the farmer.

How do you contain it? The problem with containment is that birds like the seeds produced by the plant and are very happy to eat them and transfer them to other places, plus the fleshy stems are sturdy, propping up many seeds. And they will grow in either wet or dry soil. For much more information on this slightly controversial blossom go to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag407.

I love all kinds of lilies. But I never know when to plant them. Can you help me?

It is rhizome, tuber and bulb season, which includes most lilies! Grab those lilies and start them on their way to adulthood. There are plenty to choose from this month and on into May. You may try the spectacular blood lily Haemanthus multiflorus or the more subdued caladium tuber Caladium x hortulanum, which offers dozens of cultivars, including three new ones from the University of Florida (Cosmic Delight, Fiesta and Hearts Desire).

You can also choose from the myriad varities of Canna Lily rhizome. such as the glowing Golden Canna Canna flacida. Amaryllis Hippeastrum x hybridum is another great North Florida bulb. Another favorite here is Agapanthus Agapanthus orientalis or African Lily, which grows from a rhizome. For specific information on planting, location and care, go to http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ and put the name of your plant in the search box. Then get your trowel and go to work bringing beauty to your garden.

Connie Timpson is a master gardener with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS. If you have gardening questions, you can speak to a master gardener from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Duval extension office at (904) 255-7450.