Light up dark areas in your shade garden with this wonderful golden ornamental grass from Japan. Golden hakonegrass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) grows 12-18 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide with a mounding cascading form.Very thin green stripes (veins) flow the length of the ½ inch wide golden leaf blade. The cool nights in the fall […]
Archive for March, 2010
Golden Hakonegrass Lights Up The Shade Garden
Posted by Hugh on March 28th, 2010
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Comments Off on Golden Hakonegrass Lights Up The Shade GardenViburnums for Privacy Screening
Posted by Hugh on March 27th, 2010
photo: the clean summer foliage of ‘Allegheny’ viburnum Must you plant an evergreen hedge when a semi-evergreen flowering shrub is fine for the task? Leatherleaf viburnum hybrid cultivars ‘Allegheny’ and ‘Willowwood’ are 60% evergreen, dropping their foliage very late in autumn in U.S.D.A. zones 6 and 7-a. ‘Willowwood is preferred over ‘Allegheny’ in areas of […]
Posted in Uncategorized Comments Off on Viburnums for Privacy ScreeningWhen to Prune Flowering Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on March 26th, 2010
Prune spring flowering shrubs and trees immediately within one month after flowering. These plants set their flower buds on last summer’s woody shoots. Common shrub examples include forsythia, lilac, weigela, mockorange, loropetalum, honeysuckle, and many viburnum species. Summer-flowering plants set their flower buds on spring wood (this year) when they bloom. They are pruned in […]
Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’ Buddleia Is Late Summer Gem
Posted by Hugh on March 21st, 2010
photo taken at JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC in June 2009 Lo & Behold® ‘Blue Chip’ is a very dwarf butterfly bush (buddleia) for the summer garden. Its compact 3 x 4 foot height and width is an excellent choice planted in a garden bed or in a container on a sunny patio deck or patio. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Buddleia (Butterfly bush), Butterflies, compact shrub, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, mulching, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’ Buddleia Is Late Summer GemBest of Perennial Veronicas for Gardens
Posted by Hugh on March 17th, 2010
Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) has published the results of a 10-year study of speedwells (Veronica and Veronicastrum) in its 33rd issue of Plant Evaluation Notes, “A Comparative Study of Veronica and Veronicastrum“. Seven speedwells received good-excellent ratings for their overall performance, including Veronica ‘Fairytale’, V. ‘Giles Van Hees’, V. austriaca ‘Ionian Skies’, V. longifolia ‘Blue […]
Posted in acidic soil, Fertilizing plants, Perennials, Propagation (Cuttings), Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Veronica (speedwells), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Best of Perennial Veronicas for GardensGrowing Spuria Iris Worth The Challenge
Posted by Hugh on March 15th, 2010
photos courtesy of Iris City Gardens Jimmy Turner, Dallas Arboretum horticultural guru, gave me this idea. Growing spuria iris in the Southern Appalachian region can be quite challenging. Hardy to USDA zone 5, spurias are dormant (asleep) during our usually hot, dry summers. A wet summer is a real “downer” for spurias.Spuria irises bloom two […]
Time to Plant Early Vegetables
Posted by Hugh on March 14th, 2010
Photo credited to University of Illinois Extension Spring weather seems to have finally arrived here in the Southern Appalachian region. While the weather has changed for the better. Night time temps have remained above 30° F over the past 8-9 days. Spring frosts in the morning are common in this region into early May. More […]
Posted in Uncategorized Comments Off on Time to Plant Early VegetablesRe-blooming Amaryllis — Just Add Water
Posted by Hugh on March 10th, 2010
An amaryllis bulb is nature’s equivalent of a re-chargeable battery. In the fall stop watering to push the bulb into dormancy (sleep). Most leaves wither and die within 4-6 weeks. Remove a dried leaves (for neatness). The bulb must remain dormant for a minimum of 8 weeks. Store the pot anywhere, in a closet shelf […]
Posted in Uncategorized Comments Off on Re-blooming Amaryllis — Just Add Water“Pruning Cuts –Avoiding the Big Ones”
Posted by Hugh on March 8th, 2010
Question: was this pruning cut a mistake? You judge.Driving home yesterday, I spied upon this extreme pruning cut (see photo). The tree pruner may have read the chapter in the pruning manual about cutting a damaged or broken limb on an angle to shed snow and rain. Had he/she missed the chapter that recommends making […]
Posted in Uncategorized Comments Off on “Pruning Cuts –Avoiding the Big Ones”Aucuba — Major Shade Garden Shrub
Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2010
On a recent trip to the Knoxville Botanical Garden, I was re-introduced to a plant not used as much as it should be – gold dust shrub (Aucuba japonica). Hardy to USDA hardiness zones 6b-10, aucuba prefers a partial sun to heavy shaded area of the garden. Direct sunlight, even in the mostly cloudy winter may scorch some leaves. Over the past 20 years […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aucuba, Drought tolerant, Pruning, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Aucuba — Major Shade Garden Shrub
