Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is one of our most beautiful U.S. native trees. Trees often grow multi-stemmed or shrub-like to 20-30 feet or in tree form to 35-40 feet high and narrow in spread. Trying to establish a new tree can be challenging. In the wild sourwoods are often found growing in shallow soils on steep […]
Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category
Getting A Sourwood Tree Going
Posted by Hugh on February 26th, 2017
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Sourwood (Oxydendrum), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Getting A Sourwood Tree GoingFour Very Different Annuals You Should Try
Posted by Hugh on February 23rd, 2017
I asked three regional horticulturists to identify an under-planted drought tolerant annual. Here are four (4) that they recommended: Drumstick flower or “Billy Buttons” (Craspedia globosa) produces a golden-yellow display of spherical flowers that often reach the size of golf balls (USDA plant hardiness zones 8-11). The silvery-gray foliage reaches about 2 feet tall and wide, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Drumstick flw. (Craspedia), Evolvulus, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, mulching, Planting tips, Plectranthus, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Four Very Different Annuals You Should TryExceptionally Hardy ‘Margarita’ Carolina Yellow Jessamine
Posted by Hugh on February 21st, 2017
Carolina yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is a lovely ignored native vine. It is native from Virginia to Texas to Florida, easily spotted growing in a sunny location growing on trees (USDA zones 6-9). It is the state flower of South Carolina. Grow it as a trellised vine or as a low shrub-like mound (ground cover). Flowers often serve as an early call […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Ground cover, Jessamine (Gelsemium), Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Vine, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Tags: Vines Comments Off on Exceptionally Hardy ‘Margarita’ Carolina Yellow JessamineBlue Star Amsonia Is A Solid Performer
Posted by Hugh on February 17th, 2017
Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana) is native to the central U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). This herbaceous perennial is frequently seen growing in open woodlands in the midwest and south to Florida and Texas. In mid-spring (in Tennessee), plants are filled with clusters of soft light blue star-like flowers, each nearly ¾ inches across. This clump-forming perennial […]
Posted in acidic soil, Amsonia (blue star), Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, compost, Container garden, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowers, mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Blue Star Amsonia Is A Solid PerformerCuring Winter Blues… A Trip To The Philadelphia Flower Show
Posted by Hugh on February 11th, 2017
Since 1827, the Philadelphia Flower Show has been the world’s longest-running and largest indoor flower show. This 8 days flower show, from 11 March 2017 (Saturday) to 19 March 2017 (Sunday), is organized by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). The 8- day event features incredible large-scale floral displays, elaborate gardens, and creative floral arrangements. Over ¼ […]
Posted in Bulb Crops, Daffodil (Narcissus), Dahlia, Environmental issues, Flower Arranging, Flowering Bulb, Flowers, Fragrant, Fritillaria, Garden ecology, Garden Tools, Gardens to Visit, Landscape Construction, Landscape ideas, lenten rose, Lily (Lilium spp.), Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Tulips, Water Gardens, Winter flowering Comments Off on Curing Winter Blues… A Trip To The Philadelphia Flower Show‘Ascot Rainbow’ Variegated Spurge
Posted by Hugh on February 10th, 2017
‘Ascot Rainbow’ Spurge (Euphorbia x martinii) is an herbaceous evergreen perennial which has shown to be remarkably winter hardy (USDA hardiness zones 5b-9). This spurge is a relatively low maintenance perennial. This plant has both distinctive variegated flowers and foliage. Plant several spurges together for an awesome visual show. Ascot Rainbow Spurge struts attractive bluish-green narrow foliage […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Perennials, Photoperiod (Daylength), Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spurge (Euphorbia), watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Ascot Rainbow’ Variegated SpurgeTransform These Three Shrubs Into Trees
Posted by Hugh on February 9th, 2017
Some large shrubs can be trained into lovely small flowering trees. These three flowering shrubs may be trained into small 15-25 feet tall, single or multi- trunk trees: Siebold viburnum (Viburnum sieboldii) is a tall upright branched deciduous shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-7). This native from Japan grows to 15-20 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, compact tree, Container growing, Disease resistant, Flowering, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Hydrangeas, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Ninebark, Ornamental fruit, Panicle hydrangea, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnum beetles, Viburnums, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on Transform These Three Shrubs Into TreesButterfly Weed Named 2017 Perennial Plant Of The Year
Posted by Hugh on February 4th, 2017
Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), aka butterfly weed, is a long-lived tuberous rooted perennial indigenous to the southeastern U.S and mid-western U.S. and Canada (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9). It grows in dry/rocky open woodlands, prairies, farm fields, and along roadsides. Individual plants typically grow as a clump to 2- 3 feet high and 1 -2 feet wide. Unlike many […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Container garden, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Native Plant, Overcrowding, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Butterfly Weed Named 2017 Perennial Plant Of The YearStop The “Crape Murder”
Posted by Hugh on January 28th, 2017
In Tennessee (where I live) and in the Southeastern U.S., bad crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x) pruning continues to be done by professional landscapers and homeowners (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). This practice, also called “topping”, reduces tree (or shrub) height. Over 25 years, Southern Living magazine called this “crape murder”. Crape murder is not going away. More crape […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial insects, Butterflies, Cercopora leaf spot, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Downy mildew, Drought tolerant, Flowers, Heat Tolerance, Messy Fruits, mulching, Planting tips, Powdery mildew, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Weak wooded, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stop The “Crape Murder”50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For Bumblebees
Posted by Hugh on January 24th, 2017
Here are three key points in planning your pollination garden. To attract U.S. native bumblebees: First, add both early(*), mid-summer, and late(**) flowers in the mix for a three seasons long garden. Second, mass together many of the same kinds of flowers, not just one or two plants, so that bees will spot them easier and to visit the planting frequently. […]
Posted in Alliums (onion), Alyssum (annual), Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Bees and other pollinators, Beneficial Insects, Beneficial insects, Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Cosmos, Cranesbill (Geranium), Crocus, Culver's Root (veronicastrum), Flowers, Heather (Calluna), Hollyhock (Alcea), Liatris, Monarda (Beebalm), Native Plant, Nepeta (catmint), Pentas (Egyptian star flower), Perennials, Pollination needs, Rosemary, Russian sage (Perovskia), Sage (Salvia), Salvia, Sedum (Groundcover types), Snapdragons, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Stokesia, Stonecrop sedums, Summer flowering, Sunflowers, Verbena, Zinnia Comments Off on 50+ Flowering Pollen/Nectar Plants For Bumblebees
