If gardeners want to add some tropical punch to the garden, elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) and a close botanical cousin (Alocasia) are one of the first plants that I recommend (USDA hardiness zones 7b-10). Also called ornamental taro, plants take off and grow rapidly after spring planting (when all threats of freeze injury have waned). […]
Archive for the ‘Annuals’ Category
Elephant Ears In The Garden
Posted by Hugh on May 11th, 2021
Posted in acidic soil, Alocasia, Annuals, Colocasia, compost, Container garden, Fall Garden Interest, Flower arrangments, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, Wind protection, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on Elephant Ears In The GardenAnnuals To Plant In 2021
Posted by Hugh on April 21st, 2021
I spend spring, summer, and fall months visiting public gardens mostly in the eastern and southeast U.S. (Ohio/Pennsylvania south to Florida with camera in hand). I get ideas of new flowers to plant in my garden next year. Here are five flowering annuals that caught my attention. Begonia ‘Canary Wing’ – this golden leaf plant […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Catharanthus (Vinca), Coleus, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowers, Fragrant, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, organic gardening, Periwinkle (annual vinca), Planting tips, Plectranthus, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Winter Protection Comments Off on Annuals To Plant In 2021New Soiree Kawaii® Vincas
Posted by Hugh on April 6th, 2021
Vinca (Catharanthus), also called Madagasar periwinkle, is a popular summer flowering bedding plant. Soiree Kawaii® series of catharanthus hybrids from Suntory (C. roseus) continue among the favorites at California Spring Trials since their introduction three years ago. Vincas start blooming, and continuously thereafter, from spring planting to the first frost in autumn. Soiree Kawaii vincas perform […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on New Soiree Kawaii® VincasLove in A Mist (Nigella)
Posted by Hugh on March 11th, 2021
Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is a popular cool weather annual. It is also known by several other names including “ragged lady” or “devil in the bush”. Nigella belongs to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and is native to southern Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. In its natural habitat, nigella is found on neglected, damp patches of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Container garden, Deciduous, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Landscape ideas, mulching, Nigella (Love-in-a-mist), Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Love in A Mist (Nigella)Plant Awards Of 2021
Posted by Hugh on January 10th, 2021
For 2021, the National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit organization promoting gardening in North America, has announced the five (5) plant classes that will be featured in the 2021 “Year of the” program. Annual: Year of the Sunflower Vegetable/edible: Year of the Garden Bean Perennial: Year of the Monarda Bulb: Year of the Hyacinth Flowering Shrub: Year of the Hardy […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, Butterflies, Calamint, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering house plant, Foliage plant, Fruits & Vegetables, Green Beans, Herbs, Hibiscus acetosella, Hosta, Hummingbird, Hyacinth, Landscape ideas, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Plant Awards Of 2021Repel Deer And Rabbits
Posted by Hugh on December 11th, 2020
We live at a time that deer population numbers have grown out of control in many areas of the U.S. The internet lists plants that “DEER DON’T EAT”. However, deer have not read these lists, and secondly, a starving deer will eat just about anything. An adult deer may eat 5-6 pounds of plant material […]
Posted in Annuals, apple orchard, Apple tree, Artemisia, Begonia, Container garden, Corn (Sweet or Field), Dahlia, Deer resistant, Edible fruits, Environmental Conservation, Fencing, Fragrant, Geranium, Hosta, Landscape ideas, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Native Plant, Peach, Pear (Pyrus spp.), Poisonous or toxic, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Raised bed Gardening, Raspberries, Roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Repel Deer And RabbitsFall Clean Up Of Garden Beds
Posted by Hugh on October 1st, 2020
Cleaning up vegetable and flower beds requires some thought. Most gardeners desire to get a start on next spring’s clean up in the fall. They may rototill garden beds in fall, particularly if soils are too moist to work in early spring. Turning the soil also kills lots of weeds, including winter weeds which have […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, applying sulfur, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Bulb Crops, Canna lily, Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Landscape ideas, Lavender (Lavandula), mulching, Native Plant, Purchasing Plants, Rosemary, Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Soil Conservation, Soil pH, Soil Testing, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Tennessee Coneflower, Weeds, Weeds, Wildflowers, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness, Zinnia Comments Off on Fall Clean Up Of Garden BedsSix Architecturally Tall Perennials
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2020
Here are six showy architectural gems to grow in your garden. All six are “big guys” and are valued for their bold presence, disease-free foliage, and their attractive flowers, that are also great pollinators. Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) is a U.S. native perennial that mimics an astilbe on steroids. This tall, upright, clump-forming […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annual rudbeckia (R. hirta), Annuals, Biennial, Butterflies, Compass Plant (Silphium), compost, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Fennel (Foeniculum), Fertilizing plants, Filipendula, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Hibiscus coccineus, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rosinweed (Silphinum), Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem Comments Off on Six Architecturally Tall PerennialsAttracting Hummingbirds
Posted by Hugh on July 6th, 2020
This time of year many gardeners are setting out bird feeders, including those filled with a sugar solution to encourage hummingbirds to visit your garden. Unfortunately, the sugary drink will also attracts numerous ants, bees, and wasps. When warm spring and summer weather arrives, the solution clouds up with bacteria which ferments or perhaps fatal […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Annuals, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Container garden, Daylilies, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Fall Garden Interest, Foxglove (Digitalis), Honey bees, Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Landscape ideas, Lantana, Liatris, Lobelia (cardnial flower), Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Native Plant, Native wildflowers, Nepeta (catmint), Penstemon, Perennials, Phlox, Purchasing Plants, Rhododendrons, Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Summer phlox (P. paniculata), Trees & Shrubs, Vine, Weigela, Wildlife attractant Comments Off on Attracting HummingbirdsCalibrachoas (Million Bells*)
Posted by Hugh on May 16th, 2020
Gardeners have discovered Million Bells* (Calibrachoa x hybrida), a small flowering cousin of the petunia. Million Bells are prolific bloomers and produce one-inch mini-blossoms. They were first marketed to home gardeners in the 1990’s. They’re native to Peru, Brazil, and Chile, and are commonly grown as annuals in the U.S. Over the past twenty years […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Calibrachoa (Million bells), Chlorosis (yellowing), compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Calibrachoas (Million Bells*)
