Two readers shared their advice and opinions for those who are having problems with frogs in their gardens.

"I sprinkle mothballs around the perimeter of the swimming pool to keep frogs from laying eggs in the pool. The protection lasts until the mothballs disappear. Then I put the mothballs out again." -- Georgiana Cerola, Delray Beach

"When I lived in the Keys, we protected our pool from frogs with a drizzle of pure chlorine put into an empty detergent bottle. We had to reapply after a rain, but it definitely works." -- Sandy Williams, Pembroke Pines

Q. I planted some white begonias, and they are thriving. It is now necessary to cut them back. I noticed the last time I pruned them, the stalks turned brown and died back a few inches below the cut. Do you have any suggestions for trimming them? -- Don Gewartowski, Boca Raton

`Alba,' which has turned out to be a great success locally. I wrote about it a few years ago, and I think it is a great plant. A perennial, it will grow to at least 3 feet high. It can be used at the front of the border because it usually stays full to the base. Cut off branches just above where a leaf comes out. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the total green growth on the plant. Pruning is best done during the cloudy, wet season to avoid sun scald, which can burn the plant. The cascading, full growth makes a window box really stand out. It does best in partial shade and is a reliable bloomer for nine to 10 months of the year.

Q. We need to plant along a fence in our yard that faces a lake. We want a low, colorful hedge that will not grow too tall and can be pruned without destroying the flowers. -- Debbie Baron, Boca Raton

A. Most flowers occur at the ends of the branches, so any trimming cuts off the blooms. It is important to choose a naturally low-growing plant that will not require pruning. Consider a slow-growing croton like the `Mammey.' It will provide color and take occasional pruning. This croton will grow to 4 to 5 feet. Indian hawthorn is another choice with small white blooms that grows slowly to about 3 to 4 feet. Dwarf crown of thorns, another good bloomer that has red flowers all year, will grow to about 3 to 4 feet and requires sun to grow.

Q. My sabal palm has ganoderma. The palm was removed. Can you tell me something about this disease? -- Rick Kalin, Fort Lauderdale

A. Ganoderma is a fatal disease that attacks various species of palms. The palms are usually 15 to 20 years of age before symptoms and dieback occurs. I have seen the disease most commonly on areca and queen palms. The weed wacker wounds the base of palms and creates a perfect opening for ganoderma to infect the tree. Palms cannot heal wounds, so they are perfect candidates for this disease. The fungal bodies appear around the base of the palm as shelf-like brown bracts. They average about 2 inches across. There is no cure. You cannot plant another palm in the same location as the soil is infected with the ganoderma. Some authorities recommend removing the soil before replanting a palm. There is no practical way to determine how much soil is infected. I would replant with a small flowering tree.

Write Robert Haehle, Home & Garden section, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293 or e-mail sflhort@yahoo.com. Full name, address and phone number must be included. Questions will be answered in this column. Plants cannot be identified without a photograph. Photos cannot be returned.

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Two readers shared their advice and opinions for those who are having problems with frogs in their gardens.

"I sprinkle mothballs around the perimeter of the swimming pool to keep frogs from laying eggs in the pool. The protection lasts until the mothballs disappear. Then I put the mothballs out again." -- Georgiana Cerola, Delray Beach

"When I lived in the Keys, we protected our pool from frogs with a drizzle of pure chlorine put into an empty detergent bottle. We had to reapply after a rain, but it definitely works." -- Sandy Williams, Pembroke Pines

Q. I planted some white begonias, and they are thriving. It is now necessary to cut them back. I noticed the last time I pruned them, the stalks turned brown and died back a few inches below the cut. Do you have any suggestions for trimming them? -- Don Gewartowski, Boca Raton

`Alba,' which has turned out to be a great success locally. I wrote about it a few years ago, and I think it is a great plant. A perennial, it will grow to at least 3 feet high. It can be used at the front of the border because it usually stays full to the base. Cut off branches just above where a leaf comes out. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the total green growth on the plant. Pruning is best done during the cloudy, wet season to avoid sun scald, which can burn the plant. The cascading, full growth makes a window box really stand out. It does best in partial shade and is a reliable bloomer for nine to 10 months of the year.

Q. We need to plant along a fence in our yard that faces a lake. We want a low, colorful hedge that will not grow too tall and can be pruned without destroying the flowers. -- Debbie Baron, Boca Raton

A. Most flowers occur at the ends of the branches, so any trimming cuts off the blooms. It is important to choose a naturally low-growing plant that will not require pruning. Consider a slow-growing croton like the `Mammey.' It will provide color and take occasional pruning. This croton will grow to 4 to 5 feet. Indian hawthorn is another choice with small white blooms that grows slowly to about 3 to 4 feet. Dwarf crown of thorns, another good bloomer that has red flowers all year, will grow to about 3 to 4 feet and requires sun to grow.

Q. My sabal palm has ganoderma. The palm was removed. Can you tell me something about this disease? -- Rick Kalin, Fort Lauderdale

A. Ganoderma is a fatal disease that attacks various species of palms. The palms are usually 15 to 20 years of age before symptoms and dieback occurs. I have seen the disease most commonly on areca and queen palms. The weed wacker wounds the base of palms and creates a perfect opening for ganoderma to infect the tree. Palms cannot heal wounds, so they are perfect candidates for this disease. The fungal bodies appear around the base of the palm as shelf-like brown bracts. They average about 2 inches across. There is no cure. You cannot plant another palm in the same location as the soil is infected with the ganoderma. Some authorities recommend removing the soil before replanting a palm. There is no practical way to determine how much soil is infected. I would replant with a small flowering tree.

Write Robert Haehle, Home & Garden section, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293 or e-mail sflhort@yahoo.com. Full name, address and phone number must be included. Questions will be answered in this column. Plants cannot be identified without a photograph. Photos cannot be returned.

Two readers shared their advice and
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