There is lots of interest in this shrub group. Anise shrubs (Illicium spp.) are fast growing, evergreen shrubs (USDA zones 7 to 10). They exhibit a multi-stemmed, upright, compact growth habit. The green foliage of Florida anise (I. floridanum) is quite attractive and aromatic, smelling similar to anise spice when crushed. Their shiny, leathery leaves are […]
Archive for the ‘Container garden’ Category
Anise (Illicium) Shrubs Coming To Mid-South Gardens
Posted by Hugh on November 16th, 2019
Posted in acidic soil, Anise tree (Illicium), Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, compact shrub, compact tree, Container garden, Container growing, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Evergreens, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Fragrant, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Large shrub, mulching, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, watering evergreens, watering tips 
Comments Off on Anise (Illicium) Shrubs Coming To Mid-South GardensThere Is Nothing “Minor” About These Bulbs
Posted by Hugh on November 1st, 2019
Companion bulbs, often called “minor bulbs”, are early signs that spring is coming. Three of the most reliable are snowdrops, winter aconites and Glory of the snow. They bloom before crocus in winter. Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) returns with floral beauty less than three months after planting. Plants poke through the ground, grow and flower 3 to 6 […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Bulb Crops, Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow), compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Flowering Bulb, Garden ecology, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Snowdrops (Galanthus), Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Winter aconite (Eranthis), Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on There Is Nothing “Minor” About These BulbsInkberry Holly Substitute For Boxwood
Posted by Hugh on October 16th, 2019
Ilex glabra ‘Densa’ Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), also called gallberry, is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). It grows to 5-8 feet tall and can spread by root suckers and form colonies. Inkberry is native from the eastern coast of Canada south to Florida, west to Louisiana. The shrub is at home in sandy […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Chlorosis (yellowing), compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Ground nesting bees, Honey bees, Ilex (hollies), Inkberry Holly (Ilex), Landscape ideas, Leaf diseases, Mites, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root rotting, Root suckering, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Inkberry Holly Substitute For Boxwood‘Early Bird’ Blooming Bulbs
Posted by Hugh on September 26th, 2019
These tiny flowering bulbs are truly early birds. Fall planted bulbs often emerge in late January and February here in the Southern Appalachian region. Once they are up and blooming, frigid temps don’t damage the flowers or plants. Instead, the winter weather causes the hardy blooms to last and last in February and March. They often […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow), compost, Container garden, Crocus, Daffodil (Narcissus), Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Snowdrops (Galanthus), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spring flowering bulbs, Winter aconite (Eranthis), Winter flowering Comments Off on ‘Early Bird’ Blooming BulbsTypes OF Tulips
Posted by Hugh on September 16th, 2019
Over the centuries Dutch tulip breeders have brought to market 15 groups of the spring blooming goodies (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). The properties determining the group to which each tulip belongs are the shape of its flower, its parentage and its flowering period. Let’s take a peak at “the world of tulips”. Here is a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bacterial diseases, Bees and other pollinators, Botrytis disease, Bulb Crops, Container garden, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Flowering Bulb, Flowers, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Root rotting, Rust diseases, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering bulbs, Tulips, Voles, winter hardiness Comments Off on Types OF TulipsFall Planting And Dividing Iris
Posted by Hugh on September 11th, 2019
Tall bearded (Iris x hybrida), Japanese iris (I. ensata), Siberian irises (I. sibirica) are very popular with U.S. gardeners and are favorites in my spring flower garden (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). The period from late August through mid-October is the ideal time to plant and/or divide irises. Don’t procrastinate…the earlier the better. Give plants enough […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Bacterial diseases, Bees and other pollinators, Borers, Butterflies, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Insect (Pest) Problems, Iris, Iris (Tall bearded), Iris sibirica, Landscape ideas, mulching, Overcrowding, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Re-Bloomers, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Fall Planting And Dividing IrisPeony Care in the Fall
Posted by Hugh on September 6th, 2019
October and November are ideal for fall herbaceous peony bed cleanup and to get ready for winter. Fall is the ideal time to dig up and divide old clumps of peony roots and to plant new plants. Old yellow and brown foliage comes off easy with hand clippers. Don’t pull or yank off the foliage! […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, applying sulfur, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Container garden, Deciduous, Downy mildew, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Peonies, Peony, Perennials, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (dividing), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Soil Testing, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Uncategorized, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Peony Care in the FallZone 6 Hardy Camellias – Plant Now!
Posted by Hugh on September 1st, 2019
More and more people gardening in zones 6 and 7 have discovered that they can successfully grow camellias. Once considered an exclusively Southern plant, many camellia varieties are very cold hardy where winter temps drop to 0 to 5°F. Their floral buds burst open with bright whites, pink and red shades, and spotted color blends. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Camellia, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Environmental issues, Evergreen, Fall Garden Interest, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter blooming, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Zone 6 Hardy Camellias – Plant Now!Wood’s White Aster Are Woodland Favorites
Posted by Hugh on August 26th, 2019
It’s late August and across the Southern Appalachian region White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) are blooming. Their small daisy flowers are often seen blooming in shady woodlands in late summer. They start blooming a week or two later in the New England states and Canada (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). In a natural woodland Wood’s Aster […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aster, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, White Wood Aster (Eurybia), Wildflower, winter hardiness Comments Off on Wood’s White Aster Are Woodland FavoritesRose Of Sharon ‘Pillar’ Series –Floral And Architectural Splendor
Posted by Hugh on August 21st, 2019
RRose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), aka althea, is a popular summer flowering shrub and small tree (USDA hardiness zones ((4)5-8). In northerly areas of the U.S., rose of Sharon may also be cultivated as a sun-loving perennial. The species grows 8-12 feet high and 6 -10 feet wide in full sun and in average garden […]
Posted in acidic soil, Althea (Hibiscus), Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower arrangments, Hibiscus syriacus, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Rose Of Sharon ‘Pillar’ Series –Floral And Architectural Splendor
