A. This is a new collection of roses called “Home Depot’s Premium Rose Collection.” There are 11 roses in the collection, although most stores will probably not offer all of them. They range in color from white to pink to red to lavender. They’re said to be easy-to-care-for roses, which are the kind to buy today.

Q. I know the pea-growing season is over, but I’m curious about the difference between all these pea packets I see in garden centers. — MELANY COOPER, BIRD-IN-HAND

A. The only peas I’ve grown and am familiar with are snap peas, which in the Midwest years ago were just called “peas.” In the South, they’re called “green peas” or “garden peas.” Specialists at Michigan State University say there are English peas, shelling peas, snow peas and snap peas. “Shelling pea” is just another name for “English pea,” or vice versa. This member of the legume family is called “English” because it was developed in England. It’s a shelling pea because it’s grown for the peas within the pod and harvested when the pod is plump with peas. Removing the peas is “shelling” — we eat the peas and discard the pods. Snow peas are harvested when the peas inside are immature and are eaten pod and all. Snap peas can be harvested immature like snow peas or later, after the peas have developed. The pods stay tender and tasty and can be eaten along with the peas inside, or the peas can be shelled like English peas.

Q. Can you tell me who makes a Trimec product and where in or around Leola it can be purchased? — BILL GERHOLD

A. “Trimec’ is a trade name for a weed killer made by PBI Gordon in the Midwest. The company markets several herbicides under the Trimec name, but they are often hard to find. PBI Gordon sells its formulation to other suppliers, and you can probably find the Trimec formula in one of these products: Bayer All-In-One Weed Killer for Lawns, Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max and Spectracide Weed Stop 2x Weed Killer for Lawns. The Trimec formula contains three weed killers, including Dicamba. Be sure to check the ingredients in the product before you buy. It is especially effective but can be dangerous near trees and shrubs that have shallow roots.

GARDEN CUTTINGS

Want an organic product to prevent weeds in your vegetable garden? Preen Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer is a new one in a bright-yellow container. It’s in stores now and retails for $13.99, which covers 250 square feet.

Now that forsythia has finished blooming, it’s time to prune it. You can cut it back to ground level, and new shoots will come out next spring and bloom. Perhaps all you need to prune are the old woody trunks that eventually decline. Prune once a year in early to mid-May. Pruning later will cut off next year’s flower buds. Do not cut it to a box or ball, but let it grow in its natural fountain shape.

We live in a specialty world. To emphasize that, there is now a nursery selling only deer-resistant plants. The owners of this nursery out in Clare, Mich., say they’ve spent years selecting the plants. To receive a free catalog, go to www.deerresistantplants.com or call 1-800-595-3650.

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