THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996                 TAG: 9603150102
SECTION: HOME                     PAGE: G3   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   55 lines

HOW YOU PRUNE IS UP TO YOU, BUT DO IT

IF YOU HAVEN'T done so, it's time to prune crape myrtles. How you do it is up to you. Some landscape designers are objecting to the old method of hacking them off at any height, making them look like stubby skeletons until they leaf out.

However you prune, make sure to clip off the whips that come up from the roots around the trunk. If you leave them, you'll soon have a tacky shrub instead of a small tree.

Remember that crape myrtles bloom on this season's growth, so if you want to keep yours to a certain height, consider that as you prune. PLANT MORE MELAMPODIUM

A plant grown nearly enough is Melampodium. It's a small zinnia-like flower that makes tidy 12-by-12-inch mounds covered with small, daisy-like yellow flowers. The Medallion variety is recommended, but all varieties are rated high for Southern gardens, because they withstand heat and drought.

This plant is often hard to find, but Lynnbrier Greenhouses in Chesapeake will have them in flats. Call 547-3335. ZINNIAS FOR THE SOUTH

Organic Gardening magazine reports that Classic and White Star zinnias are the only two recommended for the South. They have resistance to powdery mildew, an ugly fungal disease that often afflicts traditional zinnias. The magazine reports, ``Each plant produced tons of small flowers on semi-trailing 12-inch high plants that wove nicely around other flowers in a bed.'' ROSES TO REMEMBER

Consulting rosarian Leon Johnson recommends these additional new roses: ``New Zealand,'' a creamy pink hybrid tea with strong old-rose fragrance; ``Flutterby,'' a multicolor shrub rose that has large clusters of single blossoms in yellow, coral, tangerine and pink, all at the same time; and ``Charles DeGaulle,'' a new lavender rose. DO-IT-YOURSELF IRRIGATION

If you're a do-it-your-selfer and want to install an irrigation system, pick up a copy of the new book ``Watering Systems for Lawn & Garden: A Do-It-Yourself Guide'' by R. Dodge Woodson (Storey Communications, $16.95 paperback).

It is written by a master plumber in non-technical language and addresses all types of systems. A bookstore can order it for you or buy direct by calling (800) 441-5700. by CNB