Archive for February, 2022

Ridding Homes Of Camel Crickets

Camel crickets, also known as cave crickets or spider crickets live in dark damp places of the home or garage. They are related to grasshoppers, locusts, and other crickets (insect order Orthoptera) and are six legged as opposed to spiders that have eight legs.  Fully grown adults range in size from 1-2 inches long, while […]

Hardy Zone 6 Camellias

In the Southern U.S., camellias are treasured for their showy flowers in the fall-winter landscape. Their glossy evergreen foliage looks great all year long. Hardy varieties are now available for zone 6 northern gardens (-10 to 0 °F). Essentially, gardeners can raise camellias in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and in most coastal cities along the East […]

Uniqely Different Chinese Quince

Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) is an under-utilized small 10-20 feet tall deciduous tree or large shrub with a dense oval crown (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Initially, it starts out a slow grower for 1-2 years to establish its roots. Throughout the year, it provides several months of landscape charm that includes an attractive form, large […]

Japanese Cornel – Notable Cultivars

Starting in late February, Japanese cornel (C. officinalis) burst into bloom with clusters of yellow flowers (zones 5–8). Native to Japan, China, and Korea, this lovely small tree (or large shrub) is one of a few plants that is an early harbinger of spring.  Here are notable cultivars: ‘Sunsphere’ grows 20-25 feet high and is an exceptional heavy bloomer with […]

Eleven Popular Perennials In The U.S.

Today’s most popular perennials are ones asking for low maintenance and have few to no bug or disease problems. Cutflowers may be used in fresh cut and in dried arrangements. Coneflowers (Echinacea x) – native coneflowers are tough and pretty; flower colors: purple, white, orange, red, yellow. Compact coneflower series (16 to 30 inches tall): […]

Create A Garden With Four Seasons Appeal

Your garden should be a year-round enjoyment and you should design it to reflect that. Many trees and shrubs offer multi-seasonal attraction. Several years back I designed a series of walking paths to network through my garden to capture its 12-month natural beauty. Planning next year’s garden? Look for calendar gaps in your own landscape […]