Overwintering a mystery plant

My son gave me a tree for Mother's Day, and it was very happy with daily watering. There was no tag on the tree to identify it, and I've not seen it anywhere else in my travels to nurseries, etc. It has tiny purple and white flowers and little orange-yellow berries. I am attaching photos in the hope you cannot only identify the tree but perhaps also tell me how to care for it throughout winter and spring, because it has begun to drop leaves.  - Cathy Halliwell, Sayville

That's a Duranta (also called pigeon berry), a beautiful tropical plant that's underused, in my opinion.

Just lighten up on the water over the winter and be sure it doesn't get too much direct sunlight while indoors. Oftentimes, tropical plants drop leaves when they're brought indoors due to the change in atmosphere (light, temperature, etc.). Don't repot it or move it because that would stress it further. If it's tall and leggy, prune it a bit to encourage growth of more shoots and a fuller habit.

I'm pretty sure the leaf drop is the response to being brought indoors, but I can't rule out pests because pigeon berries can become plagued with spider mites or scale. Check under the leaves for the presence of insects. If you don't see any, or any damage, then it's probably safe to assume it's just stressed from the move indoors.

I believe it will be fine but can't be certain. If you are concerned, take a cutting and root it in water to make a backup plant, just in case.

We are having a mushroom problem on our property. The mushrooms are so big and hard that they are actually coming up through the blacktop on our driveway! They're also in the grass in the back and the front yards. Two landscapers are at a loss as to how to get rid of them. Do you have any suggestions? - Karen Harman, Massapequa Park

Sounds like you have puffballs (Lycoperdon pyriforme), a common type of fungus that can grow up to 6 feet in circumference and, as you've noticed, can be strong enough to break through asphalt. They thrive by consuming decaying organic matter, so it's likely there are pieces of dead tree roots or wood buried under your lawn that are keeping them well fed.

Unfortunately, there aren't any treatments that would eliminate them. The important thing is to dig them out carefully and completely when they are young, because when they mature their outer covering breaks away, spewing powdery spores that grow into more puffballs and earning them the nickname "devil's snuffbox."

Seed, water and fertilize the lawn in spring to ensure a thick, healthy turf that can compete with the mushrooms and help choke them out.

The mums I planted last year all came back and bloomed beautifully, but they were taller than I would like. As I did last year, I will cut them back nearly to the ground. But I was wondering: Next year if I prune them around the end of June, will they still bloom in October? - Sal Neri, Nesconset

Yes. To encourage a bushier growth habit, cut chrysanthemums back by a third on June 15, July 1 and again on July 15. They'll grow back in no time and bloom nicely for you in autumn.