European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), aka ironwood and musclewood, is an underused tree that is an excellent urban street and park tree. (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). The tree develops a full, dense canopy and little maintenance requirements. The species typically grows 40-60 feet (less frequently to 80 feet) tall with a pyramidal to oval-rounded crown. Its dense […]
Archive for August, 2021
Lots of Choice With European Hornbeams
Posted by Hugh on August 26th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Autumn foliage color, Bees and other pollinators, Chlorosis (yellowing), compact tree, Container growing, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Hornbeam (Carpinus), Japanese beetle, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Nut Producer, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Lots of Choice With European HornbeamsKalimeris – Late Summer Flowering Perennial
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2021
Japanese asters (Kalimeris spp.) are synonymous with boltonias (Boltonia). It is native of China, Japan and Siberia. It superficially resembles Boltonia, but differs enough to be assigned to the genus Kalimeris in the 1990s. Kalimeris incisa ‘Blue Star’ is a superior form. This clump-forming species is noted for its long summer bloom period featuring 1 ½ inch wide, […]
Posted in Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, deadheading, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Kalimeris (Japanese aster), mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region Comments Off on Kalimeris – Late Summer Flowering PerennialSmart Water Use In The Summer Garden
Posted by Hugh on August 17th, 2021
When the heat of the summer settles in, water is in high demand. Here is some practices to implement when planting a water-wise garden, irrigating lawngrass, and better mulching practices to improve soil moisture levels: Lawn grass species vary in their water needs. Cool season grasses like fescues and bluegrasses are moderately drought tolerant, turn […]
Posted in Agastache (Hyssop), Alliums (onion), Annuals, Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Container garden, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Euphorbias, Heat Tolerance, Ice Plant (Delosperma), Irrigation, Lamb's ears (Stachys), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Lavender (Lavandula), Lawn Care, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Prickly cactus, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rain barrel, Red hot Poker (Kniphofia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Sedum (Groundcover types), Sedum (Shrub type), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on Smart Water Use In The Summer GardenDeer Resistant Perennials
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2021
Most deer-resistant plants share several traits or characteristics: 1. Aromatic flowers / foliage; 2. thorny, bristly, or hairy (pubescent) leaves or stems; 3. toxic plants. If “deer pressure” (population) is exceptionally high, deer don’t heed plant lists like this one. Available food resources, species of deer, seasonal weather are all factors. Flowers, foliage, fruits, and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Artemisia, Aster, Astilbe (false spirea), Attracting Butterflies, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Baptisia (wild indigo), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Blazing star (Liatris), Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Bugleweed (Ajuga), Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Calamagrostis, Calamint, Columbine (Aquilegia), Compass Plant (Silphium), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Coreopsis, Coreopsis 'Gold Standard, Cranesbill (Geranium), Crocosmia (Montbretia), Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Echinops (Globe thistles), Eupatorium 'Gateway', Evening primrose (Oenothera), Filipendula, Flower Arranging, Foxglove (Digitalis), Gaura, Goldenrod (Solidago), Hellebores, Iris (Tall bearded), Landscape ideas, Lavender (Lavandula), Liatris, Ligularias, Liriope, Monarda (Beebalm), mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Ostrich fern (Matteuccia), Pennisetum spp., Penstemon, Peony, Perennials, Pests, Planting tips, Platycodon (Balloon flower), Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Rodgersia, Rosemary, Rosinweed (Silphinum), Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Russian sage (Perovskia), Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tennessee Coneflower, White Wood Aster (Eurybia) Comments Off on Deer Resistant PerennialsMexican Bush Sage
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2021
Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), aka velvet sage, is a perennial that lights up the late summer / fall garden (USDA hardiness zone 7b-10). Indigenous to Central America and Mexico, it can be grown as an annual that grows to about 3-4 feet tall. In the U.S., bush sage is only hardy from the lower […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Salvia leucantha, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Mexican Bush Sage12 Plants With Silver Foliage
Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2021
Silver King Artemisia (Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Silver King’) is an aggressive form with bushy, upright patch of fragrant silvery foliage and loose sprays of grey flowers in midsummer. Prune back hard after flowering to rejuvenate foliage. Deer and drought resistant. (z 3-7). Silver Mound Artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’) – soft feathery leaves grow into compact, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Artemisia, Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Cheddar pinks (Dianthus), Container garden, Dead nettle (Lamium), Deciduous, Dichondra, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Dusty Miller (Senecio), Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Helichrysum (Licorice plant), Heuchera (coralbells), Lamb's ears (Stachys), Landscape ideas, Lavender (Lavandula), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Wildlife attractant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on 12 Plants With Silver Foliage
