DEAR GRUMPY

We live in South Alabama next to a busy street. A tractor trailer drove through our 6-foot privacy fence and bushes that blocked the view of the road and the RV park behind it. Can you suggest an evergreen plant that will grow 10 to 12 feet tall, need little maintenance, stand up to hurricanes, and restore our privacy? -CINDY

- STEVE BENDER

Wow, quite the trauma! You're lucky an RV wasn't following that tractor trailer, or you'd be asking me for a good drywall company. My choice for an evergreen screening plant is native wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera). It's attractive, grows quickly to the size you need, and requires little care. I can't guarantee it'll hold its ground against a hurricane, but it'll fare better than most RVS. (Or Grumpy's missus says you could plant a row of pampas grass. A truck could plow right through that, and no one would even notice.)

Deep Freeze 

I received a rubber plant at my grandmother's funeral years ago and have repotted it several times. Now it's over 6 feet tall and too big to move to a larger container. Can I transplant it outside this fall? -KEISHA

I don't recommend doing that unless you want to see it explode from the ice that will form inside it. Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is tropical and can't take cold weather, so the only place in the South it can stay outside is South Florida. Instead, prune it to a smaller size so it can live indoors. When you do it, avoid getting its milky sap on your skin, as this can cause a rash.

Pathetic Peonies