Wanting two seasons of spring-summer color, heat and drought tolerant, and no disease or pest problems? You should be planting Profusion and Zahara zinnias, also called “star zinnias”. They are very resistant to powdery mildew, a disease which plagues many kinds of zinnias. Profusion and Zahara zinnias bloom non-stop for almost 6 months (mid-May thru October) in the […]
Archive for the ‘Autumn flowering’ Category
Star Zinnias Handle Heat and Dry Weather
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2012
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, mulching, plant nutrition, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Star zinnia, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips 
Comments Off on Star Zinnias Handle Heat and Dry WeatherVintage ‘Strawberry Candy’ A Sensational Daylily Performer
Posted by Hugh on June 26th, 2012
Some vintage daylily varieties are timeless performers. Strawberry Candy daylily (Hemerocallis x ‘Strawberry Candy’) is a daylily classic, one of the first to open in June in Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Its grass-like foliage is semi-evergreen here. The 4- inch diameter flowers open strawberry pink with a prominent rose red eye […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Daylilies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, watering tips Comments Off on Vintage ‘Strawberry Candy’ A Sensational Daylily PerformerEasy To Grow Dahlias
Posted by Hugh on June 16th, 2012
According to the American Dahlia Society there are 18 classes of dahlias, from the popular small flowered dahlietta types to the large flowered dinner plate type. Dahlias hail from South of the Border, down Mexico Way, and are not reliably winter hardy north of USDA zone 7-b. Dahlias are easy to grow. They want a compost […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, compost, Dahlia, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Easy To Grow DahliasRe-blooming Iris For Twice (and More) Flowering
Posted by Hugh on April 6th, 2012
Gardeners who desire more flowering from garden iris (Iris spp.) should be planting re-blooming types. Some cultivars may re-bloom up to three times in one growing season. The re-blooming trait is found both in bearded and beardless irises (I. germanica). Re-bloomers need to be well established for one year, sometimes two, to bloom multi-seasonly. Some […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, compost, Fertilizing plants, Iris, Iris (Tall bearded), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, watering iris Comments Off on Re-blooming Iris For Twice (and More) Flowering‘Goshiki’ Osmanthus Brightens Up Any Garden Spot
Posted by Hugh on March 13th, 2012
Holly Tea Olive (Osmanthus spp.) comprises a number of evergreen shrubs from Japan which are winter hardy in USDA zone 7- 9. ‘Goshiki’ (O. heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’) is a hardier compact evergreen shrub, which grows very slowly at 3-4 inches per year. It is long-lived, maturing to 5- 6 feet in height and 5 to 7 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Osmanthus 'Goshiki', Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant Comments Off on ‘Goshiki’ Osmanthus Brightens Up Any Garden SpotGet Past The Winter Blahs With Paperwhite Narcissus
Posted by Hugh on January 4th, 2012
A wonderful, easy indoor gardening project this winter is to start a dish (pot) of paperwhite narcissus (Narcissus tazetta). Paperwhites make a lovely white centerpiece on your dining table. Paperwhite bulbs are outdoor hardy in USDA hardiness zones 8 – 10. Store the bulbs in a warm dry location such as on top of a refrigerator until you’re […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Failure to Bloom, Interior (house) Plants, Paperwhite narcissus, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering bulbs, Staking, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Uncategorized, watering tips, Winter flowering Comments Off on Get Past The Winter Blahs With Paperwhite Narcissus‘Snow Flurry’ Zone 6 Hardy Camellia
Posted by Hugh on October 31st, 2011
‘Snow Flurry’ camellia is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with good plant vigor. It was one of the first zone 6 cold hardy camellias hybridized by Dr. William Ackerman and released by the U.S. National Arboretum in 1986. Snow Flurry grows into a 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide shrub over a 10 year […]
Plant Autumn Asters Instead Of Mums
Posted by Hugh on October 2nd, 2011
Aromatic asters (Aster oblongifolius) is one of our finest late blooming native asters for the autumn garden in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Through the spring and summer months, the dense gray-green shrubby foliage mounds grow 15-18 inches high and 24-30 inches wide. Hundreds of yellow-centered, daisy type flowers cover the […]
Posted in Aster, Autumn flowering, Butterflies, deadheading, Deer resistant, Native Plant, Perennials, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, Virus diseases Comments Off on Plant Autumn Asters Instead Of Mums‘Little Lemon’ Goldenrod Acts Like Late Summer Bedding Plant
Posted by Hugh on September 29th, 2011
Across the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7), the native goldenrods (Solidago spp.) are easy to spot, growing 6-8 feet tall in ditch banks along roadsides and in the poorest of soils. Over the past quarter century short, more compact cultivars have arrived local garden centers. ‘Little Lemon’ grows only 12-15 inches tall with a 18-24 inch spread. This diminutive […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Butterflies, Goldenrod (Solidago), Native Plant, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips Comments Off on ‘Little Lemon’ Goldenrod Acts Like Late Summer Bedding PlantOctober Starts Out With Fall Sunflowers
Posted by Hugh on September 26th, 2011
I thank the person who gave me a native swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolia). This long-lived perennial appears to have its own internal clock for blooming around the first day of October. Its long narrow rough-textured leaves average 6 inches in length. The 2-3 inch wide flowers appear first on top of the tall 6 to 7 foot plants, and […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, deadheading, Fall sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Fertilizing plants, Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on October Starts Out With Fall Sunflowers
