Q. This summer my young prune plum tree produced its first crop – just a few plums, but they were sweet and delicious. My only concern was pale brown patches on the skin surfaces of some of the plums. I have heard that a disease called brown rot is a common and serious issue with prune plums.

A. Your description does not indicate brown rot, which rots the fruit. Some of my prune plums always bear the tan patches that you describe on the skins of your plums. This is a common, environmentally induced condition, a sort of “weathering” that is usually called “russetting’ or “russet scab.” Rainfall during full bloom sets the fruits up for this condition.

Q. About a month ago I saw sweet pea vines bearing beautiful blooms unlike any I’d ever seen before. The flowers were large and vividly s

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