Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category

Four Large Street Trees With A Narrow Vertical Look

There is an old saying that they’re not making more land. This is particularly true in urban downtown areas where room to grow street trees is very limited. Here are four tall trees that also have a striking vertical accent. Their branching is upright. Because of their tall stature, they are particularly suitable planted along wide […]

Favorites For The Shade

Here are ten of my favorite perennial plants for shady areas (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). All prosper in 1-2  hours of early morning sunlight and in humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil.  Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Hosta – unquestionably the shade favorite of  U.S. gardeners.  A low maintenance plant that returns every spring with lush […]

Woody Trees and Shrubs That Bees Like Most and Least*

Recently, I saw this listing of woody trees and shrubs that are good pollinators. I grow a number of these great plants in my garden and will vouch for the accuracy of this list. The source is HRI Research and data was collected in the Ohio Valley region of the U.S. (includes Tennessee, Kentucky, southern Indiana and […]

Native Serviceberry

Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a medium-sized native tree. Its native range stretches from Ontario to the Gulf Coast (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). However, it performs well across the Western and Central U.S. Serviceberry is regionally known by many names, including shadbush, shadblow, sarvisberry, sarvis tree, and Juneberry. The latter refers to the small greenish-blue, ripening […]

Jazz Up Shady Garden Areas

From brilliant green to rich gold hues, fabulous foliage and flowers can wake up any dark or colorless, shade area. See below a list of great plants that wake up a blah area of your shade garden. Plant list is suitable for gardens in plant hardiness zones 5-8. Exciting colorful and/or tropical-like foliage or showy flowers. Hostas, […]

Baptisias – Long-Lived Native Perennials

Wild indigos or Baptisias (Baptisia spp.) are long-lived native perennials. Baptisias are tap rooted perennials that will reward you for many years. They’re sometimes mistaken for Carolina lupine (Thermopsis caroliniana). Modern day cultivars are hybrids of 4 Baptisia species: purple (B. australis), lavender blue (B. minor), white (B. alba), bright yellow (B. sphaerocarpa). Several bicolors are also […]

Tips On Repotting Container Plants

Eventually, all potted plants outgrow their containers. This includes potted roses, Japanese maples and other small trees, shrubs, dwarf conifers, elephant ears (Colocasia, Alocasia), cannas, lotus, papyrus, and lots more. A rule of thumb is to transplant every 2 years in early spring before bud break. In the case of perennials and tropicals, this is a good […]

Ten Grow Facts About Perennials

Before purchasing and planting perennials, here are ten helpful tips to assist you in garden planning: Perennials die back to the ground in fall or winter and regrow from plant crowns or roots the following spring. Most perennials should be divided when they are dormant: Spring bloomers in the fall and Fall bloomers in the […]

Fifteen Garden Perennials Which You Can’t Kill (Or Almost)

Here is a list of flowering perennials that need little care after planting. Ornamental grasses and ferns are not listed here. One steadfast rule that you must follow if this group of plants are to work for you: “choose the right plant for the right site”. Shady plants in full sun and terrestrial plants in swampy ground […]

Understanding How To Purchase Nursery Stock

Nursery growers supply trees and shrubs to garden centers in any of five ways: Container Grown – Plants have been growing in a container or pot for one or more growing years. Some plants have been grown in containers or they were field dug and repotted into containers. These transplants are not likely to experience […]