Any green thumbs?

Question: I would like to know what causes the leaves to fall off the Oriental Lily. My plant is losing leaves every day and will have no more leaves to drop.

Answer: Generally speaking, the Cooperative Extension Service is a great resource for help caring for plants given your local conditions. In Alaska, they offer an Ask an Expert service covering a variety of subjects, including gardening. See: http://www.uaf.edu/ces/info/askexpert/

However, I didn't find any information on this topic already published on their website. From what I've seen on other sites, Oriental Lilies normally die back once they've bloomed, so losing leaves may be a normal part of the plant cycle. There are many free sites available that provide a wealth of information on caring for Oriental Lilies. I recommend using your favorite internet search engine with the terms: <"oriental lily"> and and . For example, with Google type in:
"oriental lily" plants care

If you want to avoid commercial sites, with loads of advertising, try limiting the search to educational or governmental sites by adding either site:edu or site:gov or to your search.

Library services in Alaska

Question: I'll be moving to Alaska soon and the area I'm moving to doesn't have library services. Is there a way I can access library services through the state library, and if so, how?

Answer: Alaska has a mail services, or regional services, program for residents with no local public libraries. This program is administered through the Juneau Public Libraries. For more information about the program and to apply, see http://www.juneau.org/library/mailserv/.