The Astilbe 'Fanal', is a colorful feathery flower with deep red blooms and lacy deep green or bronze-green foliage.  It is a lovely shade plant, especially along borders and garden paths. Do not allow Astilbe 'Fanal' to dry out. It is most successfully grown in a shady area but can tolerate some morning sun. A moist, well-drained area is the key for this plant. In order to keep Astilbe looking good for the next year, do not cut it back in the winter. The old foliage helps protect the plant from winter damage. Prune in early spring. Astilbe can be used as cut flowers, perennial borders or shade gardens with Hosta's and Ferns. Astilbe is considered to be deer resistant and will attract hummingbirds.  In early spring, choose a partly shady site with well-drained soil or a sunnier site with moist soil. Astilbe tolerates boggy conditions but not dry soil in midsummer. Amend soil with compost, spacing plants at a distance equal to their mature spread and at the same depth they were in pots.  Water it after planting, and mulch to conserve moisture.  In summer, the dark-crimson 12- to 16-inch-long flower sprays and fernlike dark-reddish-green leaves of 'Fanal' astilbe will be the highlight of a moist, sunny to partially shady flower border.  Deadhead spent flowers to encourage flowering. Remove old foliage after frost or before new growth resumes in spring. To maintain vigor and flower quality, divide and replant every 3 or 4 years in early spring, while plants are still dormant. Discard old, woody rhizomes.  Powdery mildew and leaf spot may occur.  To avoid this mildew and leaf spot, space plants for adequate air circulation and avoid watering leaves directly. Remove and destroy severely infected plants, and pick off diseased leaves where practical.  Monitor soil moisture all season. After flowering, feed with a balanced fertilizer.  Allow the seed heads to remain after the flowers have finished blooming. They are attractive and will persist for several months. 

Broadleaf Plantain is a perennial weed with broad oval leaves, which are smooth or slightly hairy, have a waxy surface and veins that are parallel to the margins. Flowers can be produced on un-branched stalks that arise from the rosette. Flowering stems are 5-15 inches long, clustered with small flowers that have whitish petals and bracts surrounding them. This weed is a shallow, mostly fibrous rooted perennial. The leaves which develop in a rosette are large, oval shaped, with predominant veins. The main growth period is from June through September. The seed head is described as a rat-tail like head with flowers along the upper half. Broadleaf plantain spreads by both seed and shoots from the roots.  This weed can be mechanically or physically removed. Care should be taken to assure that roots are thoroughly removed. Close mowing prevents seedhead formation and helps to prevent them from spreading. Good turf density is important as broadleaf plantain competes by shading other plant species with its broad rosette of leaves. Good insect and disease control will help to prevent the open spaces that broadleaf plantain will fill. Good fertility and proper soil pH will help to prevent infestations. Soil testing which reveals high pH levels should be acidified, to a pH level of 6.5 to 7.  Apply a selective broadleaf herbicide in mid-spring after seed germination in the rosette to flower stage or in the fall when active growth has resumed.