This holiday season poinsettia breeders continue to give plant buyers lovely colors, patterns and shapes. Recently, at Mitchell’s Nursery & Greenhouse in King, North Carolina, Judy Mitchell got the word out about their annual Poinsettia Open House. Close to 400 people attended their openhouse and evaluated the 10,000 poinsettias, choosing which of the 79 […]
Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category
Poinsettias – Best Of Show**
Posted by Hugh on December 16th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Breeding Plants, Flower arrangments, Flowering house plant, Flowers, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Photoperiod (Daylength), Poinsettia, Poinsettia, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Winter flowering 
Comments Off on Poinsettias – Best Of Show**Protect New Trees From Winter Sunscald
Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2017
Across the northern U.S. and Canada, cold temperatures can damage many plants. Wide fluctuations in temperature can be particularly detrimental to newly planted landscape and fruit trees from late fall to early spring. Street trees are particularly susceptible. Sun scald is described by elongated, sunken, dried, or cracked areas of dead bark, usually on the […]
Posted in apple orchard, Apple tree, Asian Pears, Cherries, Cold tolerance, Crabapple, Environmental issues, Garden Problems, Honeylocust (Gleditsia), Landscape ideas, Linden (Tilia), Maples (Acer), Mountain ash (Sorbus), Peach, Pear (Pyrus spp.), Plum, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Sun scald, Trees & Shrubs, Wind protection, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Protect New Trees From Winter SunscaldNew: The Bushel and Berry Collection Of Patio Fruits
Posted by Hugh on December 4th, 2017
Back in late 2016 Star® Roses and Plants* purchased the company formerly known as BrazelBerries®. In 2017 they have rebranded the plant offerings into the new Bushel and Berry™ Collection. Beside the old favorites, a new collection of edible berry plants are available at participating garden centers nationwide. I have successfully grown two varieties on the sunny portion of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Blueberries, Cold tolerance, Container garden, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Insect (Pest) Problems, Landscape ideas, Mites, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Raspberries, Repotting plants, Sanitation, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on New: The Bushel and Berry Collection Of Patio FruitsProtect Young Trees and Shrubs From Voles, Rabbits And Other Critters
Posted by Hugh on November 27th, 2017
Rabbits, chipmunks, and voles (field mice) need a home for the winter. They often choose to nestle up near newly planted trees and shrubs and gnaw on their sweet sapwood, girdling the trunk and essentially killing the tree. Fruit-bearing plants often damaged by critters over their first 1-2 winters include: apple, pear, peach, redbud, blueberry, and cane fruits. Young […]
Posted in Apple tree, Asian Pears, Azalea (deciduous), Azaleas (evergreen), Blackberries, Blueberries, Deciduous Azaleas, Encore azaleas, Environmental issues, Evergreens, Fencing, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, mulching, Peach, Pear (Ornamental), Pear (Pyrus spp.), Pests, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Raspberries, Redbud, Sanitation, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Wildlife attractant, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Protect Young Trees and Shrubs From Voles, Rabbits And Other CrittersEuonymus ‘Moonshadow’ – A Ground Cover For All Seasons
Posted by Hugh on November 24th, 2017
Many so-called shade perennials such as hostas, astilbes, brunneras, and coralbells (Heuchera spp.) actually excel in areas that are bathe mostly morning sunlight. In these areas ‘Moonshadow’ euonymus (Euonymus fortunei ‘Moonshadow’) makes a great companion shrub with these perennials (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Moonshadow has become a favorite ground cover euonymus of mine. ‘Moonshadow’ euonymus is […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, compact shrub, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Euonymus (Ground Cover), Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Scale, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Euonymus ‘Moonshadow’ – A Ground Cover For All SeasonsThe Glorious Katsura Tree
Posted by Hugh on November 20th, 2017
Katsura Tree (Cercidophyllum japonicum) is a medium to large tree indigenous to China, Korea and Japan (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Fossil imprints indicate that Katsura Tree has existed over 1.8 million years and flourished throughout Asia and North America. Katsura’s genus name Cercidophyllum translates to “leaf (phyllum) like a red bud (Cercis)”. A mature tree can reach […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, compost, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum), Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Regional, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Glorious Katsura TreeAmur Cork Tree
Posted by Hugh on November 16th, 2017
Amur corktree (Phellodendron amurense) is native to Northern China, Korea and Japan (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Amur corktree is a fast growing, upright branched tree that makes an excellent yard or shade tree. Corktree grows in a wide range soils, and tolerates soil pH between 5.0 to 8.2. It does best in moist, well-drained soils, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn foliage color, Bees and other pollinators, Cork Tree (Phellodendron), Corktree (Phellodendron), Deer resistant, Dioecious, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Heat Tolerance, Invasive plant, Invasive species, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Amur Cork TreeThe Great Little Bluestems*
Posted by Hugh on November 12th, 2017
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is an attractive prairie grass native in southeastern or southwestern areas of the U.S. It is exceptionally hardy (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Heights of the species (including inflorescences) vary from 2 – 2.5 feet tall and many cultivars grow 3-4 feet tall. Its late summer to fall foliage is a kaleidoscope of pastel […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, deadheading, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Little Bluestem, Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Native Plant, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil Conservation, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on The Great Little Bluestems*Lantanas For Sunny Gardens
Posted by Hugh on November 8th, 2017
Lantanas (Lantana x) are favorite bedding plants, particularly in southern and western U.S. gardens where summers are hot and long. Lantanas are generally planted in flower gardens, but can be grown in containers, including hanging baskets. Plants bloom from late spring until the cool days of fall arrive. Some environmentalists classify them as invasive because […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Container garden, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Hummingbird, Lacebugs, Landscape ideas, Lantana, Mites, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, White flies, winter hardiness Comments Off on Lantanas For Sunny GardensUnappreciated And Underplanted Sawtooth Oak
Posted by Hugh on November 5th, 2017
Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) is a medium-sized deciduous oak that exhibits traits similar to both the white oak and red oak sections. Indigenous to China, Korea and Japan, sawtooth oak has naturalized in some parts of the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones (5?)6-9). Sawtooth oak grows 40-60 feet tall and wide with broad spreading branches and rounded canopy. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Environmental Conservation, Fertilizing plants, Landscape ideas, Large Shade trees, mulching, Oaks (Quercus spp.), Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Sawtooth oak (Q. acutissima), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Unappreciated And Underplanted Sawtooth Oak
