Plea from Lauren: 
  
Hi Grumpy!
 
I really need help identifying this ground cover.  I got this at Home Depot a couple years ago and for the life of me I can't remember what it is called!  I think I remember the word "mountain" was involved in the common name listed on the tag.  It has really pretty, tiny white blooms in spring and spreads rapidly.  If you know what this is it would save me from continuing in my self-inflicted frustration!!

Thanks Grumpy!!  Lauren

OK, Grumpians, how hard could this be? If the plant came from Home Depot, we know it can't be that rare! So what is it? Grumpy's first thought was bacopa, (Sutera cordata) but the foliage doesn't look right. Whoever correctly identifies it first wins an all-expense paid luxury cruise for two to lovely Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Grumpians, I desperately need your help. Today while out walking I chanced upon the most beautiful flower I have ever seen. It is perfection in symmetry and glows like the sun. I must have dozens -- nay, THOUSANDS -- of these glorious wonders in my garden this spring. Only I don't know what the flower is and where to get more. Can you help me?

As you can see, this botanical jewel features a fluffy, perfectly round blossom about the size of a quarter and composed of many segments. Cold must not hinder it, for it blooms in the dead of winter. I surmise it must rife with pollen and winy nectar for insects constantly buzz about it.

I cannot disclose its location, for it is undoubtedly a rare, endangered plant, perhaps the last of its kind. If people knew where it was, it would surely be plundered by the rapacious collector.

My only hope is that somewhere scientists have learned to propagate it by tissue culture, so that all Americans may one day enjoy its beauty. But before that happens, I simply must know its true name, lest in my desperation, I harm myself by running with scissors or enter a competitive eating contest with Oprah Winfrey.

What is this mystery bloom?????????

In a world where gardening questions come thicker than Susan Boyles' eyebrows, nothing is certain -- not even the Grump's uncanny ability to identify mystery plants, like this one photographed by Beth in Shelby County, Alabama.

Beth writes, "I just discovered your blog and I've thoroughly enjoyed reading it so far. [What a delightful individual!] When I saw your "Stump the Grump" contest, I thought you might be just the person to help me figure out a mystery plant that grows in my yard. I've asked around on several popular gardening websites and no one seems to know what it is.

"This purplish blue plant comes up every spring in my flower beds. I did not plant it--it was here way before I was. We are the original owners of this house, so I assume nobody else planted it here either. It grows like a weed, and most likely it IS a weed. But it's a very beautiful plant, so I keep it around to fill in my flowerbeds. It dies out when the heat of summer hits, but I know I'll see it again next year. If you can tell me what kind of plant this is, I'd be grateful."

Here's a close-up of the flowers.

Grump's response: Beth,the stems, foliage, and flowers tell me it belongs to the mint family, but I can't ID it beyond that. You have stumped the Grump!

Fortunately, I have an incredibly knowledgeable cadre of readers who will no doubt be honored to accept this challenge. How about Grumpians? Help Beth out! What is this plant?

Question -- I have never seen spiders like these, who seem to really like my Japanese Maple.  Are they harmful to tree or humans? Diane

Answer -- Those "spiders" in the other photo aren't spiders. They're predatory insects called assassin bugs that have recently hatched out. They get their name from spearing other bugs with their sharp beaks and sucking out their insides -- kinda like the giant brain-sucking bug in "Starship Troopers."  If you mess with them, they'll spear you too and their bites can be painful. However, they 're considered beneficial because they eat pests like aphids, soft scales, and caterpillars.

Do you have a plant you can't identify? Is there something going wrong with a plant and you don't know why? Send the Grump a photo! He in his awesome and wine-soaked wisdom will search his vast memory banks to provide an answer. If he can't, you've stumped the Grump!

Our first challenge comes from Claire, who writes, "I need help from the Grump [like who doesn't?]. I bought several packets of heirloom seeds from Lowe's last year and planted them. Last year, no blooms. The leaves survived the winter and now the plants are blooming. I have no idea what the blooms are. Any ideas?"

Thank you, Claire, for presenting the Grump with such a feeble challenge on this first installment of "Stump the Grump." The flowers are foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), one of spring's most spectacular and exotic-looking bloomers. Spikes of spotted, bell-shaped blossoms in colors of purple, rose, white, and pastels may stand 5 feet tall. Hummingbirds like them, but deer don't.

Foxgloves are short-lived perennials, which the Grump treats as biennials. That means they grow leaves the first year, bloom and set seed the second year, and then die. Foxgloves occasionally live longer, but from my experience, after the bloom spider mites eat them up and you have to pull them up anyway. So if you want more foxgloves next spring, you have to plan new plants this year. You can either start plants from seed this spring or set out transplants in the fall.